Narrative:

At about XA00 on feb/xx/95 I was flying a PA-28 inbound VFR from the north for landing at tucson international. I called tucson approach from about 19 mi out on frequency 125.1 (this one from the sectional chart) and was given an alternate frequency by the 125.1 controller. I do not remember the second frequency. After a couple of unsuccessful attempts to contact tucson approach on the second frequency, I turned wbound to avoid entering the class C airspace, although I suppose technically that my conversation with the first controller would have satisfied the letter of far 91.130(1), if not its spirit. I was about 13 mi north when I turned wbound, and I remember explaining to my non-pilot passenger about the class C airspace and pointing out the DME reading to him at that time. Shortly thereafter I made contact on the second frequency and was given a squawk code. Having at that time satisfied both the letter and the spirit of far 91.130(1), I turned back towards the airport and proceeded inbound. After a few min had passed and I did not hear the expected 'radar contact' message along with some arrival instructions, I called again on the second frequency to assure myself that the controller could hear me and vice versa. After a few more min, I was asked to 'identify,' was informed that I was inside class C airspace, and that I needed to call before entering same. I explained to the controller that I had talked with him when I was at about 13 mi out, and his reply was, 'nice try.' his tone was such that I did not wish to continue the discussion on the radio, and I simply let it drop rather than pointing out the obvious fact that I already had a squawk code. The remainder of the arrival was uneventful, except that I remember thinking at the time that I was talking to an excessive number of approach controllers before finally being handed over to the tower. At least once I was handed to one approach controller who immediately handed me off to another. The problem was clearly one of communications breakdown. Without listening to the recordings of the radio traffic, I can only guess at exactly what went wrong. Here are some possibilities: the first controller on 125.1 might have advised me to remain clear of the class C airspace and I somehow missed it. I was mildly distracted by a tachometer failure at the time and I may have been hearing the controller but not listening to what he was saying. The first controller on 125.1 might have advised me to remain clear of the class C airspace and I might have interpreted him as meaning 'you're on the wrong frequency, buddy. Stay out of our airspace until you're talking to the right guy.' the second controller may have thought that the first controller had advised me to remain clear of the class C airspace when in fact the first controller had not done so. The long delay after I was given a squawk code before I was indented on radar suggests that the second controller may have been busy and/or confused in some way, and I got the same feeling later when I seemed to be getting an excessive number of handoffs. The controller's non-professional 'nice try' comment also suggests that he may have been stressed in some way.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE -- GA PLT HAD SOME DIFFICULTY ESTABLISHING RADIO CONTACT BEFORE ENTERING CLASS 'C' AIRSPACE.

Narrative: AT ABOUT XA00 ON FEB/XX/95 I WAS FLYING A PA-28 INBOUND VFR FROM THE N FOR LNDG AT TUCSON INTL. I CALLED TUCSON APCH FROM ABOUT 19 MI OUT ON FREQ 125.1 (THIS ONE FROM THE SECTIONAL CHART) AND WAS GIVEN AN ALTERNATE FREQ BY THE 125.1 CTLR. I DO NOT REMEMBER THE SECOND FREQ. AFTER A COUPLE OF UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT TUCSON APCH ON THE SECOND FREQ, I TURNED WBOUND TO AVOID ENTERING THE CLASS C AIRSPACE, ALTHOUGH I SUPPOSE TECHNICALLY THAT MY CONVERSATION WITH THE FIRST CTLR WOULD HAVE SATISFIED THE LETTER OF FAR 91.130(1), IF NOT ITS SPIRIT. I WAS ABOUT 13 MI N WHEN I TURNED WBOUND, AND I REMEMBER EXPLAINING TO MY NON-PLT PAX ABOUT THE CLASS C AIRSPACE AND POINTING OUT THE DME READING TO HIM AT THAT TIME. SHORTLY THEREAFTER I MADE CONTACT ON THE SECOND FREQ AND WAS GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE. HAVING AT THAT TIME SATISFIED BOTH THE LETTER AND THE SPIRIT OF FAR 91.130(1), I TURNED BACK TOWARDS THE ARPT AND PROCEEDED INBOUND. AFTER A FEW MIN HAD PASSED AND I DID NOT HEAR THE EXPECTED 'RADAR CONTACT' MESSAGE ALONG WITH SOME ARR INSTRUCTIONS, I CALLED AGAIN ON THE SECOND FREQ TO ASSURE MYSELF THAT THE CTLR COULD HEAR ME AND VICE VERSA. AFTER A FEW MORE MIN, I WAS ASKED TO 'IDENT,' WAS INFORMED THAT I WAS INSIDE CLASS C AIRSPACE, AND THAT I NEEDED TO CALL BEFORE ENTERING SAME. I EXPLAINED TO THE CTLR THAT I HAD TALKED WITH HIM WHEN I WAS AT ABOUT 13 MI OUT, AND HIS REPLY WAS, 'NICE TRY.' HIS TONE WAS SUCH THAT I DID NOT WISH TO CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION ON THE RADIO, AND I SIMPLY LET IT DROP RATHER THAN POINTING OUT THE OBVIOUS FACT THAT I ALREADY HAD A SQUAWK CODE. THE REMAINDER OF THE ARR WAS UNEVENTFUL, EXCEPT THAT I REMEMBER THINKING AT THE TIME THAT I WAS TALKING TO AN EXCESSIVE NUMBER OF APCH CTLRS BEFORE FINALLY BEING HANDED OVER TO THE TWR. AT LEAST ONCE I WAS HANDED TO ONE APCH CTLR WHO IMMEDIATELY HANDED ME OFF TO ANOTHER. THE PROB WAS CLRLY ONE OF COMS BREAKDOWN. WITHOUT LISTENING TO THE RECORDINGS OF THE RADIO TFC, I CAN ONLY GUESS AT EXACTLY WHAT WENT WRONG. HERE ARE SOME POSSIBILITIES: THE FIRST CTLR ON 125.1 MIGHT HAVE ADVISED ME TO REMAIN CLR OF THE CLASS C AIRSPACE AND I SOMEHOW MISSED IT. I WAS MILDLY DISTRACTED BY A TACHOMETER FAILURE AT THE TIME AND I MAY HAVE BEEN HEARING THE CTLR BUT NOT LISTENING TO WHAT HE WAS SAYING. THE FIRST CTLR ON 125.1 MIGHT HAVE ADVISED ME TO REMAIN CLR OF THE CLASS C AIRSPACE AND I MIGHT HAVE INTERPRETED HIM AS MEANING 'YOU'RE ON THE WRONG FREQ, BUDDY. STAY OUT OF OUR AIRSPACE UNTIL YOU'RE TALKING TO THE RIGHT GUY.' THE SECOND CTLR MAY HAVE THOUGHT THAT THE FIRST CTLR HAD ADVISED ME TO REMAIN CLR OF THE CLASS C AIRSPACE WHEN IN FACT THE FIRST CTLR HAD NOT DONE SO. THE LONG DELAY AFTER I WAS GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE BEFORE I WAS INDENTED ON RADAR SUGGESTS THAT THE SECOND CTLR MAY HAVE BEEN BUSY AND/OR CONFUSED IN SOME WAY, AND I GOT THE SAME FEELING LATER WHEN I SEEMED TO BE GETTING AN EXCESSIVE NUMBER OF HDOFS. THE CTLR'S NON-PROFESSIONAL 'NICE TRY' COMMENT ALSO SUGGESTS THAT HE MAY HAVE BEEN STRESSED IN SOME WAY.

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.