Narrative:

I'm a fairly new pilot with most of my current experience in uncontrolled airspace. I realized that I was lacking experience in interacting with ATC personnel and consciously made an effort to gain a greater comfort in that area. I had spoke with a pilot friend who had frequently flown and requested flight following and transitions through class B airspace and I wanted to gain that same level of comfort. I flew with the pilot friend several weeks prior to the event to gain a better understanding of the process. I reviewed the communications procedures on my own (on the ground) and decided that this was the wkend that I was going to address my microphone fright and gain a greater comfort and confidence by interacting with ATC. As a student, I had learned at a twred airport but since lost that level of comfort. At no time during my student training did we practice transitioning through class B airspace, but I felt I was ready to move to the next level. (In addition, I try to force myself to learn something new or gain new experiences with each flight.) I departed fdk airport en route to manassas. About 20 mi north of dulles (near dickerson) at 2000 ft and heading south, I contacted dulles approach, told them who I was, where I was, and requested to transition class B airspace en route to manassas. After a few mins, the controller gave me a squawk code. I asked the controller to repeat the transmission to ensure that I had the correct squawk code and I read it back to him. After a min or two, the controller said that he did not see me on the radar and asked me to ascend to a higher altitude. I repeated the request back to him. (I now realize at this point that I should have specifically asked for a clearance because ascending above 3000 ft as I entered the third ring near north of poolesville which has 2500 ft uncontrolled airspace ceiling would put me in class B controled airspace.) as I ascended and waited for his response as to whether he could see me on radar, I inadvertently entered class B airspace. The controller gave me a 090 degree heading at 3500 ft and said he 'had me on radar but never gave me a clearance.' I was not sure if he was making that comment to me specifically or himself, but I got scared and thought I should retreat from class B airspace by descending and changing my course back to the north, which I acted on. The controller asked me 'what are you doing?' I cannot remember what I replied, but the controller explained that he was routing me to the VFR corridor east of dulles and to the east side of manassas. He did not mention anything about the clearance at that time. He repeated what my altitude and heading should be and I promptly acknowledged his request by repeating it back to him and returned to the proper altitude and heading. The controller passed me through the VFR corridor on the east side of dulles and I proceeded on towards manassas without incident. I believe the problem was caused by lack of experience on my part. What I can do to prevent a recurrence in the future is to get more exposure by flying with other pilots and practice and continue to review the procedures on the ground. I recently acquired software that helps you practice VFR radio communications. I was scared during the event but learned a couple of valuable lessons: 1) explicitly get a clearance before entering class B airspace. (Ask to repeat, if necessary). 2) under no circumstances should I divert from the altitude or heading given to me by a controller. After the event, I was discouraged and talked with a couple of pilot friends about my experience. I conveyed to them that I was thinking of just staying clear of controled airspace whenever I fly. They responded to me saying what I experienced was all part of the learning process and that I would be doing myself a disservice if I only flew in uncontrolled airspace or shied away from gaining the familiarity of talking to ATC.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 PLT DEVIATED FROM CTLR'S CLRNC AS HE BECOMES SCARED OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I'M A FAIRLY NEW PLT WITH MOST OF MY CURRENT EXPERIENCE IN UNCTLED AIRSPACE. I REALIZED THAT I WAS LACKING EXPERIENCE IN INTERACTING WITH ATC PERSONNEL AND CONSCIOUSLY MADE AN EFFORT TO GAIN A GREATER COMFORT IN THAT AREA. I HAD SPOKE WITH A PLT FRIEND WHO HAD FREQUENTLY FLOWN AND REQUESTED FLT FOLLOWING AND TRANSITIONS THROUGH CLASS B AIRSPACE AND I WANTED TO GAIN THAT SAME LEVEL OF COMFORT. I FLEW WITH THE PLT FRIEND SEVERAL WKS PRIOR TO THE EVENT TO GAIN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROCESS. I REVIEWED THE COMS PROCS ON MY OWN (ON THE GND) AND DECIDED THAT THIS WAS THE WKEND THAT I WAS GOING TO ADDRESS MY MIKE FRIGHT AND GAIN A GREATER COMFORT AND CONFIDENCE BY INTERACTING WITH ATC. AS A STUDENT, I HAD LEARNED AT A TWRED ARPT BUT SINCE LOST THAT LEVEL OF COMFORT. AT NO TIME DURING MY STUDENT TRAINING DID WE PRACTICE TRANSITIONING THROUGH CLASS B AIRSPACE, BUT I FELT I WAS READY TO MOVE TO THE NEXT LEVEL. (IN ADDITION, I TRY TO FORCE MYSELF TO LEARN SOMETHING NEW OR GAIN NEW EXPERIENCES WITH EACH FLT.) I DEPARTED FDK ARPT ENRTE TO MANASSAS. ABOUT 20 MI N OF DULLES (NEAR DICKERSON) AT 2000 FT AND HDG S, I CONTACTED DULLES APCH, TOLD THEM WHO I WAS, WHERE I WAS, AND REQUESTED TO TRANSITION CLASS B AIRSPACE ENRTE TO MANASSAS. AFTER A FEW MINS, THE CTLR GAVE ME A SQUAWK CODE. I ASKED THE CTLR TO REPEAT THE XMISSION TO ENSURE THAT I HAD THE CORRECT SQUAWK CODE AND I READ IT BACK TO HIM. AFTER A MIN OR TWO, THE CTLR SAID THAT HE DID NOT SEE ME ON THE RADAR AND ASKED ME TO ASCEND TO A HIGHER ALT. I REPEATED THE REQUEST BACK TO HIM. (I NOW REALIZE AT THIS POINT THAT I SHOULD HAVE SPECIFICALLY ASKED FOR A CLRNC BECAUSE ASCENDING ABOVE 3000 FT AS I ENTERED THE THIRD RING NEAR N OF POOLESVILLE WHICH HAS 2500 FT UNCTLED AIRSPACE CEILING WOULD PUT ME IN CLASS B CTLED AIRSPACE.) AS I ASCENDED AND WAITED FOR HIS RESPONSE AS TO WHETHER HE COULD SEE ME ON RADAR, I INADVERTENTLY ENTERED CLASS B AIRSPACE. THE CTLR GAVE ME A 090 DEG HDG AT 3500 FT AND SAID HE 'HAD ME ON RADAR BUT NEVER GAVE ME A CLRNC.' I WAS NOT SURE IF HE WAS MAKING THAT COMMENT TO ME SPECIFICALLY OR HIMSELF, BUT I GOT SCARED AND THOUGHT I SHOULD RETREAT FROM CLASS B AIRSPACE BY DSNDING AND CHANGING MY COURSE BACK TO THE N, WHICH I ACTED ON. THE CTLR ASKED ME 'WHAT ARE YOU DOING?' I CANNOT REMEMBER WHAT I REPLIED, BUT THE CTLR EXPLAINED THAT HE WAS ROUTING ME TO THE VFR CORRIDOR E OF DULLES AND TO THE E SIDE OF MANASSAS. HE DID NOT MENTION ANYTHING ABOUT THE CLRNC AT THAT TIME. HE REPEATED WHAT MY ALT AND HDG SHOULD BE AND I PROMPTLY ACKNOWLEDGED HIS REQUEST BY REPEATING IT BACK TO HIM AND RETURNED TO THE PROPER ALT AND HDG. THE CTLR PASSED ME THROUGH THE VFR CORRIDOR ON THE E SIDE OF DULLES AND I PROCEEDED ON TOWARDS MANASSAS WITHOUT INCIDENT. I BELIEVE THE PROB WAS CAUSED BY LACK OF EXPERIENCE ON MY PART. WHAT I CAN DO TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE IN THE FUTURE IS TO GET MORE EXPOSURE BY FLYING WITH OTHER PLTS AND PRACTICE AND CONTINUE TO REVIEW THE PROCS ON THE GND. I RECENTLY ACQUIRED SOFTWARE THAT HELPS YOU PRACTICE VFR RADIO COMS. I WAS SCARED DURING THE EVENT BUT LEARNED A COUPLE OF VALUABLE LESSONS: 1) EXPLICITLY GET A CLRNC BEFORE ENTERING CLASS B AIRSPACE. (ASK TO REPEAT, IF NECESSARY). 2) UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD I DIVERT FROM THE ALT OR HDG GIVEN TO ME BY A CTLR. AFTER THE EVENT, I WAS DISCOURAGED AND TALKED WITH A COUPLE OF PLT FRIENDS ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE. I CONVEYED TO THEM THAT I WAS THINKING OF JUST STAYING CLR OF CTLED AIRSPACE WHENEVER I FLY. THEY RESPONDED TO ME SAYING WHAT I EXPERIENCED WAS ALL PART OF THE LEARNING PROCESS AND THAT I WOULD BE DOING MYSELF A DISSERVICE IF I ONLY FLEW IN UNCTLED AIRSPACE OR SHIED AWAY FROM GAINING THE FAMILIARITY OF TALKING TO ATC.

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.