Narrative:

The purpose of this flight was to lift 3 air conditioning units to the roof of a building adjacent to the santa monica airport (smo). The helicopter scheduled for this job was found, during preflight this morning, to have a grounding defect. A second, identical helicopter was then substituted for the defective aircraft. The job had been scheduled to begin at XX00 local. Takeoff from our airport occurred at XX45. WX was absolutely perfect. Visibility at least 50 mi. No cloud cover. Warm sunshine. No wind. When I was within about 15 NM of smo, I realized that the altitude encoder had been removed from this aircraft. It needed service. Maintenance had duly and properly placarded the instrument panel and made the correct entry in the maintenance logbook. In the haste of changing aircraft to cover the requirements of our job, I had completely forgotten about this! I was flying in class east airspace at the time I realized my mistake. I did not have the presence of mind to contact ATC (coast approach) and request permission to continue the flight. Instead I descended to about 600 ft AGL (class G airspace) and continued towards smo. I was not challenged by smo tower as to the lack of mode C. Upon completion of the job, I called smo tower and requested a departure from their class D airspace. During climb out, the tower challenged me on the lack of mode C. Rather than give a lengthy explanation of how I goofed up, I replied that I would have it looked at immediately, then continued my flight clear of smo's airspace, and then remained in class G airspace until I was clear of the mode C veil. I realize, of course, that the fact that I remained in class G airspace did not change the fact that I should have been squawking mode C! But it felt better. In retrospect, I should have contacted coast approach when I realized my mistake, then notified smo tower of my lack of mode C before I entered their airspace. I should not have continued the flight with the full knowledge that I was not squawking mode C. At no time was I in anyone's airspace except smo's class D. I remained clear of lax's class B airspace at all times. There is no valid excuse for my incorrect judgement and actions in this particular event. I goofed up. Somehow I rationalized that the beautiful WX and the fact that I immediately descended to class G airspace made everything ok. I am not the least bit proud of my decision making today.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELI PLT ON A MATERIAL DELIVERY RUN TO SMO. MODE C MISSING FROM THE XPONDER UNIT. FLIES INSIDE THE 30 MI VEIL OF LAX. ENTERS CLASS D AIRSPACE, SMO. DEP SMO AFTER BEING QUESTIONED BY CTLR.

Narrative: THE PURPOSE OF THIS FLT WAS TO LIFT 3 AIR CONDITIONING UNITS TO THE ROOF OF A BUILDING ADJACENT TO THE SANTA MONICA ARPT (SMO). THE HELI SCHEDULED FOR THIS JOB WAS FOUND, DURING PREFLT THIS MORNING, TO HAVE A GNDING DEFECT. A SECOND, IDENTICAL HELI WAS THEN SUBSTITUTED FOR THE DEFECTIVE ACFT. THE JOB HAD BEEN SCHEDULED TO BEGIN AT XX00 LCL. TKOF FROM OUR ARPT OCCURRED AT XX45. WX WAS ABSOLUTELY PERFECT. VISIBILITY AT LEAST 50 MI. NO CLOUD COVER. WARM SUNSHINE. NO WIND. WHEN I WAS WITHIN ABOUT 15 NM OF SMO, I REALIZED THAT THE ALT ENCODER HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM THIS ACFT. IT NEEDED SVC. MAINT HAD DULY AND PROPERLY PLACARDED THE INST PANEL AND MADE THE CORRECT ENTRY IN THE MAINT LOGBOOK. IN THE HASTE OF CHANGING ACFT TO COVER THE REQUIREMENTS OF OUR JOB, I HAD COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN ABOUT THIS! I WAS FLYING IN CLASS E AIRSPACE AT THE TIME I REALIZED MY MISTAKE. I DID NOT HAVE THE PRESENCE OF MIND TO CONTACT ATC (COAST APCH) AND REQUEST PERMISSION TO CONTINUE THE FLT. INSTEAD I DSNDED TO ABOUT 600 FT AGL (CLASS G AIRSPACE) AND CONTINUED TOWARDS SMO. I WAS NOT CHALLENGED BY SMO TWR AS TO THE LACK OF MODE C. UPON COMPLETION OF THE JOB, I CALLED SMO TWR AND REQUESTED A DEP FROM THEIR CLASS D AIRSPACE. DURING CLBOUT, THE TWR CHALLENGED ME ON THE LACK OF MODE C. RATHER THAN GIVE A LENGTHY EXPLANATION OF HOW I GOOFED UP, I REPLIED THAT I WOULD HAVE IT LOOKED AT IMMEDIATELY, THEN CONTINUED MY FLT CLR OF SMO'S AIRSPACE, AND THEN REMAINED IN CLASS G AIRSPACE UNTIL I WAS CLR OF THE MODE C VEIL. I REALIZE, OF COURSE, THAT THE FACT THAT I REMAINED IN CLASS G AIRSPACE DID NOT CHANGE THE FACT THAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN SQUAWKING MODE C! BUT IT FELT BETTER. IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD HAVE CONTACTED COAST APCH WHEN I REALIZED MY MISTAKE, THEN NOTIFIED SMO TWR OF MY LACK OF MODE C BEFORE I ENTERED THEIR AIRSPACE. I SHOULD NOT HAVE CONTINUED THE FLT WITH THE FULL KNOWLEDGE THAT I WAS NOT SQUAWKING MODE C. AT NO TIME WAS I IN ANYONE'S AIRSPACE EXCEPT SMO'S CLASS D. I REMAINED CLR OF LAX'S CLASS B AIRSPACE AT ALL TIMES. THERE IS NO VALID EXCUSE FOR MY INCORRECT JUDGEMENT AND ACTIONS IN THIS PARTICULAR EVENT. I GOOFED UP. SOMEHOW I RATIONALIZED THAT THE BEAUTIFUL WX AND THE FACT THAT I IMMEDIATELY DSNDED TO CLASS G AIRSPACE MADE EVERYTHING OK. I AM NOT THE LEAST BIT PROUD OF MY DECISION MAKING TODAY.

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.