Airspace violation.

Attributes
ACN	299310
Time
Date	199503
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : acy
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : wri tracon : acy
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 1000 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	299310
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

My student and I were on a cross country, when 30 mi out of atlantic city class C airspace. My student contacted atlantic city approach. The frequency was very busy and the controller came back with our call sign and told us to stand-by. Since we had established 2-WAY radio communication, we proceeded on course. After a couple of more calls, the controller gave us a transponder-code. However the frequency remained very busy, so when we were about 10 mi from acy, I called the controller with a request to begin our descent. The controller came back and told us that we were leaving his airspace. Having the airport in sight, I was not able to understand this statement, I came back and told him that we were 10 mi north of the airport. After a few seconds the controller told us he was unable to hand us off and that we should squawk VFR and try atlantic city on 134.25. I thought we had been on that frequency all along and that the controller had become confused because it was so busy. I didn't want to bother him any more so we squawked VFR and left his airspace. We did continue to monitor the frequency however, and it was then that I heard another aircraft call mcguire approach. Upon examining the radios, I saw that we had the frequency for mcguire approach in radio #1 and the frequency for atlantic city approach in radio #2. However the transmit-selector was on #1. Instead of talking to atlantic city approach, we had been talking to mcguire the whole time and unfortunately they did not correct us, nor did we realize the mistake until we had violated atlantic city's class C airspace.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIRSPACE VIOLATION.

Narrative: MY STUDENT AND I WERE ON A XCOUNTRY, WHEN 30 MI OUT OF ATLANTIC CITY CLASS C AIRSPACE. MY STUDENT CONTACTED ATLANTIC CITY APCH. THE FREQ WAS VERY BUSY AND THE CTLR CAME BACK WITH OUR CALL SIGN AND TOLD US TO STAND-BY. SINCE WE HAD ESTABLISHED 2-WAY RADIO COM, WE PROCEEDED ON COURSE. AFTER A COUPLE OF MORE CALLS, THE CTLR GAVE US A XPONDER-CODE. HOWEVER THE FREQ REMAINED VERY BUSY, SO WHEN WE WERE ABOUT 10 MI FROM ACY, I CALLED THE CTLR WITH A REQUEST TO BEGIN OUR DSCNT. THE CTLR CAME BACK AND TOLD US THAT WE WERE LEAVING HIS AIRSPACE. HAVING THE ARPT IN SIGHT, I WAS NOT ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THIS STATEMENT, I CAME BACK AND TOLD HIM THAT WE WERE 10 MI N OF THE ARPT. AFTER A FEW SECONDS THE CTLR TOLD US HE WAS UNABLE TO HAND US OFF AND THAT WE SHOULD SQUAWK VFR AND TRY ATLANTIC CITY ON 134.25. I THOUGHT WE HAD BEEN ON THAT FREQ ALL ALONG AND THAT THE CTLR HAD BECOME CONFUSED BECAUSE IT WAS SO BUSY. I DIDN'T WANT TO BOTHER HIM ANY MORE SO WE SQUAWKED VFR AND LEFT HIS AIRSPACE. WE DID CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE FREQ HOWEVER, AND IT WAS THEN THAT I HEARD ANOTHER ACFT CALL MCGUIRE APCH. UPON EXAMINING THE RADIOS, I SAW THAT WE HAD THE FREQ FOR MCGUIRE APCH IN RADIO #1 AND THE FREQ FOR ATLANTIC CITY APCH IN RADIO #2. HOWEVER THE XMIT-SELECTOR WAS ON #1. INSTEAD OF TALKING TO ATLANTIC CITY APCH, WE HAD BEEN TALKING TO MCGUIRE THE WHOLE TIME AND UNFORTUNATELY THEY DID NOT CORRECT US, NOR DID WE REALIZE THE MISTAKE UNTIL WE HAD VIOLATED ATLANTIC CITY'S CLASS C AIRSPACE.

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.