Narrative:

I departed a grass field in an MD500E helicopter 6 mi east of the monterey airport. I climbed to 2300 ft MSL and made contact with monterey tower while heading north to cross the final approach path at 130 KTS. Approximately 1 mi on the north side of the approach path, I was given my clearance to enter the class C airspace. The tower said, 'helicopter, squawk and identify, continue inbound into the airport and stay on the south side of the final approach path.' my readback was 'roger.' I hesitated because she had instructed me not to do something I had already done. While my brain was processing the information, she responded with, 'helicopter, I instructed you to stay on the south side of the arrival centerline. Now there is a citation on a 10 mi final at 200 KTS.' I had advised her that those instructions were given after I was already on the north side, but she wasn't agreeing. On landing, I was given a phone number to contact the tower. I called the tower and spoke to the tower manager about the situation. I explained the circumstances about already being north of the centerline when she instructed me to stay south. He said that the radar in monterey is sometimes 10-12 seconds behind actual time. He also said that I should have called approach control before contacting tower. I mentioned to him that I had landed at mry 5 times in the past 2 months, contacting tower directly without talking to approach and had no problems. At that time, he got upset and said that he doesn't care how other controllers do it at other airports. He said that I must contact approach before contacting tower and that I was also in violation. As for things that could be done to keep these sits from happening again: 1) contacting approach before entering surface airspace at class C airports. 2) ATC acting with consistency between all the class C airports. If one requires you to call approach, then all should. 3) if ATC tells me to do something that can't be done, I must say 'unable.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DEPARTING FROM AN UNCTLED RURAL AGRICULTURAL AREA, HELI PLT IS CHALLENGED BY MRY TWR WHEN HE DOES NOT COMPLY WITH INITIAL CLASS C CLRNC INSTRUCTIONS.

Narrative: I DEPARTED A GRASS FIELD IN AN MD500E HELI 6 MI E OF THE MONTEREY ARPT. I CLBED TO 2300 FT MSL AND MADE CONTACT WITH MONTEREY TWR WHILE HDG N TO CROSS THE FINAL APCH PATH AT 130 KTS. APPROX 1 MI ON THE N SIDE OF THE APCH PATH, I WAS GIVEN MY CLRNC TO ENTER THE CLASS C AIRSPACE. THE TWR SAID, 'HELI, SQUAWK AND IDENT, CONTINUE INBOUND INTO THE ARPT AND STAY ON THE S SIDE OF THE FINAL APCH PATH.' MY READBACK WAS 'ROGER.' I HESITATED BECAUSE SHE HAD INSTRUCTED ME NOT TO DO SOMETHING I HAD ALREADY DONE. WHILE MY BRAIN WAS PROCESSING THE INFO, SHE RESPONDED WITH, 'HELI, I INSTRUCTED YOU TO STAY ON THE S SIDE OF THE ARR CTRLINE. NOW THERE IS A CITATION ON A 10 MI FINAL AT 200 KTS.' I HAD ADVISED HER THAT THOSE INSTRUCTIONS WERE GIVEN AFTER I WAS ALREADY ON THE N SIDE, BUT SHE WASN'T AGREEING. ON LNDG, I WAS GIVEN A PHONE NUMBER TO CONTACT THE TWR. I CALLED THE TWR AND SPOKE TO THE TWR MGR ABOUT THE SIT. I EXPLAINED THE CIRCUMSTANCES ABOUT ALREADY BEING N OF THE CTRLINE WHEN SHE INSTRUCTED ME TO STAY S. HE SAID THAT THE RADAR IN MONTEREY IS SOMETIMES 10-12 SECONDS BEHIND ACTUAL TIME. HE ALSO SAID THAT I SHOULD HAVE CALLED APCH CTL BEFORE CONTACTING TWR. I MENTIONED TO HIM THAT I HAD LANDED AT MRY 5 TIMES IN THE PAST 2 MONTHS, CONTACTING TWR DIRECTLY WITHOUT TALKING TO APCH AND HAD NO PROBS. AT THAT TIME, HE GOT UPSET AND SAID THAT HE DOESN'T CARE HOW OTHER CTLRS DO IT AT OTHER ARPTS. HE SAID THAT I MUST CONTACT APCH BEFORE CONTACTING TWR AND THAT I WAS ALSO IN VIOLATION. AS FOR THINGS THAT COULD BE DONE TO KEEP THESE SITS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN: 1) CONTACTING APCH BEFORE ENTERING SURFACE AIRSPACE AT CLASS C ARPTS. 2) ATC ACTING WITH CONSISTENCY BTWN ALL THE CLASS C ARPTS. IF ONE REQUIRES YOU TO CALL APCH, THEN ALL SHOULD. 3) IF ATC TELLS ME TO DO SOMETHING THAT CAN'T BE DONE, I MUST SAY 'UNABLE.'

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.