Narrative:

My student and I were conducting an instrument training flight in night VFR conditions in the vicinity of martinsburg, wv. We were headed towards the gerra intersection on a southwest heading at 3900 ft. I called up dulles approach. I said something like 'dulles approach, aircraft X at 3900 ft over martinsburg, we would like to do the localizer back course into martinsburg.' the controller replied 'aircraft X, that is approved, maintain VFR.' upon intersecting the localizer back course, we headed outbound on the localizer front course to gerra and did a procedure turn as required. We intercepted the localizer back course, and started a descent as called for on the approach plate. When reaching gerra, I expected the dulles controller to hand us off to the tower, but when that did not happen I assumed dulles lost radio contact with us (has happened to me before) and tuned in the martinsburg tower on communication #2 while still listening to dulles on communication #1. I recall saying 'martinsburg, tower, cessna aircraft X is gerra inbound on the localizer back course runway 8.' the tower controller replied something like 'cessna X, fly a heading of north and exit the class D airspace, you've got C130 traffic inbound.' I turned to north and started a climb. The tower controller asked for our tail number, which I gave him. I leveled off at 3500 ft and when I was abeam the numbers for runway 8, I saw the lights of a large airplane on a 1 mi final well below me. The large airplane did a touch-and-go or low approach and turned south and climbed (still below us). I told the controller that we were talking to dulles approach. The controller replied that dulles did not tell him about us. The controller asked for our intentions and altitude and I told him that we would like to do a practice ILS or localizer approach and that we were at 3500 ft. He suggested we contact dulles approach for the approach, but at that point I was confused enough that I thought it better to call it a day and head home. In retrospect, I realize that the dulles controller never gave us a squawk code and never said 'radar contact.' therefore, in retrospect, he was not handling us, but at the time I misunderstood the words 'that is approved, maintain VFR.' what was 'approved?' the practice approach? Was he going to coordination our approach with martinsburg tower? I now realize he was not intending to notify martinsburg tower. Next time, if I do not receive a squawk code, I will be sure to contact martinsburg tower while well clear of their airspace. Once home, I called dulles approach and spoke to the controller on duty. I now understand what I did wrong.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 INSTRUCTOR, INST RATING TRAINEE, ENTERED CLASS D AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC WHEN THEY MISTAKENLY BELIEVED THAT THEY HAD BEEN HANDED OFF TO THE TWR FROM APCH CTLR WHEN DSNDING ON A LOC BACK COURSE APCH.

Narrative: MY STUDENT AND I WERE CONDUCTING AN INST TRAINING FLT IN NIGHT VFR CONDITIONS IN THE VICINITY OF MARTINSBURG, WV. WE WERE HEADED TOWARDS THE GERRA INTXN ON A SW HDG AT 3900 FT. I CALLED UP DULLES APCH. I SAID SOMETHING LIKE 'DULLES APCH, ACFT X AT 3900 FT OVER MARTINSBURG, WE WOULD LIKE TO DO THE LOC BACK COURSE INTO MARTINSBURG.' THE CTLR REPLIED 'ACFT X, THAT IS APPROVED, MAINTAIN VFR.' UPON INTERSECTING THE LOC BACK COURSE, WE HEADED OUTBOUND ON THE LOC FRONT COURSE TO GERRA AND DID A PROC TURN AS REQUIRED. WE INTERCEPTED THE LOC BACK COURSE, AND STARTED A DSCNT AS CALLED FOR ON THE APCH PLATE. WHEN REACHING GERRA, I EXPECTED THE DULLES CTLR TO HAND US OFF TO THE TWR, BUT WHEN THAT DID NOT HAPPEN I ASSUMED DULLES LOST RADIO CONTACT WITH US (HAS HAPPENED TO ME BEFORE) AND TUNED IN THE MARTINSBURG TWR ON COM #2 WHILE STILL LISTENING TO DULLES ON COM #1. I RECALL SAYING 'MARTINSBURG, TWR, CESSNA ACFT X IS GERRA INBOUND ON THE LOC BACK COURSE RWY 8.' THE TWR CTLR REPLIED SOMETHING LIKE 'CESSNA X, FLY A HDG OF N AND EXIT THE CLASS D AIRSPACE, YOU'VE GOT C130 TFC INBOUND.' I TURNED TO N AND STARTED A CLB. THE TWR CTLR ASKED FOR OUR TAIL NUMBER, WHICH I GAVE HIM. I LEVELED OFF AT 3500 FT AND WHEN I WAS ABEAM THE NUMBERS FOR RWY 8, I SAW THE LIGHTS OF A LARGE AIRPLANE ON A 1 MI FINAL WELL BELOW ME. THE LARGE AIRPLANE DID A TOUCH-AND-GO OR LOW APCH AND TURNED S AND CLBED (STILL BELOW US). I TOLD THE CTLR THAT WE WERE TALKING TO DULLES APCH. THE CTLR REPLIED THAT DULLES DID NOT TELL HIM ABOUT US. THE CTLR ASKED FOR OUR INTENTIONS AND ALT AND I TOLD HIM THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO A PRACTICE ILS OR LOC APCH AND THAT WE WERE AT 3500 FT. HE SUGGESTED WE CONTACT DULLES APCH FOR THE APCH, BUT AT THAT POINT I WAS CONFUSED ENOUGH THAT I THOUGHT IT BETTER TO CALL IT A DAY AND HEAD HOME. IN RETROSPECT, I REALIZE THAT THE DULLES CTLR NEVER GAVE US A SQUAWK CODE AND NEVER SAID 'RADAR CONTACT.' THEREFORE, IN RETROSPECT, HE WAS NOT HANDLING US, BUT AT THE TIME I MISUNDERSTOOD THE WORDS 'THAT IS APPROVED, MAINTAIN VFR.' WHAT WAS 'APPROVED?' THE PRACTICE APCH? WAS HE GOING TO COORD OUR APCH WITH MARTINSBURG TWR? I NOW REALIZE HE WAS NOT INTENDING TO NOTIFY MARTINSBURG TWR. NEXT TIME, IF I DO NOT RECEIVE A SQUAWK CODE, I WILL BE SURE TO CONTACT MARTINSBURG TWR WHILE WELL CLR OF THEIR AIRSPACE. ONCE HOME, I CALLED DULLES APCH AND SPOKE TO THE CTLR ON DUTY. I NOW UNDERSTAND WHAT I DID WRONG.

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.