Narrative:

I was scheduled to fly a cross country from vrb-tmb-mky-srq- vrb. I lifted off vrb, opened a flight plan with st. Petersburgh. I then contacted ZMA on 132.25 for a request of flight following. The controller acknowledged my request and read back my n-number but stated that it would be a short period before she could activate my request. Between fort pierce and stuart in southeast coastal florida, the controller stated that due to heavy traffic volume she would not be able to give flight following and advised contact of pbi approach. I contacted pbi and was given flight following from vrb to miami direct at 4500 ft. The controller designated a squawk code and advised altitude change to 3500 ft and maintain. I complied throughout the flight with this altitude hold request and heading indication. I received several advisory calls from pbi of oncoming traffic and altered course slightly to maintain separation. I received my last traffic call near opa locka airport where a cessna had just departed. Knowing that miami airspace was directly ahead, I waited to either receive further instructions from pbi or to be handed off to ZMA for transitioning the airspace. Believing that I was already cleared through 'B' airspace due to the pbi's lack of acknowledgement that I was not not cleared into miami airspace, I kept forging ahead. I was concerned because I wanted to hear that I was 'cleared into class B airspace.' I was able to make out miami to my left quarter forward and about 8-10 mi away. I queried pbi approach about clearance into 'B' airspace and he told me that I should squawk 1200 and maintain VFR radar service terminated. I contacted the tamiami tower and gave a position and intention report. The controller requested that I identify and pressed the button on the transponder. The controller advised me that I was in class B airspace (which I had believed that the pbi controller already cleared me into) and the tmb controller advised me to stay at or below 1500 ft to exit 'B' airspace and out of the way of oncoming traffic hvys. Upon reaching 1400 ft, I idented again and entered a right base for runway 14. On final approach I was told to call ZMA and contact someone there. I landed, taxied off, secured the aircraft and secured my flight plan with miami radio. I called ZMA and talked with an authority who informed me that I had entered class B airspace but was unsure of the ramifications for not being in contact with them and for being on the flight path of a B-737 which was on a long final approach. I was asked to call back in 20 mins, pending the discussion with the captain. I hung up and informed my flight instructor. 20 mins later, I called ZMA again and spoke with controller. He told me to 'chalk it up as a learning experience and to always maintain a good situational awareness. Flying is something that maintains discipline and attention always.' I believe that he was in contact with the pbi controller since he knew the entire scenario and alluded that the pbi controller may have erred in handing me off to another controller at ZMA. However, I was informed that ATC is not the PIC, they are only for assistance and traffic separation. It is the pilot which controls his/her fate and must keep their 'heads out of the clouds.' he stated that there would be no latent or ensuing actions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ENTERS CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: I WAS SCHEDULED TO FLY A XCOUNTRY FROM VRB-TMB-MKY-SRQ- VRB. I LIFTED OFF VRB, OPENED A FLT PLAN WITH ST. PETERSBURGH. I THEN CONTACTED ZMA ON 132.25 FOR A REQUEST OF FLT FOLLOWING. THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED MY REQUEST AND READ BACK MY N-NUMBER BUT STATED THAT IT WOULD BE A SHORT PERIOD BEFORE SHE COULD ACTIVATE MY REQUEST. BTWN FORT PIERCE AND STUART IN SE COASTAL FLORIDA, THE CTLR STATED THAT DUE TO HVY TFC VOLUME SHE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GIVE FLT FOLLOWING AND ADVISED CONTACT OF PBI APCH. I CONTACTED PBI AND WAS GIVEN FLT FOLLOWING FROM VRB TO MIAMI DIRECT AT 4500 FT. THE CTLR DESIGNATED A SQUAWK CODE AND ADVISED ALT CHANGE TO 3500 FT AND MAINTAIN. I COMPLIED THROUGHOUT THE FLT WITH THIS ALT HOLD REQUEST AND HDG INDICATION. I RECEIVED SEVERAL ADVISORY CALLS FROM PBI OF ONCOMING TFC AND ALTERED COURSE SLIGHTLY TO MAINTAIN SEPARATION. I RECEIVED MY LAST TFC CALL NEAR OPA LOCKA ARPT WHERE A CESSNA HAD JUST DEPARTED. KNOWING THAT MIAMI AIRSPACE WAS DIRECTLY AHEAD, I WAITED TO EITHER RECEIVE FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS FROM PBI OR TO BE HANDED OFF TO ZMA FOR TRANSITIONING THE AIRSPACE. BELIEVING THAT I WAS ALREADY CLRED THROUGH 'B' AIRSPACE DUE TO THE PBI'S LACK OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT I WAS NOT NOT CLRED INTO MIAMI AIRSPACE, I KEPT FORGING AHEAD. I WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE I WANTED TO HEAR THAT I WAS 'CLRED INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE.' I WAS ABLE TO MAKE OUT MIAMI TO MY L QUARTER FORWARD AND ABOUT 8-10 MI AWAY. I QUERIED PBI APCH ABOUT CLRNC INTO 'B' AIRSPACE AND HE TOLD ME THAT I SHOULD SQUAWK 1200 AND MAINTAIN VFR RADAR SVC TERMINATED. I CONTACTED THE TAMIAMI TWR AND GAVE A POS AND INTENTION RPT. THE CTLR REQUESTED THAT I IDENT AND PRESSED THE BUTTON ON THE XPONDER. THE CTLR ADVISED ME THAT I WAS IN CLASS B AIRSPACE (WHICH I HAD BELIEVED THAT THE PBI CTLR ALREADY CLRED ME INTO) AND THE TMB CTLR ADVISED ME TO STAY AT OR BELOW 1500 FT TO EXIT 'B' AIRSPACE AND OUT OF THE WAY OF ONCOMING TFC HVYS. UPON REACHING 1400 FT, I IDENTED AGAIN AND ENTERED A R BASE FOR RWY 14. ON FINAL APCH I WAS TOLD TO CALL ZMA AND CONTACT SOMEONE THERE. I LANDED, TAXIED OFF, SECURED THE ACFT AND SECURED MY FLT PLAN WITH MIAMI RADIO. I CALLED ZMA AND TALKED WITH AN AUTHORITY WHO INFORMED ME THAT I HAD ENTERED CLASS B AIRSPACE BUT WAS UNSURE OF THE RAMIFICATIONS FOR NOT BEING IN CONTACT WITH THEM AND FOR BEING ON THE FLT PATH OF A B-737 WHICH WAS ON A LONG FINAL APCH. I WAS ASKED TO CALL BACK IN 20 MINS, PENDING THE DISCUSSION WITH THE CAPT. I HUNG UP AND INFORMED MY FLT INSTRUCTOR. 20 MINS LATER, I CALLED ZMA AGAIN AND SPOKE WITH CTLR. HE TOLD ME TO 'CHALK IT UP AS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE AND TO ALWAYS MAINTAIN A GOOD SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. FLYING IS SOMETHING THAT MAINTAINS DISCIPLINE AND ATTN ALWAYS.' I BELIEVE THAT HE WAS IN CONTACT WITH THE PBI CTLR SINCE HE KNEW THE ENTIRE SCENARIO AND ALLUDED THAT THE PBI CTLR MAY HAVE ERRED IN HANDING ME OFF TO ANOTHER CTLR AT ZMA. HOWEVER, I WAS INFORMED THAT ATC IS NOT THE PIC, THEY ARE ONLY FOR ASSISTANCE AND TFC SEPARATION. IT IS THE PLT WHICH CTLS HIS/HER FATE AND MUST KEEP THEIR 'HEADS OUT OF THE CLOUDS.' HE STATED THAT THERE WOULD BE NO LATENT OR ENSUING ACTIONS.

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.