Narrative:

I was cleared by chicago approach to enter the O'hare class B airspace and eventually cleared to climb to an altitude of 4500 ft circling for a photo shoot over the town of streamwood. After circling the sight for approximately 10-15 mins making right and left turns, I observed a commercial aircraft departing O'hare which appeared to be heading directly at me. While making a steeper right turn from the south to north in an attempt to avoid the on-coming aircraft, and while attempting to communicate with center in between their regular traffic, I had lost some altitude. By the time I was able to establish contact with center for clearance to leave the class B airspace I had, at the same time, realized the loss of altitude and corrected for the loss leveling back off at 4500 ft while advising center I was 'going to descend' with the intention of avoiding the oncoming traffic, which was not stated to the controller! After receiving a stern warning about making unauthorized altitude changes while in class B airspace, I informed the controller I fully understood. I was eventually vectored wbound and then cleared to a lower altitude to return to the sight to complete the photo shoot. Upon landing back at my home base at dupage I was advised by dupage ground control to call center. I called chicago TRACON at which time I spoke with a person who idented herself as mrs X. I had advised mrs X of my situation and reported that my 'intended' request for a descent out of the class B and intentions to avoid the oncoming traffic was a verbal error on my part and a bad choice of words for my intended request for authority/authorized to descend to 2900 ft to complete the photo shoot. Mrs X advised me the pilot of the outbound aircraft had made some type of complaint and the incident was being investigated and the radar tapes were being reviewed and that an altitude violation report might be filed and that she would get back to me. Failing to hear back from mrs X, I had called TRACON back at which time I spoke with mr X. Mr X advised me, mrs X had gone for the day ending her shift at XB00 hours. Mr X further advised he had investigated and reviewed the tapes and observed that my actions in making the steep right turn was a correct action which assisted in keeping separation from the outbound aircraft. Mr X advised, however, it appeared while in the turn I had lost 200 ft to possibly 300 ft in altitude but that the tapes also showed that the correction was made back to 4500 ft in a rapid manner. After another warning and reminder of operations while in class B airspace, mr X advised, me he was sure the incident would be cleared up with the airlines and this incident should be a lesson learned! He believed no further action would be taken. Mr X indicated to me he believed I would not have anything further to worry about and that this incident should be cleared up with both TRACON and the airline. Supplemental information from acn 589224: aircraft #1, was doing a photo shoot at 4500 ft. Aircraft #2 was a departure off ord. Stopped at 4000 ft to go beneath aircraft #1. Aircraft #1 had a class B clearance at 4500 ft and descended, on his own, towards aircraft #2. Aircraft #2 traffic was issued and aircraft was turned away from aircraft #1.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT IN ORD CLASS B AIRSPACE AT 4500 FT FOR PHOTO WORK MAKES AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT TO AVOID HEAD ON TFC OFF ORD.

Narrative: I WAS CLRED BY CHICAGO APCH TO ENTER THE O'HARE CLASS B AIRSPACE AND EVENTUALLY CLRED TO CLB TO AN ALT OF 4500 FT CIRCLING FOR A PHOTO SHOOT OVER THE TOWN OF STREAMWOOD. AFTER CIRCLING THE SIGHT FOR APPROX 10-15 MINS MAKING R AND L TURNS, I OBSERVED A COMMERCIAL ACFT DEPARTING O'HARE WHICH APPEARED TO BE HEADING DIRECTLY AT ME. WHILE MAKING A STEEPER R TURN FROM THE S TO N IN AN ATTEMPT TO AVOID THE ON-COMING ACFT, AND WHILE ATTEMPTING TO COMMUNICATE WITH CTR IN BTWN THEIR REGULAR TFC, I HAD LOST SOME ALT. BY THE TIME I WAS ABLE TO ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH CTR FOR CLRNC TO LEAVE THE CLASS B AIRSPACE I HAD, AT THE SAME TIME, REALIZED THE LOSS OF ALT AND CORRECTED FOR THE LOSS LEVELING BACK OFF AT 4500 FT WHILE ADVISING CTR I WAS 'GOING TO DSND' WITH THE INTENTION OF AVOIDING THE ONCOMING TFC, WHICH WAS NOT STATED TO THE CTLR! AFTER RECEIVING A STERN WARNING ABOUT MAKING UNAUTH ALT CHANGES WHILE IN CLASS B AIRSPACE, I INFORMED THE CTLR I FULLY UNDERSTOOD. I WAS EVENTUALLY VECTORED WBOUND AND THEN CLRED TO A LOWER ALT TO RETURN TO THE SIGHT TO COMPLETE THE PHOTO SHOOT. UPON LNDG BACK AT MY HOME BASE AT DUPAGE I WAS ADVISED BY DUPAGE GND CTL TO CALL CTR. I CALLED CHICAGO TRACON AT WHICH TIME I SPOKE WITH A PERSON WHO IDENTED HERSELF AS MRS X. I HAD ADVISED MRS X OF MY SIT AND RPTED THAT MY 'INTENDED' REQUEST FOR A DSCNT OUT OF THE CLASS B AND INTENTIONS TO AVOID THE ONCOMING TFC WAS A VERBAL ERROR ON MY PART AND A BAD CHOICE OF WORDS FOR MY INTENDED REQUEST FOR AUTH TO DSND TO 2900 FT TO COMPLETE THE PHOTO SHOOT. MRS X ADVISED ME THE PLT OF THE OUTBOUND ACFT HAD MADE SOME TYPE OF COMPLAINT AND THE INCIDENT WAS BEING INVESTIGATED AND THE RADAR TAPES WERE BEING REVIEWED AND THAT AN ALT VIOLATION RPT MIGHT BE FILED AND THAT SHE WOULD GET BACK TO ME. FAILING TO HEAR BACK FROM MRS X, I HAD CALLED TRACON BACK AT WHICH TIME I SPOKE WITH MR X. MR X ADVISED ME, MRS X HAD GONE FOR THE DAY ENDING HER SHIFT AT XB00 HRS. MR X FURTHER ADVISED HE HAD INVESTIGATED AND REVIEWED THE TAPES AND OBSERVED THAT MY ACTIONS IN MAKING THE STEEP R TURN WAS A CORRECT ACTION WHICH ASSISTED IN KEEPING SEPARATION FROM THE OUTBOUND ACFT. MR X ADVISED, HOWEVER, IT APPEARED WHILE IN THE TURN I HAD LOST 200 FT TO POSSIBLY 300 FT IN ALT BUT THAT THE TAPES ALSO SHOWED THAT THE CORRECTION WAS MADE BACK TO 4500 FT IN A RAPID MANNER. AFTER ANOTHER WARNING AND REMINDER OF OPS WHILE IN CLASS B AIRSPACE, MR X ADVISED, ME HE WAS SURE THE INCIDENT WOULD BE CLRED UP WITH THE AIRLINES AND THIS INCIDENT SHOULD BE A LESSON LEARNED! HE BELIEVED NO FURTHER ACTION WOULD BE TAKEN. MR X INDICATED TO ME HE BELIEVED I WOULD NOT HAVE ANYTHING FURTHER TO WORRY ABOUT AND THAT THIS INCIDENT SHOULD BE CLRED UP WITH BOTH TRACON AND THE AIRLINE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 589224: ACFT #1, WAS DOING A PHOTO SHOOT AT 4500 FT. ACFT #2 WAS A DEP OFF ORD. STOPPED AT 4000 FT TO GO BENEATH ACFT #1. ACFT #1 HAD A CLASS B CLRNC AT 4500 FT AND DSNDED, ON HIS OWN, TOWARDS ACFT #2. ACFT #2 TFC WAS ISSUED AND ACFT WAS TURNED AWAY FROM ACFT #1.

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.