Narrative:

On VFR departure from lgb, I informed clearance delivery I was departing VFR for sna and was instructed to contact ground control for taxi and not given a squawk. I contacted ground control and requested taxi clearance saying my destination was sna. I was cleared to taxi to runway 25L at D intersection. I called the tower for takeoff clearance, requesting a left downwind for departing to sna. (I had departed in a left downwind before many times and always flew over the water down to huntington beach and a turn towards mile square for landing clearance to sna, avoiding the need to contact los alamitos tower.) I was given an immediate takeoff clearance, but with a right downwind because of approaching traffic. I accepted this clearance, assuming that my departure was being coordinated with socal and los alamitos. At approximately 5 mi from lgb, I was told to switch frequency, but was not given a frequency. I asked for an appropriate frequency and was given a frequency for socal, but not for sli whose control zone I was now entering. The controller was busy so I switched and contacted socal and after 2 frequency changes was informed by the controller that I should have contacted los alamitos tower. I was then directed to fly to mile square, contact sna and landed without incident. I realize now that I should have been prepared to have the frequency for los alamitos ready to use if necessary and should not have accepted a clearance without all of the appropriate frequencys ready. Because I fly out of sna (a class C airport where VFR and IFR departures are always coordinated with the adjoining controling agencies, I had assumed I would have the same done when I was dropped by lgb tower). I believe that the problem would not have occurred if I had been advised by lgb tower to contact los alamitos on the appropriate frequency when they dropped me at the point that I was already in alameda airspace. I have learned to be ready, but this is a very complex, congested area and feel that I fell into a trap that could have been avoided by my not accepting the changed departure and my not assuming that my departure would be coordinated as it is in most airports I fly out of. A suggestion by the lgb tower controller to call los alamitos on the appropriate frequency would have also prevented this problem. I will use this as a lesson to my students.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH UNCOORD AIRSPACE ENTRY AS A C337 ATP PLT ENTERS THE CLASS D OF SLI AFTER A R DOWNWIND DEP FROM LGB, CA.

Narrative: ON VFR DEP FROM LGB, I INFORMED CLRNC DELIVERY I WAS DEPARTING VFR FOR SNA AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT GND CTL FOR TAXI AND NOT GIVEN A SQUAWK. I CONTACTED GND CTL AND REQUESTED TAXI CLRNC SAYING MY DEST WAS SNA. I WAS CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 25L AT D INTXN. I CALLED THE TWR FOR TKOF CLRNC, REQUESTING A L DOWNWIND FOR DEPARTING TO SNA. (I HAD DEPARTED IN A L DOWNWIND BEFORE MANY TIMES AND ALWAYS FLEW OVER THE WATER DOWN TO HUNTINGTON BEACH AND A TURN TOWARDS MILE SQUARE FOR LNDG CLRNC TO SNA, AVOIDING THE NEED TO CONTACT LOS ALAMITOS TWR.) I WAS GIVEN AN IMMEDIATE TKOF CLRNC, BUT WITH A R DOWNWIND BECAUSE OF APCHING TFC. I ACCEPTED THIS CLRNC, ASSUMING THAT MY DEP WAS BEING COORDINATED WITH SOCAL AND LOS ALAMITOS. AT APPROX 5 MI FROM LGB, I WAS TOLD TO SWITCH FREQ, BUT WAS NOT GIVEN A FREQ. I ASKED FOR AN APPROPRIATE FREQ AND WAS GIVEN A FREQ FOR SOCAL, BUT NOT FOR SLI WHOSE CTL ZONE I WAS NOW ENTERING. THE CTLR WAS BUSY SO I SWITCHED AND CONTACTED SOCAL AND AFTER 2 FREQ CHANGES WAS INFORMED BY THE CTLR THAT I SHOULD HAVE CONTACTED LOS ALAMITOS TWR. I WAS THEN DIRECTED TO FLY TO MILE SQUARE, CONTACT SNA AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I REALIZE NOW THAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN PREPARED TO HAVE THE FREQ FOR LOS ALAMITOS READY TO USE IF NECESSARY AND SHOULD NOT HAVE ACCEPTED A CLRNC WITHOUT ALL OF THE APPROPRIATE FREQS READY. BECAUSE I FLY OUT OF SNA (A CLASS C ARPT WHERE VFR AND IFR DEPS ARE ALWAYS COORDINATED WITH THE ADJOINING CTLING AGENCIES, I HAD ASSUMED I WOULD HAVE THE SAME DONE WHEN I WAS DROPPED BY LGB TWR). I BELIEVE THAT THE PROB WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED IF I HAD BEEN ADVISED BY LGB TWR TO CONTACT LOS ALAMITOS ON THE APPROPRIATE FREQ WHEN THEY DROPPED ME AT THE POINT THAT I WAS ALREADY IN ALAMEDA AIRSPACE. I HAVE LEARNED TO BE READY, BUT THIS IS A VERY COMPLEX, CONGESTED AREA AND FEEL THAT I FELL INTO A TRAP THAT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY MY NOT ACCEPTING THE CHANGED DEP AND MY NOT ASSUMING THAT MY DEP WOULD BE COORDINATED AS IT IS IN MOST ARPTS I FLY OUT OF. A SUGGESTION BY THE LGB TWR CTLR TO CALL LOS ALAMITOS ON THE APPROPRIATE FREQ WOULD HAVE ALSO PREVENTED THIS PROB. I WILL USE THIS AS A LESSON TO MY STUDENTS.

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.