Narrative:

Relatively dark night with heavy haze up to about 2800 ft and marine layer (much below my altitude) creeping ashore over huntington beach and newport beach but, clear at seal beach and long beach. Sna's class C and lax's class B boundaries causes funneling of VFR and IFR through narrow corridors. Due to marine layer and haze some visual landmarks were obscured, so it was necessary to overcorrect for horizontal airspace boundaries in some places in the area. Socal suspected I may have penetrated class C. It was nigh onto impossible. (Ours was a requested phone call after landing at lgb.) after prior cruising, I approached and crossed over sna at 4700 ft MSL (socal and I agreed on altitude setting) and began an immediate climb on a 200 degree heading to 5600 ft and reached 5600 ft prior to the coastline which was under the marine layer (land was still visible as I reached 5600 ft) and held 5600 ft to 5800 ft until marine layer disappeared and I was assured I was beyond class C (time, sli radials, shoreline). When I began my descent over water to 2800 ft. All through the flight, I saw numerous targets, assessed them and acted accordingly. In the phone call, socal never did say he had me on his radar inside class C. He said that he had me at 5000 ft when he had to climb one of his charges. If inside class C, he is wrong or his equipment is wrong, and if outside class C, he just assumed I was cruising at 5000 ft instead of actually descending through 5000 ft. Socal airspace is complicated, and you need to know where you are at all times VFR, or file an IFR flight plan. Knowledgeable committees need to continually study this airspace and any incidents, and pilots need to keep their eyes outside of the cockpit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISAGREEMENT ABOUT A CLASS C PENETRATION AT SNA, CA.

Narrative: RELATIVELY DARK NIGHT WITH HVY HAZE UP TO ABOUT 2800 FT AND MARINE LAYER (MUCH BELOW MY ALT) CREEPING ASHORE OVER HUNTINGTON BEACH AND NEWPORT BEACH BUT, CLR AT SEAL BEACH AND LONG BEACH. SNA'S CLASS C AND LAX'S CLASS B BOUNDARIES CAUSES FUNNELING OF VFR AND IFR THROUGH NARROW CORRIDORS. DUE TO MARINE LAYER AND HAZE SOME VISUAL LANDMARKS WERE OBSCURED, SO IT WAS NECESSARY TO OVERCORRECT FOR HORIZ AIRSPACE BOUNDARIES IN SOME PLACES IN THE AREA. SOCAL SUSPECTED I MAY HAVE PENETRATED CLASS C. IT WAS NIGH ONTO IMPOSSIBLE. (OURS WAS A REQUESTED PHONE CALL AFTER LNDG AT LGB.) AFTER PRIOR CRUISING, I APCHED AND CROSSED OVER SNA AT 4700 FT MSL (SOCAL AND I AGREED ON ALT SETTING) AND BEGAN AN IMMEDIATE CLB ON A 200 DEG HDG TO 5600 FT AND REACHED 5600 FT PRIOR TO THE COASTLINE WHICH WAS UNDER THE MARINE LAYER (LAND WAS STILL VISIBLE AS I REACHED 5600 FT) AND HELD 5600 FT TO 5800 FT UNTIL MARINE LAYER DISAPPEARED AND I WAS ASSURED I WAS BEYOND CLASS C (TIME, SLI RADIALS, SHORELINE). WHEN I BEGAN MY DSCNT OVER WATER TO 2800 FT. ALL THROUGH THE FLT, I SAW NUMEROUS TARGETS, ASSESSED THEM AND ACTED ACCORDINGLY. IN THE PHONE CALL, SOCAL NEVER DID SAY HE HAD ME ON HIS RADAR INSIDE CLASS C. HE SAID THAT HE HAD ME AT 5000 FT WHEN HE HAD TO CLB ONE OF HIS CHARGES. IF INSIDE CLASS C, HE IS WRONG OR HIS EQUIP IS WRONG, AND IF OUTSIDE CLASS C, HE JUST ASSUMED I WAS CRUISING AT 5000 FT INSTEAD OF ACTUALLY DSNDING THROUGH 5000 FT. SOCAL AIRSPACE IS COMPLICATED, AND YOU NEED TO KNOW WHERE YOU ARE AT ALL TIMES VFR, OR FILE AN IFR FLT PLAN. KNOWLEDGEABLE COMMITTEES NEED TO CONTINUALLY STUDY THIS AIRSPACE AND ANY INCIDENTS, AND PLTS NEED TO KEEP THEIR EYES OUTSIDE OF THE COCKPIT.

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.