Narrative:

On oct/xa/99 in preparation for a flight from myf to lpc, I obtained a briefing and was informed that the lax VOR was OTS. I departed myf at about XA00 IFR to VFR on top and climbed to 4500 ft MSL arriving in lpc XF30 hours after departure. Throughout the cruise portion of flight, I maintained the 4500 ft altitude. After canceling IFR I requested VFR advisories and remained in contact with ATC until reaching the gvo VOR where I canceled flight following. The los angeles area was covered with a solid layer of clouds with tops about 2000 ft and no surface features were visible in the los angeles basin. At 4500 ft forward visibility was unrestr. I make the myf to lpc trip frequently and planned to follow V25 to lax and then depending on ATC instructions follow the lax shoreline route or if unavailable the lax special flight rules route. My usual procedure is to use the lax VOR to identify V25 as I approach the los angeles harbor but since the lax VOR was down, I continued to navigation past sxc 022 degree radial using the mzb VOR. Clearly use of sli and sxc or smo would have been a better choice. I requested the lax shoreline route from the 3RD or perhaps 4TH socal controller I checked in with after leaving san diego. As I approached lax, I was instructed by ATC to 'turn west,' and I turned to a heading of 270 degrees. A short time later the same controller gave me a frequency change and advised that he had called me several times. I had responded to all calls I heard and had not changed the settings of either 'communication' radios. I have had no known 'communication' radio problems before or after this event. I did change a 'navigation' to sli after the instruction to turn west. The new controllers instructed me to 'turn north' and I turned to a heading of 360 degrees. He also asked that I call ATC on the phone regarding a possible class B airspace violation. Upon reaching lompoc, I called ATC and talked to one of the controllers involved. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter was given counseling by the FAA after their investigation of this incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A BEECH BE24 SIERRA INADVERTENTLY PENETRATED THE LAX CLASS B AIRSPACE DURING A VFR ON TOP XCOUNTRY FLT.

Narrative: ON OCT/XA/99 IN PREPARATION FOR A FLT FROM MYF TO LPC, I OBTAINED A BRIEFING AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE LAX VOR WAS OTS. I DEPARTED MYF AT ABOUT XA00 IFR TO VFR ON TOP AND CLBED TO 4500 FT MSL ARRIVING IN LPC XF30 HRS AFTER DEP. THROUGHOUT THE CRUISE PORTION OF FLT, I MAINTAINED THE 4500 FT ALT. AFTER CANCELING IFR I REQUESTED VFR ADVISORIES AND REMAINED IN CONTACT WITH ATC UNTIL REACHING THE GVO VOR WHERE I CANCELED FLT FOLLOWING. THE LOS ANGELES AREA WAS COVERED WITH A SOLID LAYER OF CLOUDS WITH TOPS ABOUT 2000 FT AND NO SURFACE FEATURES WERE VISIBLE IN THE LOS ANGELES BASIN. AT 4500 FT FORWARD VISIBILITY WAS UNRESTR. I MAKE THE MYF TO LPC TRIP FREQUENTLY AND PLANNED TO FOLLOW V25 TO LAX AND THEN DEPENDING ON ATC INSTRUCTIONS FOLLOW THE LAX SHORELINE RTE OR IF UNAVAILABLE THE LAX SPECIAL FLT RULES RTE. MY USUAL PROC IS TO USE THE LAX VOR TO IDENT V25 AS I APCH THE LOS ANGELES HARBOR BUT SINCE THE LAX VOR WAS DOWN, I CONTINUED TO NAV PAST SXC 022 DEG RADIAL USING THE MZB VOR. CLRLY USE OF SLI AND SXC OR SMO WOULD HAVE BEEN A BETTER CHOICE. I REQUESTED THE LAX SHORELINE RTE FROM THE 3RD OR PERHAPS 4TH SOCAL CTLR I CHKED IN WITH AFTER LEAVING SAN DIEGO. AS I APCHED LAX, I WAS INSTRUCTED BY ATC TO 'TURN W,' AND I TURNED TO A HDG OF 270 DEGS. A SHORT TIME LATER THE SAME CTLR GAVE ME A FREQ CHANGE AND ADVISED THAT HE HAD CALLED ME SEVERAL TIMES. I HAD RESPONDED TO ALL CALLS I HEARD AND HAD NOT CHANGED THE SETTINGS OF EITHER 'COM' RADIOS. I HAVE HAD NO KNOWN 'COM' RADIO PROBS BEFORE OR AFTER THIS EVENT. I DID CHANGE A 'NAV' TO SLI AFTER THE INSTRUCTION TO TURN W. THE NEW CTLRS INSTRUCTED ME TO 'TURN N' AND I TURNED TO A HDG OF 360 DEGS. HE ALSO ASKED THAT I CALL ATC ON THE PHONE REGARDING A POSSIBLE CLASS B AIRSPACE VIOLATION. UPON REACHING LOMPOC, I CALLED ATC AND TALKED TO ONE OF THE CTLRS INVOLVED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR WAS GIVEN COUNSELING BY THE FAA AFTER THEIR INVESTIGATION OF THIS INCIDENT.

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.