Narrative:

I was on a photo mission in the upper yuba river canyon north of beale AFB. The environmentalist on board wanted photos of the river bed. I departed chico, ca, and flew east into the yuba canyon. Upon entering the canyon, I was out of class C airspace and down in the canyon. My direction of flight across oroville lake and the east fork of the feather river kept me well east of controled airspace. However, prior to entering into the canyon, I should have contacted approach and announced my intentions. As I flew down canyon on the river at approximately 300 ft AGL, I ended up at the highway 20 bridge. As I began to come out of the canyon, I switched to beale AFB tower to monitor traffic. At this point, I had intended on returning to chico, but my client asked if we could also photo down-stream mine fields on the river. I was aware at all times of beale's T-38 traffic and was never above 500 ft on the river. I am familiar with the traffic patterns. At the same time, beale tower spotted me on radar 3 mi north, altitude unknown. I called the tower to give my position altitude and ask for permission to fly southwest down river. Beale tower asked me to contact sac approach. I contacted sac approach. They gave me a transponder code, but could not pick me up right away due to my low altitude. I gained 100 ft or so and they had me on radar. I asked them if I could fly 5 mi down the yuba river and approach cleared me for 2 passes at or below 1000 ft. During the photo flight, I was given a phone number to call when I got back to chico. I called sac approach and they said I was inside the class C airspace prior to calling them. They also said we could resolve this at the time of our discussion. However, the commander of beale AFB was concerned and wanted the matter to go to flight standards. So the approach controller said it was out of his hands. The important thing is I understand my error in not contacting sac approach sooner and making arrangements. It must also be mentioned and understood that at no time did I put my aircraft or any other aircraft in harm's way -- civilian or military. I'm a heads up pilot and I knew where beale's traffic was at all times and I did not get near the traffic pattern aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C170 PLT ON PHOTO MISSION ENTERS BAB CLASS C AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I WAS ON A PHOTO MISSION IN THE UPPER YUBA RIVER CANYON N OF BEALE AFB. THE ENVIRONMENTALIST ON BOARD WANTED PHOTOS OF THE RIVER BED. I DEPARTED CHICO, CA, AND FLEW E INTO THE YUBA CANYON. UPON ENTERING THE CANYON, I WAS OUT OF CLASS C AIRSPACE AND DOWN IN THE CANYON. MY DIRECTION OF FLT ACROSS OROVILLE LAKE AND THE E FORK OF THE FEATHER RIVER KEPT ME WELL E OF CTLED AIRSPACE. HOWEVER, PRIOR TO ENTERING INTO THE CANYON, I SHOULD HAVE CONTACTED APCH AND ANNOUNCED MY INTENTIONS. AS I FLEW DOWN CANYON ON THE RIVER AT APPROX 300 FT AGL, I ENDED UP AT THE HWY 20 BRIDGE. AS I BEGAN TO COME OUT OF THE CANYON, I SWITCHED TO BEALE AFB TWR TO MONITOR TFC. AT THIS POINT, I HAD INTENDED ON RETURNING TO CHICO, BUT MY CLIENT ASKED IF WE COULD ALSO PHOTO DOWN-STREAM MINE FIELDS ON THE RIVER. I WAS AWARE AT ALL TIMES OF BEALE'S T-38 TFC AND WAS NEVER ABOVE 500 FT ON THE RIVER. I AM FAMILIAR WITH THE TFC PATTERNS. AT THE SAME TIME, BEALE TWR SPOTTED ME ON RADAR 3 MI N, ALT UNKNOWN. I CALLED THE TWR TO GIVE MY POS ALT AND ASK FOR PERMISSION TO FLY SW DOWN RIVER. BEALE TWR ASKED ME TO CONTACT SAC APCH. I CONTACTED SAC APCH. THEY GAVE ME A XPONDER CODE, BUT COULD NOT PICK ME UP RIGHT AWAY DUE TO MY LOW ALT. I GAINED 100 FT OR SO AND THEY HAD ME ON RADAR. I ASKED THEM IF I COULD FLY 5 MI DOWN THE YUBA RIVER AND APCH CLRED ME FOR 2 PASSES AT OR BELOW 1000 FT. DURING THE PHOTO FLT, I WAS GIVEN A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL WHEN I GOT BACK TO CHICO. I CALLED SAC APCH AND THEY SAID I WAS INSIDE THE CLASS C AIRSPACE PRIOR TO CALLING THEM. THEY ALSO SAID WE COULD RESOLVE THIS AT THE TIME OF OUR DISCUSSION. HOWEVER, THE COMMANDER OF BEALE AFB WAS CONCERNED AND WANTED THE MATTER TO GO TO FLT STANDARDS. SO THE APCH CTLR SAID IT WAS OUT OF HIS HANDS. THE IMPORTANT THING IS I UNDERSTAND MY ERROR IN NOT CONTACTING SAC APCH SOONER AND MAKING ARRANGEMENTS. IT MUST ALSO BE MENTIONED AND UNDERSTOOD THAT AT NO TIME DID I PUT MY ACFT OR ANY OTHER ACFT IN HARM'S WAY -- CIVILIAN OR MIL. I'M A HEADS UP PLT AND I KNEW WHERE BEALE'S TFC WAS AT ALL TIMES AND I DID NOT GET NEAR THE TFC PATTERN ACFT.

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.