Narrative:

Departed 2v1 airport and opened IFR flight plan with ZDV. Soon after, controller requested me to climb to 15000 ft. WX was clear, winds favored my altitude of 12000 ft, so I asked to remain there with flight following and was given the ok. After I was almost at my destination of haf, stockton approach gave me 8000 ft and handed me off to bay approach. Bay approach asked if I was familiar with the area and my reply was 'negative and any help would be appreciated.' bay approach then gave me 3500 ft on heading of 170 degrees. The next communication was cleared to 3000 ft on heading of 240 degrees. The next communication was fly to moffett airport, maintain 3000 ft. The next communication over moffett field was 'cleared to haf, maintain 3000 ft' then I was given a handoff to another bay approach. The new frequency was very congested and as soon as I established contact, the new controller told me I was in the TCA without clearance. My reply was 'I was just handed off to you.' his reply was 'you are in the TCA without clearance.' instead of telling me which way to go (up, down, right or left) he did none of that. As haf was visible in front of me, the logical thing for me to do was proceed to haf at that time. I told the controller I had the airport in sight and that time he told me I was 'cleared for the visual, squawk VFR, frequency change approved and you are in the TCA without clearance.' I then landed at haf and closed my flight plan.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 PLT WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE BAY AREA AND BLUNDERED INTO SFO CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: DEPARTED 2V1 ARPT AND OPENED IFR FLT PLAN WITH ZDV. SOON AFTER, CTLR REQUESTED ME TO CLB TO 15000 FT. WX WAS CLR, WINDS FAVORED MY ALT OF 12000 FT, SO I ASKED TO REMAIN THERE WITH FLT FOLLOWING AND WAS GIVEN THE OK. AFTER I WAS ALMOST AT MY DEST OF HAF, STOCKTON APCH GAVE ME 8000 FT AND HANDED ME OFF TO BAY APCH. BAY APCH ASKED IF I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AND MY REPLY WAS 'NEGATIVE AND ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED.' BAY APCH THEN GAVE ME 3500 FT ON HDG OF 170 DEGS. THE NEXT COM WAS CLRED TO 3000 FT ON HDG OF 240 DEGS. THE NEXT COM WAS FLY TO MOFFETT ARPT, MAINTAIN 3000 FT. THE NEXT COM OVER MOFFETT FIELD WAS 'CLRED TO HAF, MAINTAIN 3000 FT' THEN I WAS GIVEN A HDOF TO ANOTHER BAY APCH. THE NEW FREQ WAS VERY CONGESTED AND AS SOON AS I ESTABLISHED CONTACT, THE NEW CTLR TOLD ME I WAS IN THE TCA WITHOUT CLRNC. MY REPLY WAS 'I WAS JUST HANDED OFF TO YOU.' HIS REPLY WAS 'YOU ARE IN THE TCA WITHOUT CLRNC.' INSTEAD OF TELLING ME WHICH WAY TO GO (UP, DOWN, R OR L) HE DID NONE OF THAT. AS HAF WAS VISIBLE IN FRONT OF ME, THE LOGICAL THING FOR ME TO DO WAS PROCEED TO HAF AT THAT TIME. I TOLD THE CTLR I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND THAT TIME HE TOLD ME I WAS 'CLRED FOR THE VISUAL, SQUAWK VFR, FREQ CHANGE APPROVED AND YOU ARE IN THE TCA WITHOUT CLRNC.' I THEN LANDED AT HAF AND CLOSED MY FLT PLAN.

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.