Narrative:

While flying north to I12 at about XY30 (24 hour clock) just north of middletown, day approach was contacted on 118.85. This frequency seemed very busy. The controller instructed that 126.5 be contacted for all VFR below 5000 ft. When 126.5 was misunderstood for 162.05, the cincinnati sectional aeronautical chart was reviewed, but a frequency of 126.xx was not listed, adding to the confusion of the moment. Upon resolving the problem with the controller, 126.5 was contacted. 'Standby' instructions were given. My intention to transition day airspace with flight following to sidney, oh (I12) was followed by a squawk number and identify and later by '...continue on course.' by this time, entry into the day outer circle had been made and radio static was picked up on 126.5 upon flying east of towers listed as 2048 ft and 2049 ft on the sectional map. This static remained until the frequency was eventually changed to 123.05 for I12. Frequency 126.5 was extremely busy at the time and it was difficult to distinguish the identify of my airplane and associated instructions from all of the other rapidly dispersed instructions going on continuously. It was easier to discern the response of the pilots of other planes than the instructions of the controller. Upon landing at I12, the supervisor at day approach was contacted by phone per his request. He stated that I had entered day class C airspace after being given instructions to stay clear. I explained that I would have been glad to comply with these instructions if I had been able to discern them amidst all the other rapid chatter occurring at the time. The supervisor admitted that day approach had been extremely busy and the condition that I had described had occurred. He suggested that I request the controller to slow his delivery to alleviate any problem arising from similar circumstances in the future. From my point of view, when VFR entrance to an airspace is not permitted during extremely busy times it would create considerably less confusion and be far safer to be notified of the fact upon initial contact with approach, and not wait until the flight has crossed into the subject airspace under instructions to '...continue on course.' also, since the frequency 126.5 is being used by day approach, that frequency belongs on the sectional map.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF AN SEL SMA ENTERED AND FLEW THROUGH CLASS C AIRSPACE WHEN ATC INSTRUCTED HIM TO STAY CLR. HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF THE FREQ CONGESTION AND STATIC XMISSIONS FROM ATC, RPTR BELIEVED THAT HE WAS CLRED THROUGH THE AIRSPACE TO HIS DEST.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING N TO I12 AT ABOUT XY30 (24 HR CLOCK) JUST N OF MIDDLETOWN, DAY APCH WAS CONTACTED ON 118.85. THIS FREQ SEEMED VERY BUSY. THE CTLR INSTRUCTED THAT 126.5 BE CONTACTED FOR ALL VFR BELOW 5000 FT. WHEN 126.5 WAS MISUNDERSTOOD FOR 162.05, THE CINCINNATI SECTIONAL AERONAUTICAL CHART WAS REVIEWED, BUT A FREQ OF 126.XX WAS NOT LISTED, ADDING TO THE CONFUSION OF THE MOMENT. UPON RESOLVING THE PROB WITH THE CTLR, 126.5 WAS CONTACTED. 'STANDBY' INSTRUCTIONS WERE GIVEN. MY INTENTION TO TRANSITION DAY AIRSPACE WITH FLT FOLLOWING TO SIDNEY, OH (I12) WAS FOLLOWED BY A SQUAWK NUMBER AND IDENT AND LATER BY '...CONTINUE ON COURSE.' BY THIS TIME, ENTRY INTO THE DAY OUTER CIRCLE HAD BEEN MADE AND RADIO STATIC WAS PICKED UP ON 126.5 UPON FLYING E OF TWRS LISTED AS 2048 FT AND 2049 FT ON THE SECTIONAL MAP. THIS STATIC REMAINED UNTIL THE FREQ WAS EVENTUALLY CHANGED TO 123.05 FOR I12. FREQ 126.5 WAS EXTREMELY BUSY AT THE TIME AND IT WAS DIFFICULT TO DISTINGUISH THE IDENT OF MY AIRPLANE AND ASSOCIATED INSTRUCTIONS FROM ALL OF THE OTHER RAPIDLY DISPERSED INSTRUCTIONS GOING ON CONTINUOUSLY. IT WAS EASIER TO DISCERN THE RESPONSE OF THE PLTS OF OTHER PLANES THAN THE INSTRUCTIONS OF THE CTLR. UPON LNDG AT I12, THE SUPVR AT DAY APCH WAS CONTACTED BY PHONE PER HIS REQUEST. HE STATED THAT I HAD ENTERED DAY CLASS C AIRSPACE AFTER BEING GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO STAY CLR. I EXPLAINED THAT I WOULD HAVE BEEN GLAD TO COMPLY WITH THESE INSTRUCTIONS IF I HAD BEEN ABLE TO DISCERN THEM AMIDST ALL THE OTHER RAPID CHATTER OCCURRING AT THE TIME. THE SUPVR ADMITTED THAT DAY APCH HAD BEEN EXTREMELY BUSY AND THE CONDITION THAT I HAD DESCRIBED HAD OCCURRED. HE SUGGESTED THAT I REQUEST THE CTLR TO SLOW HIS DELIVERY TO ALLEVIATE ANY PROB ARISING FROM SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES IN THE FUTURE. FROM MY POINT OF VIEW, WHEN VFR ENTRANCE TO AN AIRSPACE IS NOT PERMITTED DURING EXTREMELY BUSY TIMES IT WOULD CREATE CONSIDERABLY LESS CONFUSION AND BE FAR SAFER TO BE NOTIFIED OF THE FACT UPON INITIAL CONTACT WITH APCH, AND NOT WAIT UNTIL THE FLT HAS CROSSED INTO THE SUBJECT AIRSPACE UNDER INSTRUCTIONS TO '...CONTINUE ON COURSE.' ALSO, SINCE THE FREQ 126.5 IS BEING USED BY DAY APCH, THAT FREQ BELONGS ON THE SECTIONAL MAP.

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.