Narrative:

We departed potomac airfield, md, on nov/xa/98 at XA00, climbed to 1000 ft MSL and contacted dca approach control. They told us to contact andrews AFB tower. We turned south, maintaining 1000 ft MSL. We contacted andrews tower and they told us their radar was OTS and to contact dca approach control. I had said to the controller at andrews tower that we had been switched to him from dca approach. We contacted dca approach, maintaining always 1000 ft MSL. They gave us a squawk code and told us to climb to 1400 ft MSL. We climbed to 1400 ft MSL heading southeast. We asked the controller if we had been radar idented. The response was that we were not radar idented. After 5-7 mins of flight, the response was that we were not radar idented and to squawk 1200 and change to andrews tower. We contacted andrews tower and gave them our DME, radial position fix and our altitude request. We requested how we could obtain clearance through class B airspace. The reply was 'continue climb on southeast heading over chesapeake bay and contact bwi approach.' we were climbing to 7500 ft and contacted bwi approach control. Our heading was due east. The controller replied and confirmed altitude passing (4400 ft) and altitude requested (7500 ft). Controller remarked that we entered class B airspace without prior clearance and requested for us to call her on a specified phone number. Thereafter, we were cleared to our altitude and given a squawk code. In summary, these are the events that occurred and we believe that the problem began at dca approach because the controller never requested a squawk identify from us. We requested clearance through class B airspace and VFR flight following for our route. The passing from dca approach and andrews tower twice was also a factor along with andrews tower clearing us to climb to our altitude over chesapeake bay. The controller from andrews tower requested us to contact bwi approach control not realizing that class B airspace is in effect over this entire area. Furthermore, had we obtained radar contact and VFR flight following through washington, dc, airspace these problems would have never occurred.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PLT PENETRATED DCA CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED POTOMAC AIRFIELD, MD, ON NOV/XA/98 AT XA00, CLBED TO 1000 FT MSL AND CONTACTED DCA APCH CTL. THEY TOLD US TO CONTACT ANDREWS AFB TWR. WE TURNED S, MAINTAINING 1000 FT MSL. WE CONTACTED ANDREWS TWR AND THEY TOLD US THEIR RADAR WAS OTS AND TO CONTACT DCA APCH CTL. I HAD SAID TO THE CTLR AT ANDREWS TWR THAT WE HAD BEEN SWITCHED TO HIM FROM DCA APCH. WE CONTACTED DCA APCH, MAINTAINING ALWAYS 1000 FT MSL. THEY GAVE US A SQUAWK CODE AND TOLD US TO CLB TO 1400 FT MSL. WE CLBED TO 1400 FT MSL HDG SE. WE ASKED THE CTLR IF WE HAD BEEN RADAR IDENTED. THE RESPONSE WAS THAT WE WERE NOT RADAR IDENTED. AFTER 5-7 MINS OF FLT, THE RESPONSE WAS THAT WE WERE NOT RADAR IDENTED AND TO SQUAWK 1200 AND CHANGE TO ANDREWS TWR. WE CONTACTED ANDREWS TWR AND GAVE THEM OUR DME, RADIAL POS FIX AND OUR ALT REQUEST. WE REQUESTED HOW WE COULD OBTAIN CLRNC THROUGH CLASS B AIRSPACE. THE REPLY WAS 'CONTINUE CLB ON SE HDG OVER CHESAPEAKE BAY AND CONTACT BWI APCH.' WE WERE CLBING TO 7500 FT AND CONTACTED BWI APCH CTL. OUR HDG WAS DUE E. THE CTLR REPLIED AND CONFIRMED ALT PASSING (4400 FT) AND ALT REQUESTED (7500 FT). CTLR REMARKED THAT WE ENTERED CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT PRIOR CLRNC AND REQUESTED FOR US TO CALL HER ON A SPECIFIED PHONE NUMBER. THEREAFTER, WE WERE CLRED TO OUR ALT AND GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE. IN SUMMARY, THESE ARE THE EVENTS THAT OCCURRED AND WE BELIEVE THAT THE PROB BEGAN AT DCA APCH BECAUSE THE CTLR NEVER REQUESTED A SQUAWK IDENT FROM US. WE REQUESTED CLRNC THROUGH CLASS B AIRSPACE AND VFR FLT FOLLOWING FOR OUR RTE. THE PASSING FROM DCA APCH AND ANDREWS TWR TWICE WAS ALSO A FACTOR ALONG WITH ANDREWS TWR CLRING US TO CLB TO OUR ALT OVER CHESAPEAKE BAY. THE CTLR FROM ANDREWS TWR REQUESTED US TO CONTACT BWI APCH CTL NOT REALIZING THAT CLASS B AIRSPACE IS IN EFFECT OVER THIS ENTIRE AREA. FURTHERMORE, HAD WE OBTAINED RADAR CONTACT AND VFR FLT FOLLOWING THROUGH WASHINGTON, DC, AIRSPACE THESE PROBS WOULD HAVE NEVER OCCURRED.

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.