Narrative:

I was flying a military F16C VFR, but utilizing flight following to ensure traffic deconfliction. Upon entering the airspace west of the northbrook TACAN, O'hare ATC stated I was in class B airspace and should work west. I was already in a turn to the north and continued the turn, but then climbed to leave the O'hare airspace. I asked the controller several times whether I was clear of other aircraft, but received no reply. I felt I met the ICAO class B requirements of 2 way communication and IFF. While trying to communicate with O'hare and xchking navigation equipment on board I accidentally got lower than intended. This spurred noise complaints on the ground. I feel poor UHF radios hindered the process (whether in my aircraft or on the ground). I also feel there was a lack of notification on ATC's part that a problem existed. Normally pilots are asked to call the FAA after landing to discuss an incident. That did not occur, and the incident has blown up to a large scale public relations case. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter said he was in contact with approach control and indicated he thought he had clearance into the class B by having met the prescribed class B requirements. Reporter indicated there was no altitude loss to cause the noise complaints when the turn was made to exit the class B. Reporter said he had received a letter from the FAA to respond to the class B incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTED SIT OF AN APPARENT CLASS B INCURSION BY A MIL F16 IN CONTACT WITH APCH CTL. NOISE COMPLAINTS GENERATED BY ACFT'S UNINTENTIONAL ALT. PLTDEV.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING A MIL F16C VFR, BUT UTILIZING FLT FOLLOWING TO ENSURE TFC DECONFLICTION. UPON ENTERING THE AIRSPACE W OF THE NORTHBROOK TACAN, O'HARE ATC STATED I WAS IN CLASS B AIRSPACE AND SHOULD WORK W. I WAS ALREADY IN A TURN TO THE N AND CONTINUED THE TURN, BUT THEN CLBED TO LEAVE THE O'HARE AIRSPACE. I ASKED THE CTLR SEVERAL TIMES WHETHER I WAS CLR OF OTHER ACFT, BUT RECEIVED NO REPLY. I FELT I MET THE ICAO CLASS B REQUIREMENTS OF 2 WAY COM AND IFF. WHILE TRYING TO COMMUNICATE WITH O'HARE AND XCHKING NAV EQUIP ON BOARD I ACCIDENTALLY GOT LOWER THAN INTENDED. THIS SPURRED NOISE COMPLAINTS ON THE GND. I FEEL POOR UHF RADIOS HINDERED THE PROCESS (WHETHER IN MY ACFT OR ON THE GND). I ALSO FEEL THERE WAS A LACK OF NOTIFICATION ON ATC'S PART THAT A PROB EXISTED. NORMALLY PLTS ARE ASKED TO CALL THE FAA AFTER LNDG TO DISCUSS AN INCIDENT. THAT DID NOT OCCUR, AND THE INCIDENT HAS BLOWN UP TO A LARGE SCALE PUBLIC RELATIONS CASE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SAID HE WAS IN CONTACT WITH APCH CTL AND INDICATED HE THOUGHT HE HAD CLRNC INTO THE CLASS B BY HAVING MET THE PRESCRIBED CLASS B REQUIREMENTS. RPTR INDICATED THERE WAS NO ALT LOSS TO CAUSE THE NOISE COMPLAINTS WHEN THE TURN WAS MADE TO EXIT THE CLASS B. RPTR SAID HE HAD RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE FAA TO RESPOND TO THE CLASS B INCIDENT.

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.