Narrative:

On feb/thu/02, flew out of north las vegas airport (vgt) in a helicopter headed west at 500 ft AGL at XA00 local time. I had been cleared and was monitoring the vgt tower frequency. I had a squawk code for mccarren (las) that I received before my departure because I wanted to fly down the las vegas strip with my passenger. I got this code from vgt ground before I spooled up and told them of my request for a las vegas strip tour. About 3 mi out of vgt to the west I changed frequency. I was still in class D airspace about 3 mi north of class B (at that altitude) which is controled by las. I called las tower at that point and asked for a clearance into class B airspace. I didn't know I was going to go flying that afternoon. It was a spur of the moment decision so I didn't have my own headsets with me. I was using a borrowed pair of headsets. The headsets were terrible. I couldn't hear myself think through them...they were intensely loud and garbled. As I transmitted through them I could hear intense blade and engine noise that actually hurt my ears. I called las tower and asked to fly down the las vegas strip to a hotel then back to my present position which was 08 DME on the 315 degree radial of las VOR. Las tower told me I could if I stayed over interstate highway 15. Well, that's no good...no fun and not worth it. It's not the 'flying down the strip.' and I was having communications problems that I didn't want exacerbating the situation. So, I told them 'okay, then we'll abort.' I listened for a few moments, but heard nothing from them, so I changed frequencys back to vgt tower and changed my squawk to VFR (1200) then continued west away from class D and well out of class B airspace. I never penetrated class B airspace. In fact I was about 3 mi north of it at my closest approach. After 1 hour I get back and land at vgt and I get this note that the tower had called and wanted to talk with me. They called and said they were turning this over to the FSDO. I was not in class B airspace. I had not received a clearance to enter class B airspace. I was still in class D airspace and felt it most important to monitor the vgt (controling facility for the airspace I was in) tower frequency who was controling the airspace I was flying in. To threaten to 'turn this over to the FSDO' is an improper response. Had the las tower not made this threat, I would have telephoned them out of courtesy and explained this whole affair to them.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BAD HEADSET, POOR COM AND REFUSAL OF A REQUESTED RTE RESULT IN AN ABORTED MISSION AND MISUNDERSTANDING WITH ATC.

Narrative: ON FEB/THU/02, FLEW OUT OF N LAS VEGAS ARPT (VGT) IN A HELI HEADED W AT 500 FT AGL AT XA00 LCL TIME. I HAD BEEN CLRED AND WAS MONITORING THE VGT TWR FREQ. I HAD A SQUAWK CODE FOR MCCARREN (LAS) THAT I RECEIVED BEFORE MY DEP BECAUSE I WANTED TO FLY DOWN THE LAS VEGAS STRIP WITH MY PAX. I GOT THIS CODE FROM VGT GND BEFORE I SPOOLED UP AND TOLD THEM OF MY REQUEST FOR A LAS VEGAS STRIP TOUR. ABOUT 3 MI OUT OF VGT TO THE W I CHANGED FREQ. I WAS STILL IN CLASS D AIRSPACE ABOUT 3 MI N OF CLASS B (AT THAT ALT) WHICH IS CTLED BY LAS. I CALLED LAS TWR AT THAT POINT AND ASKED FOR A CLRNC INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE. I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS GOING TO GO FLYING THAT AFTERNOON. IT WAS A SPUR OF THE MOMENT DECISION SO I DIDN'T HAVE MY OWN HEADSETS WITH ME. I WAS USING A BORROWED PAIR OF HEADSETS. THE HEADSETS WERE TERRIBLE. I COULDN'T HEAR MYSELF THINK THROUGH THEM...THEY WERE INTENSELY LOUD AND GARBLED. AS I XMITTED THROUGH THEM I COULD HEAR INTENSE BLADE AND ENG NOISE THAT ACTUALLY HURT MY EARS. I CALLED LAS TWR AND ASKED TO FLY DOWN THE LAS VEGAS STRIP TO A HOTEL THEN BACK TO MY PRESENT POS WHICH WAS 08 DME ON THE 315 DEG RADIAL OF LAS VOR. LAS TWR TOLD ME I COULD IF I STAYED OVER INTERSTATE HWY 15. WELL, THAT'S NO GOOD...NO FUN AND NOT WORTH IT. IT'S NOT THE 'FLYING DOWN THE STRIP.' AND I WAS HAVING COMS PROBS THAT I DIDN'T WANT EXACERBATING THE SIT. SO, I TOLD THEM 'OKAY, THEN WE'LL ABORT.' I LISTENED FOR A FEW MOMENTS, BUT HEARD NOTHING FROM THEM, SO I CHANGED FREQS BACK TO VGT TWR AND CHANGED MY SQUAWK TO VFR (1200) THEN CONTINUED W AWAY FROM CLASS D AND WELL OUT OF CLASS B AIRSPACE. I NEVER PENETRATED CLASS B AIRSPACE. IN FACT I WAS ABOUT 3 MI N OF IT AT MY CLOSEST APCH. AFTER 1 HR I GET BACK AND LAND AT VGT AND I GET THIS NOTE THAT THE TWR HAD CALLED AND WANTED TO TALK WITH ME. THEY CALLED AND SAID THEY WERE TURNING THIS OVER TO THE FSDO. I WAS NOT IN CLASS B AIRSPACE. I HAD NOT RECEIVED A CLRNC TO ENTER CLASS B AIRSPACE. I WAS STILL IN CLASS D AIRSPACE AND FELT IT MOST IMPORTANT TO MONITOR THE VGT (CTLING FACILITY FOR THE AIRSPACE I WAS IN) TWR FREQ WHO WAS CTLING THE AIRSPACE I WAS FLYING IN. TO THREATEN TO 'TURN THIS OVER TO THE FSDO' IS AN IMPROPER RESPONSE. HAD THE LAS TWR NOT MADE THIS THREAT, I WOULD HAVE TELEPHONED THEM OUT OF COURTESY AND EXPLAINED THIS WHOLE AFFAIR TO THEM.

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.