Narrative:

On mar/wed/95, at approximately XA30 local time, I took off from falcon field (ffz), az, which is under the phoenix class B airspace and with the 30 NM mode 'C' veil. My destination was redlands, ca (L12). Before departure, I obtained the frequency for phoenix approach as I wanted to transition their class 'B' airspace wbound. After departure and getting a release from falcon tower, I made contact with phoenix approach who gave me a squawk code and told me to 'identify,' which I did. Within a few seconds, I noticed that my transponder was interrogating the signal. At this time, I was at approximately 2500 ft MSL and climbing. The controller came back and told me he wasn't picking up my mode 'C,' and to stay clear of the class 'B' airspace. Due to the fact that I was rapidly approaching the restricted airspace, I returned to falcon field at an altitude of approximately 3800 ft MSL which is below the 4000 ft floor, in that sector. As I flew in circles just north of falcon field to get my bearings, I again called phoenix approach. The controller, obviously very busy, told me he couldn't pick up my transponder, and couldn't deal with me. I asked him for some direction to transition the area. He told me I could land and get a waiver. At that time, he also informed me that he didn't want to talk to me as he 'had so many blips that he couldn't distinguish me from everyone else,' and he wanted me to maintain radio silence. While I didn't talk to him any more, I continued to monitor his frequency. By this time, I had determined where I needed to fly to avoid the class B airspace, and proceed to my destination. From falcon field, I then took a heading of approximately 150 degrees to a point just north of williams gateway airport. From there, I flew south of phoenix below the class 'B' airspace at an altitude of 3500 ft MSL. I then proceeded towards a private air strip called mobile on the other side of a small ridge. As I left the 6000 ft restricted sector, of the class 'B' airspace, I started my climb to 8500 ft and then proceeded direct to buckeye VOR. At this point, I again contacted phoenix approach, but on a frequency for the opposite side of the class B airspace. He came back that my transponder was intermittent, and couldn't track me. I asked for the frequency for ZAB which he gave me. At or about buckeye, I called center on 125.25 for flight following. Albuquerque came back with a squawk code, which they picked up immediately, and then tracked me, (apparently with no problem??) it should be pointed out, that when I transitioned phoenix's airspace from redlands on the mar/mon/95, phoenix approach didn't seem to have any trouble picking me up??? Consequently, when I took off from falcon field, I had no indication that the transponder wasn't working properly. The point of this letter is that if my transponder was not operating, as approach indicated, I would have been operating within the 30 NM veil illegally as I transitioned the area south of phoenix to buckeye VOR. It should be pointed out however, that falcon field is within the 30 NM mode 'C' veil from where I started. Although one should always expect the unexpected, and be prepared to make optional choices, this doesn't always happen in real life. It is my feeling that the controller should be more helpful to the pilot who finds himself in this predicament. To just 'dump' this pilot, he/she adds to the problem and creates an atmosphere for an accident instead of providing a solution to the problem.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PVT ACFT WITH INTERMITTENT MODE C, WAS DENIED A CLRNC THROUGH CLASS B AIRSPACE. THE PLT CONTINUED THROUGH THE MODE C VEIL TO PROCEED ON COURSE, IN SPITE OF ATC'S ADVISE TO LAND, AND OBTAIN A WAIVER.

Narrative: ON MAR/WED/95, AT APPROX XA30 LCL TIME, I TOOK OFF FROM FALCON FIELD (FFZ), AZ, WHICH IS UNDER THE PHOENIX CLASS B AIRSPACE AND WITH THE 30 NM MODE 'C' VEIL. MY DEST WAS REDLANDS, CA (L12). BEFORE DEP, I OBTAINED THE FREQ FOR PHOENIX APCH AS I WANTED TO TRANSITION THEIR CLASS 'B' AIRSPACE WBOUND. AFTER DEP AND GETTING A RELEASE FROM FALCON TWR, I MADE CONTACT WITH PHOENIX APCH WHO GAVE ME A SQUAWK CODE AND TOLD ME TO 'IDENT,' WHICH I DID. WITHIN A FEW SECONDS, I NOTICED THAT MY XPONDER WAS INTERROGATING THE SIGNAL. AT THIS TIME, I WAS AT APPROX 2500 FT MSL AND CLBING. THE CTLR CAME BACK AND TOLD ME HE WASN'T PICKING UP MY MODE 'C,' AND TO STAY CLR OF THE CLASS 'B' AIRSPACE. DUE TO THE FACT THAT I WAS RAPIDLY APCHING THE RESTRICTED AIRSPACE, I RETURNED TO FALCON FIELD AT AN ALT OF APPROX 3800 FT MSL WHICH IS BELOW THE 4000 FT FLOOR, IN THAT SECTOR. AS I FLEW IN CIRCLES JUST N OF FALCON FIELD TO GET MY BEARINGS, I AGAIN CALLED PHOENIX APCH. THE CTLR, OBVIOUSLY VERY BUSY, TOLD ME HE COULDN'T PICK UP MY XPONDER, AND COULDN'T DEAL WITH ME. I ASKED HIM FOR SOME DIRECTION TO TRANSITION THE AREA. HE TOLD ME I COULD LAND AND GET A WAIVER. AT THAT TIME, HE ALSO INFORMED ME THAT HE DIDN'T WANT TO TALK TO ME AS HE 'HAD SO MANY BLIPS THAT HE COULDN'T DISTINGUISH ME FROM EVERYONE ELSE,' AND HE WANTED ME TO MAINTAIN RADIO SILENCE. WHILE I DIDN'T TALK TO HIM ANY MORE, I CONTINUED TO MONITOR HIS FREQ. BY THIS TIME, I HAD DETERMINED WHERE I NEEDED TO FLY TO AVOID THE CLASS B AIRSPACE, AND PROCEED TO MY DEST. FROM FALCON FIELD, I THEN TOOK A HDG OF APPROX 150 DEGS TO A POINT JUST N OF WILLIAMS GATEWAY ARPT. FROM THERE, I FLEW S OF PHOENIX BELOW THE CLASS 'B' AIRSPACE AT AN ALT OF 3500 FT MSL. I THEN PROCEEDED TOWARDS A PVT AIR STRIP CALLED MOBILE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF A SMALL RIDGE. AS I LEFT THE 6000 FT RESTRICTED SECTOR, OF THE CLASS 'B' AIRSPACE, I STARTED MY CLB TO 8500 FT AND THEN PROCEEDED DIRECT TO BUCKEYE VOR. AT THIS POINT, I AGAIN CONTACTED PHOENIX APCH, BUT ON A FREQ FOR THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. HE CAME BACK THAT MY XPONDER WAS INTERMITTENT, AND COULDN'T TRACK ME. I ASKED FOR THE FREQ FOR ZAB WHICH HE GAVE ME. AT OR ABOUT BUCKEYE, I CALLED CTR ON 125.25 FOR FLT FOLLOWING. ALBUQUERQUE CAME BACK WITH A SQUAWK CODE, WHICH THEY PICKED UP IMMEDIATELY, AND THEN TRACKED ME, (APPARENTLY WITH NO PROB??) IT SHOULD BE POINTED OUT, THAT WHEN I TRANSITIONED PHOENIX'S AIRSPACE FROM REDLANDS ON THE MAR/MON/95, PHOENIX APCH DIDN'T SEEM TO HAVE ANY TROUBLE PICKING ME UP??? CONSEQUENTLY, WHEN I TOOK OFF FROM FALCON FIELD, I HAD NO INDICATION THAT THE XPONDER WASN'T WORKING PROPERLY. THE POINT OF THIS LETTER IS THAT IF MY XPONDER WAS NOT OPERATING, AS APCH INDICATED, I WOULD HAVE BEEN OPERATING WITHIN THE 30 NM VEIL ILLEGALLY AS I TRANSITIONED THE AREA S OF PHOENIX TO BUCKEYE VOR. IT SHOULD BE POINTED OUT HOWEVER, THAT FALCON FIELD IS WITHIN THE 30 NM MODE 'C' VEIL FROM WHERE I STARTED. ALTHOUGH ONE SHOULD ALWAYS EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED, AND BE PREPARED TO MAKE OPTIONAL CHOICES, THIS DOESN'T ALWAYS HAPPEN IN REAL LIFE. IT IS MY FEELING THAT THE CTLR SHOULD BE MORE HELPFUL TO THE PLT WHO FINDS HIMSELF IN THIS PREDICAMENT. TO JUST 'DUMP' THIS PLT, HE/SHE ADDS TO THE PROB AND CREATES AN ATMOSPHERE FOR AN ACCIDENT INSTEAD OF PROVIDING A SOLUTION TO THE PROB.

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.