Narrative:

I was with a qualified check pilot while flying practice approachs under hood for IFR currency. Fmy approach was providing vectors and flight following, etc. Their frequency became very congested. They issued the following: 'turn left to heading of 150 degrees to join...cleared the VOR runway 23 approach, circle to land runway 32.' they advised radar was not available for approach but did not issue frequency change. On 3 occasions I requested frequency change as I neared airport, but congestion blocked all 3 requests. A fourth request met with a response of 'you should be talking to naple tower.' I switched to tower who was understandably very upset as they were not informed I was on the approach even though I was squawking a discrete code -- not VFR. Actually, I'm still confused by this. I know this was a VFR operation, but I was issued an approach clearance. On 2 prior ILS approachs in fmy, tower knew I was inbound with an approach clearance -- albeit VFR. Perhaps when I could not contact approach for frequency change to tower I should have just switched frequency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA34 PLT ON A TRAINING FLT PERFORMS AN UNAUTH PENETRATION OF THE NAPLES CLASS D AIRSPACE WHILE ON FT MYERS APCH CTL FREQ.

Narrative: I WAS WITH A QUALIFIED CHK PLT WHILE FLYING PRACTICE APCHS UNDER HOOD FOR IFR CURRENCY. FMY APCH WAS PROVIDING VECTORS AND FLT FOLLOWING, ETC. THEIR FREQ BECAME VERY CONGESTED. THEY ISSUED THE FOLLOWING: 'TURN L TO HDG OF 150 DEGS TO JOIN...CLRED THE VOR RWY 23 APCH, CIRCLE TO LAND RWY 32.' THEY ADVISED RADAR WAS NOT AVAILABLE FOR APCH BUT DID NOT ISSUE FREQ CHANGE. ON 3 OCCASIONS I REQUESTED FREQ CHANGE AS I NEARED ARPT, BUT CONGESTION BLOCKED ALL 3 REQUESTS. A FOURTH REQUEST MET WITH A RESPONSE OF 'YOU SHOULD BE TALKING TO NAPLE TWR.' I SWITCHED TO TWR WHO WAS UNDERSTANDABLY VERY UPSET AS THEY WERE NOT INFORMED I WAS ON THE APCH EVEN THOUGH I WAS SQUAWKING A DISCRETE CODE -- NOT VFR. ACTUALLY, I'M STILL CONFUSED BY THIS. I KNOW THIS WAS A VFR OP, BUT I WAS ISSUED AN APCH CLRNC. ON 2 PRIOR ILS APCHS IN FMY, TWR KNEW I WAS INBOUND WITH AN APCH CLRNC -- ALBEIT VFR. PERHAPS WHEN I COULD NOT CONTACT APCH FOR FREQ CHANGE TO TWR I SHOULD HAVE JUST SWITCHED FREQ.

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.