BE33A pilot has difficulty making contact with tower for class C airspace when departing airport on ...

Narrative:

Departing rhv, I notified ground that I wished to transition to sjc, nuq, and pao airspace to fly to san carlos, ca. I was assigned a squawk code and given runway 13R for a right downwind departure directly towards the sjc class C and D airspace. While I was abeam the runway on the downwind, heading approximately 310 degrees, I was given a change of frequency approval to sjc tower. I waited until about the end of the downwind to make the change because I wanted to be able to hear reed tower for any traffic in my area. At about the end of the downwind I changed frequency and called sjc tower as rhv had instructed. I received no answer even though I was expected, and believe I had been cleared into the sjc class D airspace. I kept calling sjc and received no answer until I was well within the class D airspace, whereupon I was acknowledged and given a heading to fly. I have flown the route perhaps 40 or more times and this is the first time sjc has failed to respond before I reached their airspace. I am uncertain whether the squawk code and advance call constituted a clearance to enter the sjc class D airspace (and the class C airspace) but I thought so. Just about 1 mi off the end of the rhv runway 13R downwind you are in the sjc airspace. A left turn from the downwind takes you almost immediately into the class C and D airspace. A right turn from where I was takes you across the approach ends of runway 13R&left for rhv. I did not want to turn right since I was not monitoring the rhv tower frequency and I could have been turning across oncoming traffic approaching rhv. Accordingly, I continued straight ahead and kept calling sjc tower for recognition and was finally acknowledged. Perhaps some admonishment should be delivered by reed tower if clearance in the circumstances into sjc airspace is not intended. Under the circumstances I believe I made the safest choice from a potential traffic conflict viewpoint. I intend to find out by asking questions if a clearance is intended into the class C and D airspace.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE33A PLT HAS DIFFICULTY MAKING CONTACT WITH TWR FOR CLASS C AIRSPACE WHEN DEPARTING ARPT ON THE PERIPHERY OF THE CLASS C AIRSPACE. USED PROPER PROCS AND ATC FINALLY RESPONDED. NO REAL PROB.

Narrative: DEPARTING RHV, I NOTIFIED GND THAT I WISHED TO TRANSITION TO SJC, NUQ, AND PAO AIRSPACE TO FLY TO SAN CARLOS, CA. I WAS ASSIGNED A SQUAWK CODE AND GIVEN RWY 13R FOR A R DOWNWIND DEP DIRECTLY TOWARDS THE SJC CLASS C AND D AIRSPACE. WHILE I WAS ABEAM THE RWY ON THE DOWNWIND, HDG APPROX 310 DEGS, I WAS GIVEN A CHANGE OF FREQ APPROVAL TO SJC TWR. I WAITED UNTIL ABOUT THE END OF THE DOWNWIND TO MAKE THE CHANGE BECAUSE I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO HEAR REED TWR FOR ANY TFC IN MY AREA. AT ABOUT THE END OF THE DOWNWIND I CHANGED FREQ AND CALLED SJC TWR AS RHV HAD INSTRUCTED. I RECEIVED NO ANSWER EVEN THOUGH I WAS EXPECTED, AND BELIEVE I HAD BEEN CLRED INTO THE SJC CLASS D AIRSPACE. I KEPT CALLING SJC AND RECEIVED NO ANSWER UNTIL I WAS WELL WITHIN THE CLASS D AIRSPACE, WHEREUPON I WAS ACKNOWLEDGED AND GIVEN A HDG TO FLY. I HAVE FLOWN THE RTE PERHAPS 40 OR MORE TIMES AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SJC HAS FAILED TO RESPOND BEFORE I REACHED THEIR AIRSPACE. I AM UNCERTAIN WHETHER THE SQUAWK CODE AND ADVANCE CALL CONSTITUTED A CLRNC TO ENTER THE SJC CLASS D AIRSPACE (AND THE CLASS C AIRSPACE) BUT I THOUGHT SO. JUST ABOUT 1 MI OFF THE END OF THE RHV RWY 13R DOWNWIND YOU ARE IN THE SJC AIRSPACE. A L TURN FROM THE DOWNWIND TAKES YOU ALMOST IMMEDIATELY INTO THE CLASS C AND D AIRSPACE. A R TURN FROM WHERE I WAS TAKES YOU ACROSS THE APCH ENDS OF RWY 13R&L FOR RHV. I DID NOT WANT TO TURN R SINCE I WAS NOT MONITORING THE RHV TWR FREQ AND I COULD HAVE BEEN TURNING ACROSS ONCOMING TFC APCHING RHV. ACCORDINGLY, I CONTINUED STRAIGHT AHEAD AND KEPT CALLING SJC TWR FOR RECOGNITION AND WAS FINALLY ACKNOWLEDGED. PERHAPS SOME ADMONISHMENT SHOULD BE DELIVERED BY REED TWR IF CLRNC IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES INTO SJC AIRSPACE IS NOT INTENDED. UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES I BELIEVE I MADE THE SAFEST CHOICE FROM A POTENTIAL TFC CONFLICT VIEWPOINT. I INTEND TO FIND OUT BY ASKING QUESTIONS IF A CLRNC IS INTENDED INTO THE CLASS C AND D AIRSPACE.

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.

Attributes
ACN	355238
Time
Date	199612
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sjc
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1700
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Bonanza 33
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 530 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	355238
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

BE33A pilot has difficulty making contact with tower for class C airspace when departing airport on the periphery of the class C airspace. Used proper procedures and ATC finally responded. No real problem.