Narrative:

Approaching the solberg VOR from the west and using an industry low altitude en route chart to navigation, I called the ny approach frequency 127.6 so I could obtain permission to enter the ny class B on my way to westchester airport. The frequency was not functioning (neither my calls nor the calls of other pilots were answered) so I turned north in the general direction of the sparta VOR at an altitude of 3000 ft to avoid the class B. After I crossed sparta going east, I called westchester approach telling the controller my intention to land at westchester. She gave me a code to squawk and no further directions. As I proceeded generally eastbound, I expected vectors but got none -- I did get advisories. Suddenly, the traffic controller ordered me to stay clear of the class B. Since the class B was generally to my right, I asked her if she would like me to circle left. She answered in a curt, snide voice, 'do whatever you like.' after flying north for a short while I called back and reiterated my intention to land at westchester. She told me to report the tappan zee bridge with which I am totally unfamiliar. I told her I did not know where the tappan zee bridge was, to which she replied with feigned, mocking incredulity and in a sarcastic, unpleasant tone of voice, 'you don't know where the tappan zee bridge is?' feeling my temper dissolving, I shouted back, 'no, I don't know where the tappan zee bridge is!' she then directed me to head directly to westchester, which I did by pilotage. Even though it was clear at this point that I was unfamiliar with the area, she offered no help. After I landed and checked in with the FBO, I asked, 'do pilots around here ever complain about the conduct of air traffic controllers?' 'all the time,' he answered. 'But nobody does anything about it.' so what lessons come out of this for me at this late stage of my flying experiences? Never lose your cool. When I allowed my temper to flare at the controller's rudeness, I lost my concentration flying the airplane and checking for traffic. Instead of using a low altitude en route chart to navigation, I should have used a TCA map which more clearly defines the class B and landmarks. I should be more specific in defining my intentions and force the controller to do the same, whether she is rude or not. Report every single instance of rude, nasty, intimidating conduct on the part of controllers. There is a small percentage of these people who get away with this kind of conduct every day. And the FAA, if it wants pilots to obey class B rules should make sure their frequencys work.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SEL HAS PROBS IN GETTING A RESPONSE FROM ATC FOR PERMISSION TO ENTER CLASS B AIRSPACE ENRTE TO AN UNDERLYING ARPT AND IS GIVEN A VFR CLRNC BY AN UNPROFESSIONAL-ACTING CTLR.

Narrative: APCHING THE SOLBERG VOR FROM THE W AND USING AN INDUSTRY LOW ALT ENRTE CHART TO NAV, I CALLED THE NY APCH FREQ 127.6 SO I COULD OBTAIN PERMISSION TO ENTER THE NY CLASS B ON MY WAY TO WESTCHESTER ARPT. THE FREQ WAS NOT FUNCTIONING (NEITHER MY CALLS NOR THE CALLS OF OTHER PLTS WERE ANSWERED) SO I TURNED N IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF THE SPARTA VOR AT AN ALT OF 3000 FT TO AVOID THE CLASS B. AFTER I CROSSED SPARTA GOING E, I CALLED WESTCHESTER APCH TELLING THE CTLR MY INTENTION TO LAND AT WESTCHESTER. SHE GAVE ME A CODE TO SQUAWK AND NO FURTHER DIRECTIONS. AS I PROCEEDED GENERALLY EBOUND, I EXPECTED VECTORS BUT GOT NONE -- I DID GET ADVISORIES. SUDDENLY, THE TFC CTLR ORDERED ME TO STAY CLR OF THE CLASS B. SINCE THE CLASS B WAS GENERALLY TO MY R, I ASKED HER IF SHE WOULD LIKE ME TO CIRCLE L. SHE ANSWERED IN A CURT, SNIDE VOICE, 'DO WHATEVER YOU LIKE.' AFTER FLYING N FOR A SHORT WHILE I CALLED BACK AND REITERATED MY INTENTION TO LAND AT WESTCHESTER. SHE TOLD ME TO RPT THE TAPPAN ZEE BRIDGE WITH WHICH I AM TOTALLY UNFAMILIAR. I TOLD HER I DID NOT KNOW WHERE THE TAPPAN ZEE BRIDGE WAS, TO WHICH SHE REPLIED WITH FEIGNED, MOCKING INCREDULITY AND IN A SARCASTIC, UNPLEASANT TONE OF VOICE, 'YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE THE TAPPAN ZEE BRIDGE IS?' FEELING MY TEMPER DISSOLVING, I SHOUTED BACK, 'NO, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE TAPPAN ZEE BRIDGE IS!' SHE THEN DIRECTED ME TO HEAD DIRECTLY TO WESTCHESTER, WHICH I DID BY PILOTAGE. EVEN THOUGH IT WAS CLR AT THIS POINT THAT I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA, SHE OFFERED NO HELP. AFTER I LANDED AND CHKED IN WITH THE FBO, I ASKED, 'DO PLTS AROUND HERE EVER COMPLAIN ABOUT THE CONDUCT OF AIR TFC CTLRS?' 'ALL THE TIME,' HE ANSWERED. 'BUT NOBODY DOES ANYTHING ABOUT IT.' SO WHAT LESSONS COME OUT OF THIS FOR ME AT THIS LATE STAGE OF MY FLYING EXPERIENCES? NEVER LOSE YOUR COOL. WHEN I ALLOWED MY TEMPER TO FLARE AT THE CTLR'S RUDENESS, I LOST MY CONCENTRATION FLYING THE AIRPLANE AND CHKING FOR TFC. INSTEAD OF USING A LOW ALT ENRTE CHART TO NAV, I SHOULD HAVE USED A TCA MAP WHICH MORE CLRLY DEFINES THE CLASS B AND LANDMARKS. I SHOULD BE MORE SPECIFIC IN DEFINING MY INTENTIONS AND FORCE THE CTLR TO DO THE SAME, WHETHER SHE IS RUDE OR NOT. RPT EVERY SINGLE INSTANCE OF RUDE, NASTY, INTIMIDATING CONDUCT ON THE PART OF CTLRS. THERE IS A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THESE PEOPLE WHO GET AWAY WITH THIS KIND OF CONDUCT EVERY DAY. AND THE FAA, IF IT WANTS PLTS TO OBEY CLASS B RULES SHOULD MAKE SURE THEIR FREQS WORK.

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.