EMS pilot request denied for entry into class D airspace unless on a SVFR route. Aircraft had no suc...

Attributes
ACN	360490
Time
Date	199702
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6300 msl bound upper : 6300
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zzz
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other
Route In Use	approach : svfr enroute : direct
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	360490
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation Operational Deviation
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

I was responding to an automatic accident south of xyz airport on highway from a hospital north of xyz at night in IFR conditions. I idented myself as 'EMS' and requested SVFR through xyz airspace. Tower cleared me via a published airport arrival and departure route. I said I was unfamiliar with the named route and requested routing to remain west of highway, north to south, at 6300 ft MSL. The controller told me he could only allow me into the class D airspace if I accepted and flew a 'published SVFR route.' as I could not comply, I told him that I would circumnav the class D airspace. I flew west to a point I thought was west of the airspace and turned south. I was in constant radio contact with tower and responded to inquiries about my lighting and location. As I proceeded south, tower informed me I was in class D airspace. I turned west, then south again. When I was far enough south (I thought) I turned southeast to return to highway. Deteriorating conditions required that I turn around and fly northwest. Once again, tower told me I was 'about 3/4 mi' in their airspace. I repositioned to the west and coordinated a revised patient pick-up point with our dispatch. The selected location was in xyz's airspace. This time, when I spoke with a different controller, I was cleared into the class D by road names (a street to highway). I was clearly in error if I was in the class D airspace without a SVFR clearance. I have no way of knowing exactly where I was. I feel, however, somewhat betrayed by tower in several ways: as an EMS aircraft responding to an emergency, I feel I should have been cleared through the class D by known geographic chkpoints. I don't believe tower should use LOA published arrival and departure rtes for through flts -- or as an excuse to exclude SVFR flts. Tower radar should be used to allow aircraft in communications with tower to avoid the class D (if that is their desire) not 'bust them' when they are already inside.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMS PLT REQUEST DENIED FOR ENTRY INTO CLASS D AIRSPACE UNLESS ON A SVFR RTE. ACFT HAD NO SUCH CHARTS ON BOARD. UNAUTH UNCOORD PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE OCCURS.

Narrative: I WAS RESPONDING TO AN AUTO ACCIDENT S OF XYZ ARPT ON HWY FROM A HOSPITAL N OF XYZ AT NIGHT IN IFR CONDITIONS. I IDENTED MYSELF AS 'EMS' AND REQUESTED SVFR THROUGH XYZ AIRSPACE. TWR CLRED ME VIA A PUBLISHED ARPT ARR AND DEP RTE. I SAID I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE NAMED RTE AND REQUESTED ROUTING TO REMAIN W OF HWY, N TO S, AT 6300 FT MSL. THE CTLR TOLD ME HE COULD ONLY ALLOW ME INTO THE CLASS D AIRSPACE IF I ACCEPTED AND FLEW A 'PUBLISHED SVFR RTE.' AS I COULD NOT COMPLY, I TOLD HIM THAT I WOULD CIRCUMNAV THE CLASS D AIRSPACE. I FLEW W TO A POINT I THOUGHT WAS W OF THE AIRSPACE AND TURNED S. I WAS IN CONSTANT RADIO CONTACT WITH TWR AND RESPONDED TO INQUIRIES ABOUT MY LIGHTING AND LOCATION. AS I PROCEEDED S, TWR INFORMED ME I WAS IN CLASS D AIRSPACE. I TURNED W, THEN S AGAIN. WHEN I WAS FAR ENOUGH S (I THOUGHT) I TURNED SE TO RETURN TO HWY. DETERIORATING CONDITIONS REQUIRED THAT I TURN AROUND AND FLY NW. ONCE AGAIN, TWR TOLD ME I WAS 'ABOUT 3/4 MI' IN THEIR AIRSPACE. I REPOSITIONED TO THE W AND COORDINATED A REVISED PATIENT PICK-UP POINT WITH OUR DISPATCH. THE SELECTED LOCATION WAS IN XYZ'S AIRSPACE. THIS TIME, WHEN I SPOKE WITH A DIFFERENT CTLR, I WAS CLRED INTO THE CLASS D BY ROAD NAMES (A STREET TO HWY). I WAS CLRLY IN ERROR IF I WAS IN THE CLASS D AIRSPACE WITHOUT A SVFR CLRNC. I HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING EXACTLY WHERE I WAS. I FEEL, HOWEVER, SOMEWHAT BETRAYED BY TWR IN SEVERAL WAYS: AS AN EMS ACFT RESPONDING TO AN EMER, I FEEL I SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLRED THROUGH THE CLASS D BY KNOWN GEOGRAPHIC CHKPOINTS. I DON'T BELIEVE TWR SHOULD USE LOA PUBLISHED ARR AND DEP RTES FOR THROUGH FLTS -- OR AS AN EXCUSE TO EXCLUDE SVFR FLTS. TWR RADAR SHOULD BE USED TO ALLOW ACFT IN COMS WITH TWR TO AVOID THE CLASS D (IF THAT IS THEIR DESIRE) NOT 'BUST THEM' WHEN THEY ARE ALREADY INSIDE.

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.

EMS pilot request denied for entry into class D airspace unless on a SVFR route. Aircraft had no such charts on board. Unauthorized uncoord penetration of airspace occurs.