Narrative:

I wanted to fly from chd VFR northbound to wickenburg. I decided to fly directly from chd to ffz, overfly ffz, and then continue on a north heading until I was clear of the phx class B airspace, which would avoid sdl and the heavy traffic below the phx class B airspace. I departed chd and received frequency change from chd. I immediately switched to ffz tower frequency and called 'off of chandler 10 mi south request transition over the field northbound at 2500 ft.' I did not receive an immediate answer, but momentarily the ffz controller answered back 'aircraft calling standby.' I continued to fly towards ffz. As I got closer I considered calling tower again when ffz tower called 'aircraft south.' I reported 5.5 mi south and repeated my request for transition over the field northbound. The ffz controller replied 'remain clear, I am busy.' in the past I have transitioned over ffz and gateway (iwa) many times rerte to chd and had never been refused, so I was somewhat taken back by this reply. My mistake #1: no backup plan, no alternate rtes, or list of alternate airport frequencys, and controller mistake #1: did not allow enough advance notice to remain clear, since by that time I was already in the ffz class D airspace. I immediately turned west away from ffz and towards phx. I knew the phx class B airspace extended to the ground surface not far from my location. Also, there is a lot of traffic in the area below the class B airspace between chd, iwa, ffz, and sdl, so I did not want to do any wild maneuver, like a 180 degree turn, since I couldn't see if an aircraft was immediately behind or beside me. I grabbed my VFR terminal area chart and found that the phx class B airspace extended to the ground surface at dobson road. I did not know exactly which road was dobson road, but I knew it was close to my location. I looked at ffz and thought 'I am clear of the pattern area now (I was 4 mi or so to the west), so I will turn north towards sdl before I encroach on the phx class B airspace.' my mistake #2: I assumed when the controller said remain clear he was instructing me to remain clear of the airport and pattern area. Controller mistake #2: he did not specify what he wanted me to remain clear of -- the airport or the class D airspace. My mistake #3: I should have thought to ask for clarification. So I turned north towards sdl, about 10 mi ahead, looked up the sdl tower frequency and changed frequency. My mistake #4: even though I was within 10 mi of sdl and closing, I probably should have stayed on ffz tower frequency a little bit longer. I called sdl tower, requested a transition over the field northbound, and received approval for the transition. After I had passed sdl, sdl tower called back to inform me that falcon tower was going to report me for violation of airspace. Now, I knew the far's do not require approval to enter class D airspace, so I did not violate the far's by entering the ffz class D airspace. However, since the controller was going to report me for airspace violation, I must assume he had intended for me to 'remain clear' of the ffz class D airspace, not just the airport pattern area. In my opinion, this event would have been avoided if the controller had specified that he wanted me to remain clear of the class D airspace. On the positive side, this has been a learning experience for me. In the future, I will be more demanding in clarification of anything that is not clear, even if he is 'busy.' and, I will consider alternate rtes on my flight plans.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLASS D AIRSPACE INCURSION BY A PVT PLT IN A BELLANCA VIKING OF THE SW PORTION OF FFZ, AZ.

Narrative: I WANTED TO FLY FROM CHD VFR NBOUND TO WICKENBURG. I DECIDED TO FLY DIRECTLY FROM CHD TO FFZ, OVERFLY FFZ, AND THEN CONTINUE ON A N HDG UNTIL I WAS CLR OF THE PHX CLASS B AIRSPACE, WHICH WOULD AVOID SDL AND THE HVY TFC BELOW THE PHX CLASS B AIRSPACE. I DEPARTED CHD AND RECEIVED FREQ CHANGE FROM CHD. I IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED TO FFZ TWR FREQ AND CALLED 'OFF OF CHANDLER 10 MI S REQUEST TRANSITION OVER THE FIELD NBOUND AT 2500 FT.' I DID NOT RECEIVE AN IMMEDIATE ANSWER, BUT MOMENTARILY THE FFZ CTLR ANSWERED BACK 'ACFT CALLING STANDBY.' I CONTINUED TO FLY TOWARDS FFZ. AS I GOT CLOSER I CONSIDERED CALLING TWR AGAIN WHEN FFZ TWR CALLED 'ACFT S.' I RPTED 5.5 MI S AND REPEATED MY REQUEST FOR TRANSITION OVER THE FIELD NBOUND. THE FFZ CTLR REPLIED 'REMAIN CLR, I AM BUSY.' IN THE PAST I HAVE TRANSITIONED OVER FFZ AND GATEWAY (IWA) MANY TIMES RERTE TO CHD AND HAD NEVER BEEN REFUSED, SO I WAS SOMEWHAT TAKEN BACK BY THIS REPLY. MY MISTAKE #1: NO BACKUP PLAN, NO ALTERNATE RTES, OR LIST OF ALTERNATE ARPT FREQS, AND CTLR MISTAKE #1: DID NOT ALLOW ENOUGH ADVANCE NOTICE TO REMAIN CLR, SINCE BY THAT TIME I WAS ALREADY IN THE FFZ CLASS D AIRSPACE. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED W AWAY FROM FFZ AND TOWARDS PHX. I KNEW THE PHX CLASS B AIRSPACE EXTENDED TO THE GND SURFACE NOT FAR FROM MY LOCATION. ALSO, THERE IS A LOT OF TFC IN THE AREA BELOW THE CLASS B AIRSPACE BTWN CHD, IWA, FFZ, AND SDL, SO I DID NOT WANT TO DO ANY WILD MANEUVER, LIKE A 180 DEG TURN, SINCE I COULDN'T SEE IF AN ACFT WAS IMMEDIATELY BEHIND OR BESIDE ME. I GRABBED MY VFR TERMINAL AREA CHART AND FOUND THAT THE PHX CLASS B AIRSPACE EXTENDED TO THE GND SURFACE AT DOBSON ROAD. I DID NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHICH ROAD WAS DOBSON ROAD, BUT I KNEW IT WAS CLOSE TO MY LOCATION. I LOOKED AT FFZ AND THOUGHT 'I AM CLR OF THE PATTERN AREA NOW (I WAS 4 MI OR SO TO THE W), SO I WILL TURN N TOWARDS SDL BEFORE I ENCROACH ON THE PHX CLASS B AIRSPACE.' MY MISTAKE #2: I ASSUMED WHEN THE CTLR SAID REMAIN CLR HE WAS INSTRUCTING ME TO REMAIN CLR OF THE ARPT AND PATTERN AREA. CTLR MISTAKE #2: HE DID NOT SPECIFY WHAT HE WANTED ME TO REMAIN CLR OF -- THE ARPT OR THE CLASS D AIRSPACE. MY MISTAKE #3: I SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT TO ASK FOR CLARIFICATION. SO I TURNED N TOWARDS SDL, ABOUT 10 MI AHEAD, LOOKED UP THE SDL TWR FREQ AND CHANGED FREQ. MY MISTAKE #4: EVEN THOUGH I WAS WITHIN 10 MI OF SDL AND CLOSING, I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE STAYED ON FFZ TWR FREQ A LITTLE BIT LONGER. I CALLED SDL TWR, REQUESTED A TRANSITION OVER THE FIELD NBOUND, AND RECEIVED APPROVAL FOR THE TRANSITION. AFTER I HAD PASSED SDL, SDL TWR CALLED BACK TO INFORM ME THAT FALCON TWR WAS GOING TO RPT ME FOR VIOLATION OF AIRSPACE. NOW, I KNEW THE FAR'S DO NOT REQUIRE APPROVAL TO ENTER CLASS D AIRSPACE, SO I DID NOT VIOLATE THE FAR'S BY ENTERING THE FFZ CLASS D AIRSPACE. HOWEVER, SINCE THE CTLR WAS GOING TO RPT ME FOR AIRSPACE VIOLATION, I MUST ASSUME HE HAD INTENDED FOR ME TO 'REMAIN CLR' OF THE FFZ CLASS D AIRSPACE, NOT JUST THE ARPT PATTERN AREA. IN MY OPINION, THIS EVENT WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE CTLR HAD SPECIFIED THAT HE WANTED ME TO REMAIN CLR OF THE CLASS D AIRSPACE. ON THE POSITIVE SIDE, THIS HAS BEEN A LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR ME. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL BE MORE DEMANDING IN CLARIFICATION OF ANYTHING THAT IS NOT CLR, EVEN IF HE IS 'BUSY.' AND, I WILL CONSIDER ALTERNATE RTES ON MY FLT PLANS.

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.