Narrative:

XA00 on descent to sjc, bay approach directed me to descend to 2500 ft over embassy suites, bay approach. Was extremely busy. I never received a handoff. Embassy suites is 4 NM northeast of sjc. It is normal to get handoff to tower after embassy suites direct sjc. After crossing embassy suites and unable to request frequency change due to controller frequency congestion, I contacted tower and advised inbound with ATIS information. Sjc tower responded immediately with normal instructions to cross overhead 1500 ft for left traffic runway 29. On taxi to ramp, ground asked me to telephone tower after shutdown. Tower advised me that they did not receive a handoff and that I should have circled over embassy suites until I received handoff instructions. At XD00 on the same day I flew the same route inbound again, same controller -- frequency congestion occurred. I circled over waypoint until I could request frequency change. I was handed off to bay approach with immediate instructions to fly direct sjc and contact tower. This is very busy airspace and to begin circling could cause traffic conflict. On departure of second flight same day, I inquired bay approach as to sector boundaries. They said I should have received handoff 10-15 mi prior to incident location or 15-20 mi northeast of sjc.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLASS C ENTRY WITHOUT CLRNC WHEN HDOF WAS NOT RECEIVED FROM TRACON. TFC AND FREQ CONGESTION ARE AN ISSUE.

Narrative: XA00 ON DSCNT TO SJC, BAY APCH DIRECTED ME TO DSND TO 2500 FT OVER EMBASSY SUITES, BAY APCH. WAS EXTREMELY BUSY. I NEVER RECEIVED A HANDOFF. EMBASSY SUITES IS 4 NM NE OF SJC. IT IS NORMAL TO GET HDOF TO TWR AFTER EMBASSY SUITES DIRECT SJC. AFTER XING EMBASSY SUITES AND UNABLE TO REQUEST FREQ CHANGE DUE TO CTLR FREQ CONGESTION, I CONTACTED TWR AND ADVISED INBOUND WITH ATIS INFO. SJC TWR RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY WITH NORMAL INSTRUCTIONS TO CROSS OVERHEAD 1500 FT FOR L TFC RWY 29. ON TAXI TO RAMP, GND ASKED ME TO TELEPHONE TWR AFTER SHUTDOWN. TWR ADVISED ME THAT THEY DID NOT RECEIVE A HDOF AND THAT I SHOULD HAVE CIRCLED OVER EMBASSY SUITES UNTIL I RECEIVED HDOF INSTRUCTIONS. AT XD00 ON THE SAME DAY I FLEW THE SAME RTE INBOUND AGAIN, SAME CTLR -- FREQ CONGESTION OCCURRED. I CIRCLED OVER WAYPOINT UNTIL I COULD REQUEST FREQ CHANGE. I WAS HANDED OFF TO BAY APCH WITH IMMEDIATE INSTRUCTIONS TO FLY DIRECT SJC AND CONTACT TWR. THIS IS VERY BUSY AIRSPACE AND TO BEGIN CIRCLING COULD CAUSE TFC CONFLICT. ON DEP OF SECOND FLT SAME DAY, I INQUIRED BAY APCH AS TO SECTOR BOUNDARIES. THEY SAID I SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED HDOF 10-15 MI PRIOR TO INCIDENT LOCATION OR 15-20 MI NE OF SJC.

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.