GA C172 pilot erroneously enters class C airspace at cae, sc.

Attributes
ACN	423210
Time
Date	199812
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : cae
State Reference	SC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4500 msl bound upper : 4500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 400 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	423210
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On a VFR night flight from hyw to cae, flying a cutlass rg, I did not file a VFR flight plan, but was receiving flight following from ATC along the route. Between shaw approach and columbia approach, shaw being the last approach control before columbia, I switched my radio to 'both' so I could listen to columbia's ATIS. Switching back the 'both' switch to neutral, I accidentally flipped the radio selection switch to neutral, which meant I could receive no communications. When I realized it, and called shaw to terminate VFR flight following so I could contact columbia approach, he said 'I terminated you 15 mi ago.' when I contacted columbia, he said 'do not enter class C airspace.' so I turned south to avoid entering class C. After squawking the given transponder code and identing, he (the columbia controller) said, 'you entered class C 5 mi ago' and proceeded to give me radar vectors to the runway. I had the airport in sight but thought it was a different one (columbia owens downtown, cub) because poor realization of distance traveled -- meaning, I thought I was further away than I was. My only suggestion to remedy the situation from happening again would be that a controller take extra care to get an answer from a VFR flight following pilot. Pilots who request flight following are usually low time or student pilots who need extra attention not to be treated as inconveniences by the controller.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA C172 PLT ERRONEOUSLY ENTERS CLASS C AIRSPACE AT CAE, SC.

Narrative: ON A VFR NIGHT FLT FROM HYW TO CAE, FLYING A CUTLASS RG, I DID NOT FILE A VFR FLT PLAN, BUT WAS RECEIVING FLT FOLLOWING FROM ATC ALONG THE RTE. BTWN SHAW APCH AND COLUMBIA APCH, SHAW BEING THE LAST APCH CTL BEFORE COLUMBIA, I SWITCHED MY RADIO TO 'BOTH' SO I COULD LISTEN TO COLUMBIA'S ATIS. SWITCHING BACK THE 'BOTH' SWITCH TO NEUTRAL, I ACCIDENTALLY FLIPPED THE RADIO SELECTION SWITCH TO NEUTRAL, WHICH MEANT I COULD RECEIVE NO COMS. WHEN I REALIZED IT, AND CALLED SHAW TO TERMINATE VFR FLT FOLLOWING SO I COULD CONTACT COLUMBIA APCH, HE SAID 'I TERMINATED YOU 15 MI AGO.' WHEN I CONTACTED COLUMBIA, HE SAID 'DO NOT ENTER CLASS C AIRSPACE.' SO I TURNED S TO AVOID ENTERING CLASS C. AFTER SQUAWKING THE GIVEN XPONDER CODE AND IDENTING, HE (THE COLUMBIA CTLR) SAID, 'YOU ENTERED CLASS C 5 MI AGO' AND PROCEEDED TO GIVE ME RADAR VECTORS TO THE RWY. I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT BUT THOUGHT IT WAS A DIFFERENT ONE (COLUMBIA OWENS DOWNTOWN, CUB) BECAUSE POOR REALIZATION OF DISTANCE TRAVELED -- MEANING, I THOUGHT I WAS FURTHER AWAY THAN I WAS. MY ONLY SUGGESTION TO REMEDY THE SIT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN WOULD BE THAT A CTLR TAKE EXTRA CARE TO GET AN ANSWER FROM A VFR FLT FOLLOWING PLT. PLTS WHO REQUEST FLT FOLLOWING ARE USUALLY LOW TIME OR STUDENT PLTS WHO NEED EXTRA ATTN NOT TO BE TREATED AS INCONVENIENCES BY THE CTLR.

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.