Narrative:

On mar/xx/95, I flew with 1 passenger from buchanan field in concord, ca, to santa barbara, ca, on a VFR flight plan. My planned flight path was ccr-oak-osi-bsr-V27-gvo-sba. Prior to taxi, I requested VFR flight following through the bay area from buchanan ground control. The ground controller informed me that buchanan field was not a radar facility and told me that buchanan tower would pass me off to bay approach control on 127.0 at the appropriate time after departure. I took off from buchanan at XX25 am PST and proceeded on course to oak with my climb-out. After 5 min, buchanan tower had not initiated a handoff to bay approach, so I requested a frequency change, which was approved by buchanan tower. I immediately tried to contact bay approach on 127.0 several times and was unable to get a response while I remained on course to oak and continued to climb. At approximately, XX35 am PST I made contact with bay approach and established radar contact. The approach controller informed me that I had flown into class B airspace without a clearance and ordered me to turn left to 090 degrees, which I did immediately. He then asked me to call the supervisor after the flight, which I did at approximately XX00 pm PST after reaching my ultimate destination, long beach, ca. After turning east as ordered, I was vectored through the bay area to the south of san jose municipal airport. The remainder of the flight proceeded normally. My error was failing to request a clearance through the bay area from buchanan ground control instead of only requesting VFR flight following. After takeoff, I failed to alter course to avoid the class B airspace when I was unable to contact bay approach immediately after takeoff. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said he was flying a cherokee arrow. He does most of his flying in the montana area. He has an instrument rating, but, says he does not use it much in montana because of the high MEA's, the lack of power of his airplane and the temperatures and WX. He does not come to the pacific coast very often. When he said his error was failing to request the clearance through the bay area from ground control he was alluding to receiving an IFR clearance through ground control that would have been filed over the phone. He had an unhappy experience at moses lake wherein he was cleared to taxi to a runway which required he cross another runway en route. The tower apparently intended him to hold short of the runway and when he didn't filed a violation. Hearing the tapes the FAA assured him verbally that he was not in error. However, a written letter was placed in his file for 2 yrs stating he was. When the FAA was questioned the response was the verbal assurances of the FAA do not count! Therefore, when this incident happened he filed the NASA report even though he was assured verbally that no action would be taken.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR FLEW THROUGH CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: ON MAR/XX/95, I FLEW WITH 1 PAX FROM BUCHANAN FIELD IN CONCORD, CA, TO SANTA BARBARA, CA, ON A VFR FLT PLAN. MY PLANNED FLT PATH WAS CCR-OAK-OSI-BSR-V27-GVO-SBA. PRIOR TO TAXI, I REQUESTED VFR FLT FOLLOWING THROUGH THE BAY AREA FROM BUCHANAN GND CTL. THE GND CTLR INFORMED ME THAT BUCHANAN FIELD WAS NOT A RADAR FACILITY AND TOLD ME THAT BUCHANAN TWR WOULD PASS ME OFF TO BAY APCH CTL ON 127.0 AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME AFTER DEP. I TOOK OFF FROM BUCHANAN AT XX25 AM PST AND PROCEEDED ON COURSE TO OAK WITH MY CLB-OUT. AFTER 5 MIN, BUCHANAN TWR HAD NOT INITIATED A HDOF TO BAY APCH, SO I REQUESTED A FREQ CHANGE, WHICH WAS APPROVED BY BUCHANAN TWR. I IMMEDIATELY TRIED TO CONTACT BAY APCH ON 127.0 SEVERAL TIMES AND WAS UNABLE TO GET A RESPONSE WHILE I REMAINED ON COURSE TO OAK AND CONTINUED TO CLB. AT APPROX, XX35 AM PST I MADE CONTACT WITH BAY APCH AND ESTABLISHED RADAR CONTACT. THE APCH CTLR INFORMED ME THAT I HAD FLOWN INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT A CLRNC AND ORDERED ME TO TURN L TO 090 DEGS, WHICH I DID IMMEDIATELY. HE THEN ASKED ME TO CALL THE SUPVR AFTER THE FLT, WHICH I DID AT APPROX XX00 PM PST AFTER REACHING MY ULTIMATE DEST, LONG BEACH, CA. AFTER TURNING E AS ORDERED, I WAS VECTORED THROUGH THE BAY AREA TO THE S OF SAN JOSE MUNICIPAL ARPT. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT PROCEEDED NORMALLY. MY ERROR WAS FAILING TO REQUEST A CLRNC THROUGH THE BAY AREA FROM BUCHANAN GND CTL INSTEAD OF ONLY REQUESTING VFR FLT FOLLOWING. AFTER TKOF, I FAILED TO ALTER COURSE TO AVOID THE CLASS B AIRSPACE WHEN I WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT BAY APCH IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID HE WAS FLYING A CHEROKEE ARROW. HE DOES MOST OF HIS FLYING IN THE MONTANA AREA. HE HAS AN INST RATING, BUT, SAYS HE DOES NOT USE IT MUCH IN MONTANA BECAUSE OF THE HIGH MEA'S, THE LACK OF PWR OF HIS AIRPLANE AND THE TEMPS AND WX. HE DOES NOT COME TO THE PACIFIC COAST VERY OFTEN. WHEN HE SAID HIS ERROR WAS FAILING TO REQUEST THE CLRNC THROUGH THE BAY AREA FROM GND CTL HE WAS ALLUDING TO RECEIVING AN IFR CLRNC THROUGH GND CTL THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN FILED OVER THE PHONE. HE HAD AN UNHAPPY EXPERIENCE AT MOSES LAKE WHEREIN HE WAS CLRED TO TAXI TO A RWY WHICH REQUIRED HE CROSS ANOTHER RWY ENRTE. THE TWR APPARENTLY INTENDED HIM TO HOLD SHORT OF THE RWY AND WHEN HE DIDN'T FILED A VIOLATION. HEARING THE TAPES THE FAA ASSURED HIM VERBALLY THAT HE WAS NOT IN ERROR. HOWEVER, A WRITTEN LETTER WAS PLACED IN HIS FILE FOR 2 YRS STATING HE WAS. WHEN THE FAA WAS QUESTIONED THE RESPONSE WAS THE VERBAL ASSURANCES OF THE FAA DO NOT COUNT! THEREFORE, WHEN THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED HE FILED THE NASA RPT EVEN THOUGH HE WAS ASSURED VERBALLY THAT NO ACTION WOULD BE TAKEN.

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.