Narrative:

How problem arose: I was en route from apple valley, ca, to scottsdale, az. I was with ZAB flight following with handoff to luke AFB approach control. I was at 9500 ft VFR. Luke advised me that phx approach wanted me to descend to 5500 ft at sun city. I descended to 5500 ft. Again, luke advised another heading of 070 degrees. I then was handed off to phx approach control. He told me what I thought was a clearance to descend to 4000 ft or lower. I think I repeated 4000 ft or lower. I was watching deer valley airport come into view on my left wing. I decided to turn more south away from deer valley airport which would also take me closer to scottsdale airport about 8 mi distance. That time I was descending and received a call from approach control telling me I was supposed to be at 4000 ft or higher. I climbed back to 4000 ft and approach told me to telephone deer valley airport when I landed. Approach told me to squawk 1200 and go to scottsdale tower. I called deer valley and they wanted information to investigate my incursion into their airspace. They said they wanted to coordinate the investigation with approach control. I got the impression that approach control doesn't talk to deer valley tower to tell them when an aircraft is in their area and under phx approach control. I did not violate class B airspace at any time. I thought that I was under phx approach control and was cleared in the airspace in which I was flying. I did not think I had to ask approach control if I was cleared into deer valley airport airspace. For future flts in large cities with multiple airports, I will verify clearance to fly over any airport while with approach control. I also think approach control should have notified me immediately when I descended below 4000 ft, because there was at least 2 mins or more of elapsed time before approach control asked me why I was below 4000 ft. To prevent recurrence of this type of incursion I will be more alert to airports and question any clearance that would put my aircraft in violation of the airport airspace. I think phx approach should coordinate with airports when controling aircraft in the vicinity of airport airspace.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PLT DSNDED INTO SDL CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT A CLRNC.

Narrative: HOW PROB AROSE: I WAS ENRTE FROM APPLE VALLEY, CA, TO SCOTTSDALE, AZ. I WAS WITH ZAB FLT FOLLOWING WITH HDOF TO LUKE AFB APCH CTL. I WAS AT 9500 FT VFR. LUKE ADVISED ME THAT PHX APCH WANTED ME TO DSND TO 5500 FT AT SUN CITY. I DSNDED TO 5500 FT. AGAIN, LUKE ADVISED ANOTHER HDG OF 070 DEGS. I THEN WAS HANDED OFF TO PHX APCH CTL. HE TOLD ME WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A CLRNC TO DSND TO 4000 FT OR LOWER. I THINK I REPEATED 4000 FT OR LOWER. I WAS WATCHING DEER VALLEY ARPT COME INTO VIEW ON MY L WING. I DECIDED TO TURN MORE S AWAY FROM DEER VALLEY ARPT WHICH WOULD ALSO TAKE ME CLOSER TO SCOTTSDALE ARPT ABOUT 8 MI DISTANCE. THAT TIME I WAS DSNDING AND RECEIVED A CALL FROM APCH CTL TELLING ME I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AT 4000 FT OR HIGHER. I CLBED BACK TO 4000 FT AND APCH TOLD ME TO TELEPHONE DEER VALLEY ARPT WHEN I LANDED. APCH TOLD ME TO SQUAWK 1200 AND GO TO SCOTTSDALE TWR. I CALLED DEER VALLEY AND THEY WANTED INFO TO INVESTIGATE MY INCURSION INTO THEIR AIRSPACE. THEY SAID THEY WANTED TO COORDINATE THE INVESTIGATION WITH APCH CTL. I GOT THE IMPRESSION THAT APCH CTL DOESN'T TALK TO DEER VALLEY TWR TO TELL THEM WHEN AN ACFT IS IN THEIR AREA AND UNDER PHX APCH CTL. I DID NOT VIOLATE CLASS B AIRSPACE AT ANY TIME. I THOUGHT THAT I WAS UNDER PHX APCH CTL AND WAS CLRED IN THE AIRSPACE IN WHICH I WAS FLYING. I DID NOT THINK I HAD TO ASK APCH CTL IF I WAS CLRED INTO DEER VALLEY ARPT AIRSPACE. FOR FUTURE FLTS IN LARGE CITIES WITH MULTIPLE ARPTS, I WILL VERIFY CLRNC TO FLY OVER ANY ARPT WHILE WITH APCH CTL. I ALSO THINK APCH CTL SHOULD HAVE NOTIFIED ME IMMEDIATELY WHEN I DSNDED BELOW 4000 FT, BECAUSE THERE WAS AT LEAST 2 MINS OR MORE OF ELAPSED TIME BEFORE APCH CTL ASKED ME WHY I WAS BELOW 4000 FT. TO PREVENT RECURRENCE OF THIS TYPE OF INCURSION I WILL BE MORE ALERT TO ARPTS AND QUESTION ANY CLRNC THAT WOULD PUT MY ACFT IN VIOLATION OF THE ARPT AIRSPACE. I THINK PHX APCH SHOULD COORDINATE WITH ARPTS WHEN CTLING ACFT IN THE VICINITY OF ARPT AIRSPACE.

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.