Unauthorized penetration of class D airspace.

Attributes
ACN	301110
Time
Date	199503
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : suu
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1200 msl bound upper : 1200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : suu tower : suu tower : mfe
Operator	general aviation : personal
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
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 4 flight time total : 125
ASRS Report	301110
Person 2
Affiliation	government : military
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited penetrated airspace other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flight began at sac with flight following down to travis. Tower handoff to sac approach/departure normal. Handoff to travis approach normal. Advised travis approach of intentions to fly to travis air park vicinity for aerial look at place of business located just west of travis air park. Travis approach gave me new frequency. After contact with new controller he asked if I was going to nut tree 045. I replied negative and told him my intentions. Shortly thereafter he terminated flight following and gave me a new frequency to contact travis approach for further assistance. On call up on the new frequency I idented myself by north number and she responded with 'north' number, standby. I continued flight on into the class D thinking that I had established contact as she had given my number in front of the standby. As I got closer to the air park I asked for a request and was told to standby once again. About 2 mins later I asked for request again and she responded 'unable - remain clear of class D airspace.' after a short pause she said 'or contact tower on frequency......' at this point I was about a mi and a half inside the class D ring. Realizing that she might be thinking she had not established contact with me, I made an immediate 90 degree right turn and headed out of the class D airspace, as quickly as possible. I responded that I would stay clear of the class D and then tried to contact travis tower on the frequency she gave me. I was unable to make contact and was clear of the class D so I turned back to the north and landed at nut tree. Contributing factors: headset/intercom not functional. Was using aircraft speaker and hand microphone for communications. One earlier controller had asked if I had heard him on a previous transmission, I had not. Pilot complacency: I had done aerial observations of the area here on 2 previous occasions with the controllers very helpful and accommodating and was mentally unprepared for the sequence of events that unfolded on this flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH PENETRATION OF CLASS D AIRSPACE.

Narrative: FLT BEGAN AT SAC WITH FLT FOLLOWING DOWN TO TRAVIS. TWR HDOF TO SAC APCH/DEP NORMAL. HDOF TO TRAVIS APCH NORMAL. ADVISED TRAVIS APCH OF INTENTIONS TO FLY TO TRAVIS AIR PARK VICINITY FOR AERIAL LOOK AT PLACE OF BUSINESS LOCATED JUST W OF TRAVIS AIR PARK. TRAVIS APCH GAVE ME NEW FREQ. AFTER CONTACT WITH NEW CTLR HE ASKED IF I WAS GOING TO NUT TREE 045. I REPLIED NEGATIVE AND TOLD HIM MY INTENTIONS. SHORTLY THEREAFTER HE TERMINATED FLT FOLLOWING AND GAVE ME A NEW FREQ TO CONTACT TRAVIS APCH FOR FURTHER ASSISTANCE. ON CALL UP ON THE NEW FREQ I IDENTED MYSELF BY N NUMBER AND SHE RESPONDED WITH 'N' NUMBER, STANDBY. I CONTINUED FLT ON INTO THE CLASS D THINKING THAT I HAD ESTABLISHED CONTACT AS SHE HAD GIVEN MY NUMBER IN FRONT OF THE STANDBY. AS I GOT CLOSER TO THE AIR PARK I ASKED FOR A REQUEST AND WAS TOLD TO STANDBY ONCE AGAIN. ABOUT 2 MINS LATER I ASKED FOR REQUEST AGAIN AND SHE RESPONDED 'UNABLE - REMAIN CLR OF CLASS D AIRSPACE.' AFTER A SHORT PAUSE SHE SAID 'OR CONTACT TWR ON FREQ......' AT THIS POINT I WAS ABOUT A MI AND A HALF INSIDE THE CLASS D RING. REALIZING THAT SHE MIGHT BE THINKING SHE HAD NOT ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH ME, I MADE AN IMMEDIATE 90 DEG R TURN AND HEADED OUT OF THE CLASS D AIRSPACE, AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. I RESPONDED THAT I WOULD STAY CLR OF THE CLASS D AND THEN TRIED TO CONTACT TRAVIS TWR ON THE FREQ SHE GAVE ME. I WAS UNABLE TO MAKE CONTACT AND WAS CLR OF THE CLASS D SO I TURNED BACK TO THE N AND LANDED AT NUT TREE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: HEADSET/INTERCOM NOT FUNCTIONAL. WAS USING ACFT SPEAKER AND HAND MIKE FOR COMS. ONE EARLIER CTLR HAD ASKED IF I HAD HEARD HIM ON A PREVIOUS XMISSION, I HAD NOT. PLT COMPLACENCY: I HAD DONE AERIAL OBSERVATIONS OF THE AREA HERE ON 2 PREVIOUS OCCASIONS WITH THE CTLRS VERY HELPFUL AND ACCOMMODATING AND WAS MENTALLY UNPREPARED FOR THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS THAT UNFOLDED ON THIS FLT.

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.