Narrative:

Although I flight trained in the los angeles basin in 1966 I have only visited once since 1977. Being somewhat apprehensive about navigating around such congested airspace I elected to depart hhr to the west. My original plan was to cross lax south to north through the special VFR corridor as I had always done in the past. During preflight I changed my mind in favor of the shoreline route instead. This was based on several factors, 1) my climb rate would not get me 4500 ft without turning south first, 2) my wife wanted to fly up the coast for the view, 3) I wanted to practice a little class 'B' procedure. Mistake 1) I notified hhr ground of my intent to depart north up the coast. I assumed that hhr tower would advise me to switch frequency to approach when appropriate. Tower did ask if I was familiar with the special VFR route, which I was. This should have clued me that we were not understanding each other. After takeoff I flew a boxed pattern (runway 27). I became busy in the cockpit for a min or two and when I realized I was approaching the coast and hadn't heard from hhr I called for a radio check. Hhr responded that the radio was ok. Mistake 2) I didn't have the lax TCA chart folded so I could see enough of it to read the floors of class B near me. Instead of switching to socal approach, I called hhr to ask what altitude I should be at, they responded 4500 ft. At this point I found myself scrambling to reorient myself to the chart. During this period hhr called to have me switch to 'advisory' frequency. It must have been at this point that I actually entered class B. I could have done a number of things at this point, not the least of which was a descending 180 degree to the left. Instead, I followed my intended course north up the shoreline and contacted socal to advise I was 'with them.' socal gave me a squawk code and asked my intentions. I answered my intentions were to cross via shoreline south to north. They advised I had violated airspace, which I knew, and asked if I had a current TCA chart, which I did. I was then assigned an altitude and given instructionsto call the FAA district supervisor when I landed at red bluff. In retrospect, a chain of events I set in motion put me so far behind the plane that I couldn't catch up. I compounded one small error on top of another until I became a confused passenger instead of a PIC. I think a large part of my problem was becoming intimidated by flying in and around a TCA. I should have called socal approach while on the ground and then advised hhr ground of my clearance. I also should have carefully reviewed the TCA boundaries along my intended route and made sure the chart was folded so I could read what I needed at a glance. I also should have made a contingency plan in case I was not cleared into the class B. This incident has made me realize how easy it is to get complacent in flying skills, especially when most of my flying is in central oregon where radio communication is almost exclusively CTAF and FSS. I have found it much easier to enter a TCA or arsa than to get out. This of course is due to having more time to plan an approach in with plenty of advance notice to approach control. It is also more comfortable in that you are comfortable in your environment. During takeoff there is always a period of 'setting up,' getting trimmed, adjusting radios/throttles/mixture/etc, that can distract. Since I don't often have the opportunity to fly in a TCA/arsa environment I suppose the next best thing is to formulate some type of checklist to make sure that when I intend to enter or leave these areas I have properly prepared myself for the challenge. Supplemental information from acn 312941: the pilot of a single-engine cherokee called for takeoff clearance to the north from hawthorne airport (hhr), ca. Since we share airspace with los angeles international (lax), it is difficult to go north except with an ATC clearance from socal approach, or through the special flight rules area (corridor). This pilot decided to go through the sfra. Noticed the aircraft target appear to get further off course (d-brite in tower cabin attendant). Immediately called los angeles departure control (via a direct shout line), and advised ofthe deviation, along with the aircraft call sign. This aircraft ended up being 1 mi off the departure end of lax at 3500 ft. Very dangerous situation, I believe occurred because the pilot did not understand the chart. Could have been avoided by advising me that he didn't understand or was not familiar with the procedures.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NON ADHERENCE TO ATC INSTRUCTION PROC BY PVT PLT IN A PA28. UNAUTH PENETRATION OF CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ALTHOUGH I FLT TRAINED IN THE LOS ANGELES BASIN IN 1966 I HAVE ONLY VISITED ONCE SINCE 1977. BEING SOMEWHAT APPREHENSIVE ABOUT NAVING AROUND SUCH CONGESTED AIRSPACE I ELECTED TO DEPART HHR TO THE W. MY ORIGINAL PLAN WAS TO CROSS LAX S TO N THROUGH THE SPECIAL VFR CORRIDOR AS I HAD ALWAYS DONE IN THE PAST. DURING PREFLT I CHANGED MY MIND IN FAVOR OF THE SHORELINE RTE INSTEAD. THIS WAS BASED ON SEVERAL FACTORS, 1) MY CLB RATE WOULD NOT GET ME 4500 FT WITHOUT TURNING S FIRST, 2) MY WIFE WANTED TO FLY UP THE COAST FOR THE VIEW, 3) I WANTED TO PRACTICE A LITTLE CLASS 'B' PROC. MISTAKE 1) I NOTIFIED HHR GND OF MY INTENT TO DEPART N UP THE COAST. I ASSUMED THAT HHR TWR WOULD ADVISE ME TO SWITCH FREQ TO APCH WHEN APPROPRIATE. TWR DID ASK IF I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE SPECIAL VFR RTE, WHICH I WAS. THIS SHOULD HAVE CLUED ME THAT WE WERE NOT UNDERSTANDING EACH OTHER. AFTER TKOF I FLEW A BOXED PATTERN (RWY 27). I BECAME BUSY IN THE COCKPIT FOR A MIN OR TWO AND WHEN I REALIZED I WAS APCHING THE COAST AND HADN'T HEARD FROM HHR I CALLED FOR A RADIO CHK. HHR RESPONDED THAT THE RADIO WAS OK. MISTAKE 2) I DIDN'T HAVE THE LAX TCA CHART FOLDED SO I COULD SEE ENOUGH OF IT TO READ THE FLOORS OF CLASS B NEAR ME. INSTEAD OF SWITCHING TO SOCAL APCH, I CALLED HHR TO ASK WHAT ALT I SHOULD BE AT, THEY RESPONDED 4500 FT. AT THIS POINT I FOUND MYSELF SCRAMBLING TO REORIENT MYSELF TO THE CHART. DURING THIS PERIOD HHR CALLED TO HAVE ME SWITCH TO 'ADVISORY' FREQ. IT MUST HAVE BEEN AT THIS POINT THAT I ACTUALLY ENTERED CLASS B. I COULD HAVE DONE A NUMBER OF THINGS AT THIS POINT, NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH WAS A DSNDING 180 DEG TO THE L. INSTEAD, I FOLLOWED MY INTENDED COURSE N UP THE SHORELINE AND CONTACTED SOCAL TO ADVISE I WAS 'WITH THEM.' SOCAL GAVE ME A SQUAWK CODE AND ASKED MY INTENTIONS. I ANSWERED MY INTENTIONS WERE TO CROSS VIA SHORELINE S TO N. THEY ADVISED I HAD VIOLATED AIRSPACE, WHICH I KNEW, AND ASKED IF I HAD A CURRENT TCA CHART, WHICH I DID. I WAS THEN ASSIGNED AN ALT AND GIVEN INSTRUCTIONSTO CALL THE FAA DISTRICT SUPVR WHEN I LANDED AT RED BLUFF. IN RETROSPECT, A CHAIN OF EVENTS I SET IN MOTION PUT ME SO FAR BEHIND THE PLANE THAT I COULDN'T CATCH UP. I COMPOUNDED ONE SMALL ERROR ON TOP OF ANOTHER UNTIL I BECAME A CONFUSED PAX INSTEAD OF A PIC. I THINK A LARGE PART OF MY PROB WAS BECOMING INTIMIDATED BY FLYING IN AND AROUND A TCA. I SHOULD HAVE CALLED SOCAL APCH WHILE ON THE GND AND THEN ADVISED HHR GND OF MY CLRNC. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE CAREFULLY REVIEWED THE TCA BOUNDARIES ALONG MY INTENDED RTE AND MADE SURE THE CHART WAS FOLDED SO I COULD READ WHAT I NEEDED AT A GLANCE. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE MADE A CONTINGENCY PLAN IN CASE I WAS NOT CLRED INTO THE CLASS B. THIS INCIDENT HAS MADE ME REALIZE HOW EASY IT IS TO GET COMPLACENT IN FLYING SKILLS, ESPECIALLY WHEN MOST OF MY FLYING IS IN CENTRAL OREGON WHERE RADIO COM IS ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY CTAF AND FSS. I HAVE FOUND IT MUCH EASIER TO ENTER A TCA OR ARSA THAN TO GET OUT. THIS OF COURSE IS DUE TO HAVING MORE TIME TO PLAN AN APCH IN WITH PLENTY OF ADVANCE NOTICE TO APCH CTL. IT IS ALSO MORE COMFORTABLE IN THAT YOU ARE COMFORTABLE IN YOUR ENVIRONMENT. DURING TKOF THERE IS ALWAYS A PERIOD OF 'SETTING UP,' GETTING TRIMMED, ADJUSTING RADIOS/THROTTLES/MIXTURE/ETC, THAT CAN DISTRACT. SINCE I DON'T OFTEN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FLY IN A TCA/ARSA ENVIRONMENT I SUPPOSE THE NEXT BEST THING IS TO FORMULATE SOME TYPE OF CHKLIST TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN I INTEND TO ENTER OR LEAVE THESE AREAS I HAVE PROPERLY PREPARED MYSELF FOR THE CHALLENGE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 312941: THE PLT OF A SINGLE-ENG CHEROKEE CALLED FOR TKOF CLRNC TO THE N FROM HAWTHORNE ARPT (HHR), CA. SINCE WE SHARE AIRSPACE WITH LOS ANGELES INTL (LAX), IT IS DIFFICULT TO GO N EXCEPT WITH AN ATC CLRNC FROM SOCAL APCH, OR THROUGH THE SPECIAL FLT RULES AREA (CORRIDOR). THIS PLT DECIDED TO GO THROUGH THE SFRA. NOTICED THE ACFT TARGET APPEAR TO GET FURTHER OFF COURSE (D-BRITE IN TWR CAB). IMMEDIATELY CALLED LOS ANGELES DEP CTL (VIA A DIRECT SHOUT LINE), AND ADVISED OFTHE DEV, ALONG WITH THE ACFT CALL SIGN. THIS ACFT ENDED UP BEING 1 MI OFF THE DEP END OF LAX AT 3500 FT. VERY DANGEROUS SIT, I BELIEVE OCCURRED BECAUSE THE PLT DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE CHART. COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY ADVISING ME THAT HE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND OR WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE PROCS.

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.