Pilot of a small aircraft twin inadvertently entered class C airspace during departure climb.

Attributes
ACN	296157
Time
Date	199502
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bur airport : vny
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3700
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bur
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-30 Twin Comanche
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 450
ASRS Report	296157
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited penetrated airspace
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I filed IFR from redlands airport ca to van nuys airport ca on feb/sun/95 for an XA00 departure. I departed on time from redlands in my recently purchased piper twin commanche. In contacted ontario approach on departure. Approach said, they were not receiving my transponder code. Approach said they had me on radar and I received my clearance to van nuys. I continued on to van nuys uneventfully and was on the ground for a little over 1 hour. At van nuys, I checked the connections and reset circuit breakers to the transponder. Around XA30, I departed VFR back to redlands. I departed runway 16R and flew runway heading. During the initial climb I contacted burbank approach on 134.2. They told me to contact approach on 135.05 and to stay clear of the class C airspace. I then realized I was at 3700 ft, 700 ft above the lower limit of the outer area of the class C airspace for burbank. I started an immediate descent to below 3000 ft and contacted approach on the proper frequency. I told them I had been to 3700 ft and I was descending to below 3000 ft. Approach gave me a vector to the south and a transponder code. They were not receiving my transponder code, but they had me on radar. They cleared me on course and up to 7500 ft. I stayed with burbank until clear of their radar coverage and they canceled flight following. I continued on into redlands and parked the airplane so the transponder could be fixed. I now realize I should have never continued the flight to van nuys with the inoperative transponder. I should have tried to get the transponder properly fixed on the ground in van nuys. I arrived smoothly into van nuys on an IFR flight plan. I would have realized the overlying airspace for van nuys if I had made a proper VFR flight and reviewed the airspace prior to departure. I should have been better prepared to contact burbank approach on the proper frequency. When burbank approach terminated flight following, they did not give me another frequency to contact ontario approach. Even though, I was clear of ontario's class C airspace, I should have contacted them because my transponder was inoperative.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A SMA TWIN INADVERTENTLY ENTERED CLASS C AIRSPACE DURING DEP CLB.

Narrative: I FILED IFR FROM REDLANDS ARPT CA TO VAN NUYS ARPT CA ON FEB/SUN/95 FOR AN XA00 DEP. I DEPARTED ON TIME FROM REDLANDS IN MY RECENTLY PURCHASED PIPER TWIN COMMANCHE. IN CONTACTED ONTARIO APCH ON DEP. APCH SAID, THEY WERE NOT RECEIVING MY XPONDER CODE. APCH SAID THEY HAD ME ON RADAR AND I RECEIVED MY CLRNC TO VAN NUYS. I CONTINUED ON TO VAN NUYS UNEVENTFULLY AND WAS ON THE GND FOR A LITTLE OVER 1 HR. AT VAN NUYS, I CHKED THE CONNECTIONS AND RESET CIRCUIT BREAKERS TO THE XPONDER. AROUND XA30, I DEPARTED VFR BACK TO REDLANDS. I DEPARTED RWY 16R AND FLEW RWY HDG. DURING THE INITIAL CLB I CONTACTED BURBANK APCH ON 134.2. THEY TOLD ME TO CONTACT APCH ON 135.05 AND TO STAY CLR OF THE CLASS C AIRSPACE. I THEN REALIZED I WAS AT 3700 FT, 700 FT ABOVE THE LOWER LIMIT OF THE OUTER AREA OF THE CLASS C AIRSPACE FOR BURBANK. I STARTED AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT TO BELOW 3000 FT AND CONTACTED APCH ON THE PROPER FREQ. I TOLD THEM I HAD BEEN TO 3700 FT AND I WAS DSNDING TO BELOW 3000 FT. APCH GAVE ME A VECTOR TO THE S AND A XPONDER CODE. THEY WERE NOT RECEIVING MY XPONDER CODE, BUT THEY HAD ME ON RADAR. THEY CLRED ME ON COURSE AND UP TO 7500 FT. I STAYED WITH BURBANK UNTIL CLR OF THEIR RADAR COVERAGE AND THEY CANCELED FLT FOLLOWING. I CONTINUED ON INTO REDLANDS AND PARKED THE AIRPLANE SO THE XPONDER COULD BE FIXED. I NOW REALIZE I SHOULD HAVE NEVER CONTINUED THE FLT TO VAN NUYS WITH THE INOP XPONDER. I SHOULD HAVE TRIED TO GET THE XPONDER PROPERLY FIXED ON THE GND IN VAN NUYS. I ARRIVED SMOOTHLY INTO VAN NUYS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. I WOULD HAVE REALIZED THE OVERLYING AIRSPACE FOR VAN NUYS IF I HAD MADE A PROPER VFR FLT AND REVIEWED THE AIRSPACE PRIOR TO DEP. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER PREPARED TO CONTACT BURBANK APCH ON THE PROPER FREQ. WHEN BURBANK APCH TERMINATED FLT FOLLOWING, THEY DID NOT GIVE ME ANOTHER FREQ TO CONTACT ONTARIO APCH. EVEN THOUGH, I WAS CLR OF ONTARIO'S CLASS C AIRSPACE, I SHOULD HAVE CONTACTED THEM BECAUSE MY XPONDER WAS INOP.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.