Narrative:

I picked up the banner on my second attempt, from right traffic runway 26R at (cno) chino, ca. I was level at 1400 ft MSL, in the traffic pattern on a wide right downwind leg, class D airspace under ATC tower control. Unknowingly I was in (ont) ontario surface level class C airspace, yet still in the traffic pattern for cno under chino tower control. Cno tower did not inform me of this, nor did they coordinate me, or hand me off to ont tower as I continued into ont surface level class C airspace. When cno tower told me 'frequency change approved' and not 'contact ontario tower' I thought that I was in uncontrolled airspace. I thought that I was under the ont class C safe area. I had visual contact with other banner tow traffic inbound from the same area so I continued to monitor chino tower until I neared rialto (L67) then changed to 122.8. While I was in the ont surface level class C airspace, ont called cno on the land line to ask about me, but the controller at chino denied being in control of me previously. This is where the problem got worse. I was still monitoring chino tower at this point, but chino never tried to call me to tell me to contact ontario tower. ATC must coordinate traffic flow with adjacent control sectors. I think this may be why she denied being in control of me (chino tower). This was the first banner I ever towed in this area, plus the first banner I towed for the local banner company. The briefing I received from the ground crew routed me right into ont airspace but made no mention of the required communications procedures for these banner routes. Therefore, the combination of an out of town pilot, haze, incomplete briefing, and ATC non help, I flew through class C airspace without a clearance. Normally when flying in san diego's class B and D airspace under ATC control, the pilots are coordinated and handed off to adjacent control sectors, especially if the aircraft is heading into the adjacent sector inadvertently. Since then I have talked to ontario tower and have learned their preferred procedures for banner tow transitions in this area, and have also learned that this type of airspace incursion is somewhat problematic in this area. I have learned a lot from this situation and hope to improve my flying and communication procedures as a result. Also, upon my return to chino airport, I called cno tower from fontana, and was told to proceed from my present position direct chino. This may have potentially caused another class C airspace incursion. I thought this clearance would keep me under the shelf area, yet I may have inadvertently entered ont class C airspace again while in communication with chino tower. After a few mins a new controller came on line and gave me a phone number. This is when I realized there was a problem. The airspace in this area is very tight. I really always thought that I was under the shelf area. I always try my best to work with ATC as much as possible for safety and traffic awareness. I feel terrible about what happened that day, and know it will linger with me for quite a while. I really hope this type of situation can be prevented in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 PLT INADVERTENTLY ENTERS CLASS C AIRSPACE WHILE TOWING A BANNER.

Narrative: I PICKED UP THE BANNER ON MY SECOND ATTEMPT, FROM R TFC RWY 26R AT (CNO) CHINO, CA. I WAS LEVEL AT 1400 FT MSL, IN THE TFC PATTERN ON A WIDE R DOWNWIND LEG, CLASS D AIRSPACE UNDER ATC TWR CTL. UNKNOWINGLY I WAS IN (ONT) ONTARIO SURFACE LEVEL CLASS C AIRSPACE, YET STILL IN THE TFC PATTERN FOR CNO UNDER CHINO TWR CTL. CNO TWR DID NOT INFORM ME OF THIS, NOR DID THEY COORDINATE ME, OR HAND ME OFF TO ONT TWR AS I CONTINUED INTO ONT SURFACE LEVEL CLASS C AIRSPACE. WHEN CNO TWR TOLD ME 'FREQ CHANGE APPROVED' AND NOT 'CONTACT ONTARIO TWR' I THOUGHT THAT I WAS IN UNCTLED AIRSPACE. I THOUGHT THAT I WAS UNDER THE ONT CLASS C SAFE AREA. I HAD VISUAL CONTACT WITH OTHER BANNER TOW TFC INBOUND FROM THE SAME AREA SO I CONTINUED TO MONITOR CHINO TWR UNTIL I NEARED RIALTO (L67) THEN CHANGED TO 122.8. WHILE I WAS IN THE ONT SURFACE LEVEL CLASS C AIRSPACE, ONT CALLED CNO ON THE LAND LINE TO ASK ABOUT ME, BUT THE CTLR AT CHINO DENIED BEING IN CTL OF ME PREVIOUSLY. THIS IS WHERE THE PROB GOT WORSE. I WAS STILL MONITORING CHINO TWR AT THIS POINT, BUT CHINO NEVER TRIED TO CALL ME TO TELL ME TO CONTACT ONTARIO TWR. ATC MUST COORDINATE TFC FLOW WITH ADJACENT CTL SECTORS. I THINK THIS MAY BE WHY SHE DENIED BEING IN CTL OF ME (CHINO TWR). THIS WAS THE FIRST BANNER I EVER TOWED IN THIS AREA, PLUS THE FIRST BANNER I TOWED FOR THE LCL BANNER COMPANY. THE BRIEFING I RECEIVED FROM THE GND CREW ROUTED ME RIGHT INTO ONT AIRSPACE BUT MADE NO MENTION OF THE REQUIRED COMS PROCS FOR THESE BANNER ROUTES. THEREFORE, THE COMBINATION OF AN OUT OF TOWN PLT, HAZE, INCOMPLETE BRIEFING, AND ATC NON HELP, I FLEW THROUGH CLASS C AIRSPACE WITHOUT A CLRNC. NORMALLY WHEN FLYING IN SAN DIEGO'S CLASS B AND D AIRSPACE UNDER ATC CTL, THE PLTS ARE COORDINATED AND HANDED OFF TO ADJACENT CTL SECTORS, ESPECIALLY IF THE ACFT IS HEADING INTO THE ADJACENT SECTOR INADVERTENTLY. SINCE THEN I HAVE TALKED TO ONTARIO TWR AND HAVE LEARNED THEIR PREFERRED PROCS FOR BANNER TOW TRANSITIONS IN THIS AREA, AND HAVE ALSO LEARNED THAT THIS TYPE OF AIRSPACE INCURSION IS SOMEWHAT PROBLEMATIC IN THIS AREA. I HAVE LEARNED A LOT FROM THIS SIT AND HOPE TO IMPROVE MY FLYING AND COM PROCS AS A RESULT. ALSO, UPON MY RETURN TO CHINO ARPT, I CALLED CNO TWR FROM FONTANA, AND WAS TOLD TO PROCEED FROM MY PRESENT POS DIRECT CHINO. THIS MAY HAVE POTENTIALLY CAUSED ANOTHER CLASS C AIRSPACE INCURSION. I THOUGHT THIS CLRNC WOULD KEEP ME UNDER THE SHELF AREA, YET I MAY HAVE INADVERTENTLY ENTERED ONT CLASS C AIRSPACE AGAIN WHILE IN COM WITH CHINO TWR. AFTER A FEW MINS A NEW CTLR CAME ON LINE AND GAVE ME A PHONE NUMBER. THIS IS WHEN I REALIZED THERE WAS A PROB. THE AIRSPACE IN THIS AREA IS VERY TIGHT. I REALLY ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT I WAS UNDER THE SHELF AREA. I ALWAYS TRY MY BEST TO WORK WITH ATC AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE FOR SAFETY AND TFC AWARENESS. I FEEL TERRIBLE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED THAT DAY, AND KNOW IT WILL LINGER WITH ME FOR QUITE A WHILE. I REALLY HOPE THIS TYPE OF SIT CAN BE PREVENTED IN THE FUTURE.

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.