Narrative:

I was traveling sbound along the west edge of denver's class B airspace. I had requested and received VFR flight following from denver. I received the final transmission from ZDV advising a frequency change to jeffco tower, and a TA including traffic at my '11 O'clock, 12 O'clock, and 1 O'clock.' well aware of the close proximity and high volume of traffic, both I and my passenger looked intensely for the noted traffic, and any traffic we may have been unaware of while I made the frequency change. Jeffco tower was extremely busy, and I had to wait for a period of time for an opening to speak. After no response to my first call, I made a second call. The second call received no response either, after a short time. So, I began a right turn to west to avoid jeffco airspace in order to give more time for a response. At this time, my passenger spotted northbound traffic at our approximately altitude. I postponed my decision to turn wbound due to the high risk of collision, denver class B airspace was eastbound, and I still had 2 aircraft 'at large.' as soon as the northbound traffic passed my right wing, I re-entered the wbound turn to stay clear of bjc, as originally intended. Still waiting for a response from bjc, I prepared to make a third call to tower. Just then, tower asked for the traffic that was north of the field. I replied, but so did another aircraft, so the controller could not understand either transmission. The controller then asked 'who is squawking?' obviously, I was the only one to answer. Finally, and I was told to continue turning west, and that I was within the class D airspace. I knew at this point that my position was at least close to the airspace, but believed that the decision to continue sbound temporarily, in order to avoid the known traffic, would provide a few more seconds for jeffco to acknowledge my radio call and still allow time to execute a turn in a timely and more safe manner, if needed. In the end, the extra 30-40 seconds needed to maintain traffic avoidance left my position 1 1/2 mi into class D airspace without the required acknowledgement by the controling tower.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AA5 INADVERTENTLY PENETRATED BJC CLASS D WITHOUT TWR CONTACT. INABILITY TO COM AND NEED TO AVOID TFC INFLUENCED NECESSARY FLT PATH.

Narrative: I WAS TRAVELING SBOUND ALONG THE W EDGE OF DENVER'S CLASS B AIRSPACE. I HAD REQUESTED AND RECEIVED VFR FLT FOLLOWING FROM DENVER. I RECEIVED THE FINAL XMISSION FROM ZDV ADVISING A FREQ CHANGE TO JEFFCO TWR, AND A TA INCLUDING TFC AT MY '11 O'CLOCK, 12 O'CLOCK, AND 1 O'CLOCK.' WELL AWARE OF THE CLOSE PROX AND HIGH VOLUME OF TFC, BOTH I AND MY PAX LOOKED INTENSELY FOR THE NOTED TFC, AND ANY TFC WE MAY HAVE BEEN UNAWARE OF WHILE I MADE THE FREQ CHANGE. JEFFCO TWR WAS EXTREMELY BUSY, AND I HAD TO WAIT FOR A PERIOD OF TIME FOR AN OPENING TO SPEAK. AFTER NO RESPONSE TO MY FIRST CALL, I MADE A SECOND CALL. THE SECOND CALL RECEIVED NO RESPONSE EITHER, AFTER A SHORT TIME. SO, I BEGAN A R TURN TO W TO AVOID JEFFCO AIRSPACE IN ORDER TO GIVE MORE TIME FOR A RESPONSE. AT THIS TIME, MY PAX SPOTTED NBOUND TFC AT OUR APPROX ALT. I POSTPONED MY DECISION TO TURN WBOUND DUE TO THE HIGH RISK OF COLLISION, DENVER CLASS B AIRSPACE WAS EBOUND, AND I STILL HAD 2 ACFT 'AT LARGE.' AS SOON AS THE NBOUND TFC PASSED MY R WING, I RE-ENTERED THE WBOUND TURN TO STAY CLR OF BJC, AS ORIGINALLY INTENDED. STILL WAITING FOR A RESPONSE FROM BJC, I PREPARED TO MAKE A THIRD CALL TO TWR. JUST THEN, TWR ASKED FOR THE TFC THAT WAS N OF THE FIELD. I REPLIED, BUT SO DID ANOTHER ACFT, SO THE CTLR COULD NOT UNDERSTAND EITHER XMISSION. THE CTLR THEN ASKED 'WHO IS SQUAWKING?' OBVIOUSLY, I WAS THE ONLY ONE TO ANSWER. FINALLY, AND I WAS TOLD TO CONTINUE TURNING W, AND THAT I WAS WITHIN THE CLASS D AIRSPACE. I KNEW AT THIS POINT THAT MY POS WAS AT LEAST CLOSE TO THE AIRSPACE, BUT BELIEVED THAT THE DECISION TO CONTINUE SBOUND TEMPORARILY, IN ORDER TO AVOID THE KNOWN TFC, WOULD PROVIDE A FEW MORE SECONDS FOR JEFFCO TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY RADIO CALL AND STILL ALLOW TIME TO EXECUTE A TURN IN A TIMELY AND MORE SAFE MANNER, IF NEEDED. IN THE END, THE EXTRA 30-40 SECONDS NEEDED TO MAINTAIN TFC AVOIDANCE LEFT MY POS 1 1/2 MI INTO CLASS D AIRSPACE WITHOUT THE REQUIRED ACKNOWLEDGEMENT BY THE CTLING TWR.

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.