Narrative:

I was en route from south county airport via san francisco back to south county airport doing the 'bay tour' on a pleasure flight (VFR) together with 1 passenger. Coming from san jose, I entered class B airspace with a clearance from bay approach, staying at 3500 ft southwest of the bayshore freeway. I was cleared to descend out of class B airspace from 3500 ft to 2000 ft and below by ATC over san francisco. While over san francisco the ATC controller changed and the new controller asked me twice about my flight path and destination airport. After circling twice over san francisco, I contacted bay approach to announce my intention to re-enter class B airspace for the flight home, destination south county airport. Bay approach cleared me into class B at or below 2000 ft and southwest of the bayshore freeway with no heading specified. I flew swbound towards interstate 280 to stay away from sfo. Also, I expected some redirection of our flight path by ATC. Bay approach told me to contact sfo tower on 120.5. I was over san francisco having twin peaks behind me at this time. When assigned frequency 120.5 to contact sfo tower, I could not establish a connection. After verifying the frequency and several more tries of contact, I decided to report back to ATC on the frequency I used before to report the negative contact. I switched back to the former ATC frequency, and reported the negative contact with sfo tower. The controller then told me to keep trying to contact the tower. There were no further instructions. I kept flying direction along the edge of section a of sfo class B airspace. I had the san bruno mountain in front of me from where I could not see the airport of sfo. With an assigned altitude of 2000 ft I flew as much as possible away from the upcoming airport and the antennas (obstructions) on top of san bruno mountain. I finally had radio contact with sfo tower where I was advised of traffic (an air carrier) which was on his way out of sfo and which was crossing our route above us. I replied to have the aircraft in sight and waited for further instructions. There were none and the jet passed in front and above us. Later I received the information by the tower to contact sfo tower by phone after landing in south county airport which I did. While talking with the supervisor I was accused of intentionally not establishing contact with san francisco tower and that way disrupting the traffic of sfo, having them make course changes to 2 aircraft departing sfo. Human performance considerations: I did not expect any activities from sfo in this area since ATC basically assigned me to fly this path. ATC saw my path on radar and was aware of it. It seems to me that ATC did not communicate to each other while they were the only ones with full overview and of the area and an easy communication contact to each other. In my opinion the ATC controller I had contact with should have redirected my flight path out of the sfo area when I reported in for the problems to communicate. I complied with everything ATC told me and cannot understand why I was sent into an active zone, especially after reporting my communication difficulties.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT AND PAX IN SMA RETURNING TO SOUTH COUNTY ARPT AFTER A BAY TOUR BECAME CONFUSED NW OF SFO ARPT AND CONFLICTED WITH A DEPARTING ACFT.

Narrative: I WAS ENRTE FROM SOUTH COUNTY ARPT VIA SAN FRANCISCO BACK TO SOUTH COUNTY ARPT DOING THE 'BAY TOUR' ON A PLEASURE FLT (VFR) TOGETHER WITH 1 PAX. COMING FROM SAN JOSE, I ENTERED CLASS B AIRSPACE WITH A CLRNC FROM BAY APCH, STAYING AT 3500 FT SW OF THE BAYSHORE FREEWAY. I WAS CLRED TO DSND OUT OF CLASS B AIRSPACE FROM 3500 FT TO 2000 FT AND BELOW BY ATC OVER SAN FRANCISCO. WHILE OVER SAN FRANCISCO THE ATC CTLR CHANGED AND THE NEW CTLR ASKED ME TWICE ABOUT MY FLT PATH AND DEST ARPT. AFTER CIRCLING TWICE OVER SAN FRANCISCO, I CONTACTED BAY APCH TO ANNOUNCE MY INTENTION TO RE-ENTER CLASS B AIRSPACE FOR THE FLT HOME, DEST SOUTH COUNTY ARPT. BAY APCH CLRED ME INTO CLASS B AT OR BELOW 2000 FT AND SW OF THE BAYSHORE FREEWAY WITH NO HEADING SPECIFIED. I FLEW SWBOUND TOWARDS INTERSTATE 280 TO STAY AWAY FROM SFO. ALSO, I EXPECTED SOME REDIRECTION OF OUR FLT PATH BY ATC. BAY APCH TOLD ME TO CONTACT SFO TWR ON 120.5. I WAS OVER SAN FRANCISCO HAVING TWIN PEAKS BEHIND ME AT THIS TIME. WHEN ASSIGNED FREQ 120.5 TO CONTACT SFO TWR, I COULD NOT ESTABLISH A CONNECTION. AFTER VERIFYING THE FREQ AND SEVERAL MORE TRIES OF CONTACT, I DECIDED TO RPT BACK TO ATC ON THE FREQ I USED BEFORE TO RPT THE NEGATIVE CONTACT. I SWITCHED BACK TO THE FORMER ATC FREQ, AND RPTED THE NEGATIVE CONTACT WITH SFO TWR. THE CTLR THEN TOLD ME TO KEEP TRYING TO CONTACT THE TWR. THERE WERE NO FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. I KEPT FLYING DIRECTION ALONG THE EDGE OF SECTION A OF SFO CLASS B AIRSPACE. I HAD THE SAN BRUNO MOUNTAIN IN FRONT OF ME FROM WHERE I COULD NOT SEE THE ARPT OF SFO. WITH AN ASSIGNED ALT OF 2000 FT I FLEW AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AWAY FROM THE UPCOMING ARPT AND THE ANTENNAS (OBSTRUCTIONS) ON TOP OF SAN BRUNO MOUNTAIN. I FINALLY HAD RADIO CONTACT WITH SFO TWR WHERE I WAS ADVISED OF TFC (AN ACR) WHICH WAS ON HIS WAY OUT OF SFO AND WHICH WAS XING OUR RTE ABOVE US. I REPLIED TO HAVE THE ACFT IN SIGHT AND WAITED FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. THERE WERE NONE AND THE JET PASSED IN FRONT AND ABOVE US. LATER I RECEIVED THE INFO BY THE TWR TO CONTACT SFO TWR BY PHONE AFTER LNDG IN SOUTH COUNTY ARPT WHICH I DID. WHILE TALKING WITH THE SUPVR I WAS ACCUSED OF INTENTIONALLY NOT ESTABLISHING CONTACT WITH SAN FRANCISCO TWR AND THAT WAY DISRUPTING THE TFC OF SFO, HAVING THEM MAKE COURSE CHANGES TO 2 ACFT DEPARTING SFO. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: I DID NOT EXPECT ANY ACTIVITIES FROM SFO IN THIS AREA SINCE ATC BASICALLY ASSIGNED ME TO FLY THIS PATH. ATC SAW MY PATH ON RADAR AND WAS AWARE OF IT. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT ATC DID NOT COMMUNICATE TO EACH OTHER WHILE THEY WERE THE ONLY ONES WITH FULL OVERVIEW AND OF THE AREA AND AN EASY COM CONTACT TO EACH OTHER. IN MY OPINION THE ATC CTLR I HAD CONTACT WITH SHOULD HAVE REDIRECTED MY FLT PATH OUT OF THE SFO AREA WHEN I RPTED IN FOR THE PROBS TO COMMUNICATE. I COMPLIED WITH EVERYTHING ATC TOLD ME AND CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY I WAS SENT INTO AN ACTIVE ZONE, ESPECIALLY AFTER RPTING MY COM DIFFICULTIES.

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.