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Cpr small transport enters the lax class B when their plans are changed by socal approach controller. Pilots had planned on the lax shoreline route to lgb but that was deferred when approach controller said he was unable on the shoreline route. Reporter then was planning on the VFR corridor at 3500 ft but the PF slowed descent and the class B was clipped at 4300 ft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 372520 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199706 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : vtu |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 3500 msl bound upper : 4300 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : lax |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Cessna Aircraft Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 2000 flight time type : 30 |
| ASRS Report | 372520 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
Narrative:
The aircraft was on a VFR flight plan from sjc to lgb in VFR conditions. It had just crossed vtu descending through 5500 ft to 3500 ft while joining the 93 degree radial toward the lax shoreline route. Initial radio call to socal to request the shoreline route was made at 6 DME (vtu) followed by a second transmission and receipt of a transponder code at 8 DME (vtu). Short time later, socal informed us that he was too busy, unable to approve the shoreline route, radar service terminated, squawk VFR. After acknowledging, the transponder was re-set and I reviewed the los angeles VFR terminal area chart in preparation for overflying lax via the VFR corridor at 3500 ft sbound. At this point, I noticed that our descent had shallowed, still descending through 4300 ft when I expected to be below 4000 ft, the base of lax class B airspace. A quick look at landmarks made me wonder if we were at the edge of class B airspace. I immediately reduced power and pushed the control wheel forward to expedite our descent to below 4000 ft. Being new to the area, unfamiliar with the landmarks, we may have intruded briefly into lax class B airspace at this point. In the VFR corridor, between aviating, navigating and looking for traffic, the transponder did not get changed to XXXX, but remained on YYYY until it was too late to change. How it was discovered: pilotage. Contributing factors: new geographical area (first time on this route). Being pressed for time (we had to drive back up to lax to catch a flight). Heavy cockpit workload due to unexpected change in routing through a congested and complex airspace (there were only a few radio xmissions on the frequency and socal had just cleared another aircraft for the same shoreline route so we were expecting a clearance when instead we got the call that radar service is being terminated). And, communication failure in the cockpit (when crossing vtu, I instructed the pilot flying the airplane to descend to 3500 ft and just assumed that we would be at that altitude in a timely manner). Corrective actions: immediately reduced power and increased descent rate to stay clear of class B airspace. Perceptions, judgements, decisions: could have chosen a more conservative approach to the busy lax area or flown IFR. Actions: the los angeles VFR terminal area chart could be modified to be easier to use in flight through the los angeles SVFR area. The chart should show a notation in bold print 'monitor 128.55 and squawk XXXX prior to entering corridor' similar to the depictions for the shoreline route and hollywood park route. Presently, these details are shown only in small print next to the chart where it is hard to see during high cockpit workload phase such as when transitioning through the lax corridor. Factors affecting the quality of human performance: both pilots were suffering from indigestion from breakfast.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CPR SMT ENTERS THE LAX CLASS B WHEN THEIR PLANS ARE CHANGED BY SOCAL APCH CTLR. PLTS HAD PLANNED ON THE LAX SHORELINE RTE TO LGB BUT THAT WAS DEFERRED WHEN APCH CTLR SAID HE WAS UNABLE ON THE SHORELINE RTE. RPTR THEN WAS PLANNING ON THE VFR CORRIDOR AT 3500 FT BUT THE PF SLOWED DSCNT AND THE CLASS B WAS CLIPPED AT 4300 FT.
Narrative: THE ACFT WAS ON A VFR FLT PLAN FROM SJC TO LGB IN VFR CONDITIONS. IT HAD JUST CROSSED VTU DSNDING THROUGH 5500 FT TO 3500 FT WHILE JOINING THE 93 DEG RADIAL TOWARD THE LAX SHORELINE RTE. INITIAL RADIO CALL TO SOCAL TO REQUEST THE SHORELINE RTE WAS MADE AT 6 DME (VTU) FOLLOWED BY A SECOND XMISSION AND RECEIPT OF A XPONDER CODE AT 8 DME (VTU). SHORT TIME LATER, SOCAL INFORMED US THAT HE WAS TOO BUSY, UNABLE TO APPROVE THE SHORELINE RTE, RADAR SVC TERMINATED, SQUAWK VFR. AFTER ACKNOWLEDGING, THE XPONDER WAS RE-SET AND I REVIEWED THE LOS ANGELES VFR TERMINAL AREA CHART IN PREPARATION FOR OVERFLYING LAX VIA THE VFR CORRIDOR AT 3500 FT SBOUND. AT THIS POINT, I NOTICED THAT OUR DSCNT HAD SHALLOWED, STILL DSNDING THROUGH 4300 FT WHEN I EXPECTED TO BE BELOW 4000 FT, THE BASE OF LAX CLASS B AIRSPACE. A QUICK LOOK AT LANDMARKS MADE ME WONDER IF WE WERE AT THE EDGE OF CLASS B AIRSPACE. I IMMEDIATELY REDUCED PWR AND PUSHED THE CTL WHEEL FORWARD TO EXPEDITE OUR DSCNT TO BELOW 4000 FT. BEING NEW TO THE AREA, UNFAMILIAR WITH THE LANDMARKS, WE MAY HAVE INTRUDED BRIEFLY INTO LAX CLASS B AIRSPACE AT THIS POINT. IN THE VFR CORRIDOR, BTWN AVIATING, NAVING AND LOOKING FOR TFC, THE XPONDER DID NOT GET CHANGED TO XXXX, BUT REMAINED ON YYYY UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE TO CHANGE. HOW IT WAS DISCOVERED: PILOTAGE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: NEW GEOGRAPHICAL AREA (FIRST TIME ON THIS RTE). BEING PRESSED FOR TIME (WE HAD TO DRIVE BACK UP TO LAX TO CATCH A FLT). HVY COCKPIT WORKLOAD DUE TO UNEXPECTED CHANGE IN ROUTING THROUGH A CONGESTED AND COMPLEX AIRSPACE (THERE WERE ONLY A FEW RADIO XMISSIONS ON THE FREQ AND SOCAL HAD JUST CLRED ANOTHER ACFT FOR THE SAME SHORELINE RTE SO WE WERE EXPECTING A CLRNC WHEN INSTEAD WE GOT THE CALL THAT RADAR SVC IS BEING TERMINATED). AND, COM FAILURE IN THE COCKPIT (WHEN XING VTU, I INSTRUCTED THE PLT FLYING THE AIRPLANE TO DSND TO 3500 FT AND JUST ASSUMED THAT WE WOULD BE AT THAT ALT IN A TIMELY MANNER). CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: IMMEDIATELY REDUCED PWR AND INCREASED DSCNT RATE TO STAY CLR OF CLASS B AIRSPACE. PERCEPTIONS, JUDGEMENTS, DECISIONS: COULD HAVE CHOSEN A MORE CONSERVATIVE APCH TO THE BUSY LAX AREA OR FLOWN IFR. ACTIONS: THE LOS ANGELES VFR TERMINAL AREA CHART COULD BE MODIFIED TO BE EASIER TO USE IN FLT THROUGH THE LOS ANGELES SVFR AREA. THE CHART SHOULD SHOW A NOTATION IN BOLD PRINT 'MONITOR 128.55 AND SQUAWK XXXX PRIOR TO ENTERING CORRIDOR' SIMILAR TO THE DEPICTIONS FOR THE SHORELINE RTE AND HOLLYWOOD PARK RTE. PRESENTLY, THESE DETAILS ARE SHOWN ONLY IN SMALL PRINT NEXT TO THE CHART WHERE IT IS HARD TO SEE DURING HIGH COCKPIT WORKLOAD PHASE SUCH AS WHEN TRANSITIONING THROUGH THE LAX CORRIDOR. FACTORS AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF HUMAN PERFORMANCE: BOTH PLTS WERE SUFFERING FROM INDIGESTION FROM BREAKFAST.
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.