Narrative:

This was one of those days when nobody seemed to be able to get the big picture. Approaching vgt airport from the northeast, the plan was to follow the interstate 15 inbound, course to be modified with appropriate instructions from approach. The first error was when I selected the wrong approach frequency. I don't know if I made a chart reading error or just had a brain failure at the moment. In any event, I selected 118.4 instead of 124.95. I reported my position and was assigned a squawk code. The controller had a problem with my position report, and I had to repeat it more than once. I believe I clearly stated that I was inbound from the northeast, along the interstate 15, at greater than 40 NM and 8500 ft MSL on initial contact, with updated reports as requested. The controller could not radar identify me, and as I got closer I kept dropping lower to stay under the class B airspace. After several conversations, including one where the controller seemed to confuse me with an aircraft inbound from the southwest, he realized what was going on and told me to contact nellis approach on 124.95 (where I should have been anyhow). Nellis picked me up fine, vectored me off almost due north of vgt, then xferred me to vgt tower. When I then called the tower, they had no clue as to who I was, where I was, or even that I was in the area. We got that sorted out pretty quickly and I landed at vgt. Las vegas approach never issued a class B clearance, and in fact kept saying stay out of the class B (which is why I was continually getting lower, to stay under the class B). Nellis did issue a class B clearance. However, during the maneuvering, vectoring, talking, and attempted radar locations, I may have entered class B airspace before nellis actually said the words 'cleared into class B....' so what went wrong here? Well, first, I should have been on the right frequency, secondly, the las vegas approach controller should have recognized my position and helped correct the frequency sooner. Third, nellis apparently didn't coordinate with vgt tower, which added another factor to the mix. What to do differently next time: being on the right frequency would be a good idea. Filing IFR might be the way to go, as approach did not seem to be real excited about dealing with inbound VFR traffic. Planning to use either the showboat or rocks arrs would work, but those are radar clrncs so we're back to the communications and ATC availability issues. With a little maneuvering, one could stay under all of the class B airspace from the north and northeast and get to vgt directly, speaking only to the tower upon arrival. I think of these choices I'll file IFR or use rocks or showboat. Following the interstate 15 looks good, is simple, and should work, but it brings you across the nellis approach path and could create potential conflicts with nellis traffic. Maybe some day the local folks could look at developing a 'follow the interstate 15' VFR approach.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A GA PLT ENTERS THE CLASS B AIRSPACE OF LAS WHILE ON A VFR APCH TO VGT, NV.

Narrative: THIS WAS ONE OF THOSE DAYS WHEN NOBODY SEEMED TO BE ABLE TO GET THE BIG PICTURE. APCHING VGT ARPT FROM THE NE, THE PLAN WAS TO FOLLOW THE INTERSTATE 15 INBOUND, COURSE TO BE MODIFIED WITH APPROPRIATE INSTRUCTIONS FROM APCH. THE FIRST ERROR WAS WHEN I SELECTED THE WRONG APCH FREQ. I DON'T KNOW IF I MADE A CHART READING ERROR OR JUST HAD A BRAIN FAILURE AT THE MOMENT. IN ANY EVENT, I SELECTED 118.4 INSTEAD OF 124.95. I RPTED MY POS AND WAS ASSIGNED A SQUAWK CODE. THE CTLR HAD A PROB WITH MY POS RPT, AND I HAD TO REPEAT IT MORE THAN ONCE. I BELIEVE I CLRLY STATED THAT I WAS INBOUND FROM THE NE, ALONG THE INTERSTATE 15, AT GREATER THAN 40 NM AND 8500 FT MSL ON INITIAL CONTACT, WITH UPDATED RPTS AS REQUESTED. THE CTLR COULD NOT RADAR IDENT ME, AND AS I GOT CLOSER I KEPT DROPPING LOWER TO STAY UNDER THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. AFTER SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS, INCLUDING ONE WHERE THE CTLR SEEMED TO CONFUSE ME WITH AN ACFT INBOUND FROM THE SW, HE REALIZED WHAT WAS GOING ON AND TOLD ME TO CONTACT NELLIS APCH ON 124.95 (WHERE I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ANYHOW). NELLIS PICKED ME UP FINE, VECTORED ME OFF ALMOST DUE N OF VGT, THEN XFERRED ME TO VGT TWR. WHEN I THEN CALLED THE TWR, THEY HAD NO CLUE AS TO WHO I WAS, WHERE I WAS, OR EVEN THAT I WAS IN THE AREA. WE GOT THAT SORTED OUT PRETTY QUICKLY AND I LANDED AT VGT. LAS VEGAS APCH NEVER ISSUED A CLASS B CLRNC, AND IN FACT KEPT SAYING STAY OUT OF THE CLASS B (WHICH IS WHY I WAS CONTINUALLY GETTING LOWER, TO STAY UNDER THE CLASS B). NELLIS DID ISSUE A CLASS B CLRNC. HOWEVER, DURING THE MANEUVERING, VECTORING, TALKING, AND ATTEMPTED RADAR LOCATIONS, I MAY HAVE ENTERED CLASS B AIRSPACE BEFORE NELLIS ACTUALLY SAID THE WORDS 'CLRED INTO CLASS B....' SO WHAT WENT WRONG HERE? WELL, FIRST, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE RIGHT FREQ, SECONDLY, THE LAS VEGAS APCH CTLR SHOULD HAVE RECOGNIZED MY POS AND HELPED CORRECT THE FREQ SOONER. THIRD, NELLIS APPARENTLY DIDN'T COORDINATE WITH VGT TWR, WHICH ADDED ANOTHER FACTOR TO THE MIX. WHAT TO DO DIFFERENTLY NEXT TIME: BEING ON THE RIGHT FREQ WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA. FILING IFR MIGHT BE THE WAY TO GO, AS APCH DID NOT SEEM TO BE REAL EXCITED ABOUT DEALING WITH INBOUND VFR TFC. PLANNING TO USE EITHER THE SHOWBOAT OR ROCKS ARRS WOULD WORK, BUT THOSE ARE RADAR CLRNCS SO WE'RE BACK TO THE COMS AND ATC AVAILABILITY ISSUES. WITH A LITTLE MANEUVERING, ONE COULD STAY UNDER ALL OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE FROM THE N AND NE AND GET TO VGT DIRECTLY, SPEAKING ONLY TO THE TWR UPON ARR. I THINK OF THESE CHOICES I'LL FILE IFR OR USE ROCKS OR SHOWBOAT. FOLLOWING THE INTERSTATE 15 LOOKS GOOD, IS SIMPLE, AND SHOULD WORK, BUT IT BRINGS YOU ACROSS THE NELLIS APCH PATH AND COULD CREATE POTENTIAL CONFLICTS WITH NELLIS TFC. MAYBE SOME DAY THE LCL FOLKS COULD LOOK AT DEVELOPING A 'FOLLOW THE INTERSTATE 15' VFR APCH.

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.