Narrative:

I was 8 mi south of the hfd VOR indicating 4500 ft MSL heading for baf for coffee with a friend in my thorp T18. I called bradley approach (bdl) on 125.8, the frequency shown on the current ny sectional and told them I was VFR, overflying the class C en route to baf and requested advisories. I was given a different frequency, and repeated my request. I was then given a transponder code and told to report altitude changes. I overflew bdl and was handed off to another controller on a new frequency. I checked in and was acknowledged. I heard that controller telling traffic that he should be looking out for me at his 12 O'clock position and 2 mi. The other traffic also reported at 4500 ft, going sbound, on a heading of approximately 170 degrees. My heading at the time was 350 degrees. He was given a request to climb higher to avoid me. I spotted him, a cessna, slightly lower than us at our 10 O'clock position at about 3/4 mi. I heard the cessna pilot tell bdl approach that we were much higher than he was, at about 5500 ft MSL. The controller responded to the cessna that we were reporting 4500 ft and I glanced at my altimeter and noted that we were level at 4500 ft. A min or so later I told bdl that we were descending and would squawk 1200 VFR. He requested that I remain with him for a few mins more till I cleared the class C and I agreed, staying at 4500 ft. Later he called me and told me to squawk 1200 and contact baf tower. I did and we were cleared to land at baf. When I taxied clear of the runway at baf and contacted ground control I was asked to copy a phone number that I should use to call bdl approach. I took the phone number and went to the phone to see what they wanted. The controller who answered the phone told me I was a possible class C violator and that I should hold on while he checked. I told him that I had spoken to no fewer than 3 bdl controllers during my 15 mins above their airspace and was given a transponder code. When he came back on the phone he acknowledged that they were in error and I was not in violation. He apologized for their error. I thanked him and hung up. I'm pleased that they admitted their error but I'm troubled that they made such an error to begin with. I don't know what caused this problem so it's difficult for me to speculate on how it could have been avoided. Probably the recent near miss between airliners at ny and the public notice that all controllers will receive additional training has the staff at bdl a little on edge. For my part, I remained calm when asked to phone bdl because I was certain that I had nothing to conceal. The lesson I learned from this is to be clear and positive when communicating with ATC. I knew that I had fulfilled my role as a pilot and had no doubt as what was said and what actions I was responsible for.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A THORP 18 TIGER PLT IS ASKED TO CONTACT BDL APCH CTLR AFTER LNDG AT BAF, MA. HE WAS THOUGHT TO HAVE PENETRATED THE CLASS C AT BDL WHILE TRAVERSING THE AREA AT 4500 FT. HE HAD A POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC AT THAT ALT.

Narrative: I WAS 8 MI S OF THE HFD VOR INDICATING 4500 FT MSL HEADING FOR BAF FOR COFFEE WITH A FRIEND IN MY THORP T18. I CALLED BRADLEY APCH (BDL) ON 125.8, THE FREQ SHOWN ON THE CURRENT NY SECTIONAL AND TOLD THEM I WAS VFR, OVERFLYING THE CLASS C ENRTE TO BAF AND REQUESTED ADVISORIES. I WAS GIVEN A DIFFERENT FREQ, AND REPEATED MY REQUEST. I WAS THEN GIVEN A XPONDER CODE AND TOLD TO RPT ALT CHANGES. I OVERFLEW BDL AND WAS HANDED OFF TO ANOTHER CTLR ON A NEW FREQ. I CHKED IN AND WAS ACKNOWLEDGED. I HEARD THAT CTLR TELLING TFC THAT HE SHOULD BE LOOKING OUT FOR ME AT HIS 12 O'CLOCK POS AND 2 MI. THE OTHER TFC ALSO RPTED AT 4500 FT, GOING SBOUND, ON A HEADING OF APPROX 170 DEGS. MY HEADING AT THE TIME WAS 350 DEGS. HE WAS GIVEN A REQUEST TO CLB HIGHER TO AVOID ME. I SPOTTED HIM, A CESSNA, SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN US AT OUR 10 O'CLOCK POS AT ABOUT 3/4 MI. I HEARD THE CESSNA PLT TELL BDL APCH THAT WE WERE MUCH HIGHER THAN HE WAS, AT ABOUT 5500 FT MSL. THE CTLR RESPONDED TO THE CESSNA THAT WE WERE RPTING 4500 FT AND I GLANCED AT MY ALTIMETER AND NOTED THAT WE WERE LEVEL AT 4500 FT. A MIN OR SO LATER I TOLD BDL THAT WE WERE DSNDING AND WOULD SQUAWK 1200 VFR. HE REQUESTED THAT I REMAIN WITH HIM FOR A FEW MINS MORE TILL I CLRED THE CLASS C AND I AGREED, STAYING AT 4500 FT. LATER HE CALLED ME AND TOLD ME TO SQUAWK 1200 AND CONTACT BAF TWR. I DID AND WE WERE CLRED TO LAND AT BAF. WHEN I TAXIED CLR OF THE RWY AT BAF AND CONTACTED GND CTL I WAS ASKED TO COPY A PHONE NUMBER THAT I SHOULD USE TO CALL BDL APCH. I TOOK THE PHONE NUMBER AND WENT TO THE PHONE TO SEE WHAT THEY WANTED. THE CTLR WHO ANSWERED THE PHONE TOLD ME I WAS A POSSIBLE CLASS C VIOLATOR AND THAT I SHOULD HOLD ON WHILE HE CHKED. I TOLD HIM THAT I HAD SPOKEN TO NO FEWER THAN 3 BDL CTLRS DURING MY 15 MINS ABOVE THEIR AIRSPACE AND WAS GIVEN A XPONDER CODE. WHEN HE CAME BACK ON THE PHONE HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THEY WERE IN ERROR AND I WAS NOT IN VIOLATION. HE APOLOGIZED FOR THEIR ERROR. I THANKED HIM AND HUNG UP. I'M PLEASED THAT THEY ADMITTED THEIR ERROR BUT I'M TROUBLED THAT THEY MADE SUCH AN ERROR TO BEGIN WITH. I DON'T KNOW WHAT CAUSED THIS PROB SO IT'S DIFFICULT FOR ME TO SPECULATE ON HOW IT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. PROBABLY THE RECENT NEAR MISS BTWN AIRLINERS AT NY AND THE PUBLIC NOTICE THAT ALL CTLRS WILL RECEIVE ADDITIONAL TRAINING HAS THE STAFF AT BDL A LITTLE ON EDGE. FOR MY PART, I REMAINED CALM WHEN ASKED TO PHONE BDL BECAUSE I WAS CERTAIN THAT I HAD NOTHING TO CONCEAL. THE LESSON I LEARNED FROM THIS IS TO BE CLR AND POSITIVE WHEN COMMUNICATING WITH ATC. I KNEW THAT I HAD FULFILLED MY ROLE AS A PLT AND HAD NO DOUBT AS WHAT WAS SAID AND WHAT ACTIONS I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR.

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.