Narrative:

I made a VFR flight from MU41 to xna, ar. At approximately 30 NM from the airport, I obtained the ASOS information. I then contacted northwest arkansas regional approach control on 121.0, but was told to contact another controller on 128.15. I attempted to do so, but since this controller was working quite a number of aircraft on another frequency, it took well over a min for him to answer even my third radio call. He told me to squawk a transponder code and identify, after which he said to enter right traffic for runway 34. I continued toward the airport with no further communication from the controller and, at the point at which I would have expected him to switch me over to the tower frequency, I queried the (approach) controller. A different voice came on the line, and expressed surprise that I was even there. He turned me to a southeasterly heading, to enter a short right downwind leg, said, 'I have your transponder now,' and then said that I had not been cleared into the class C airspace. He immediate switched me to the tower frequency, whereupon I was cleared to land. There was no conflict with other traffic. Immediately after landing and securing my aircraft, I called the tower and he expressed complete surprise that there had been any sort of 'issue' with my arrival. I told him what had happened, and he said that it had caused no problem whatsoever for the tower. He then got on the land line to approach control and discussed it with someone there. He then gave me the direct telephone number for the TRACON and I talked to a supervisor. He apologized, saying, 'it was our problem,' because a controller change had taken place just after I was told to enter right traffic for runway 34, and that I had been 'lost' in the process. He said that since I had not been issued any directive to 'remain clear of the class C airspace,' in the absence of that, I was perfectly correct to continue toward the airport as originally instructed. He said that the incident had been caused by an 'internal communications' breakdown, and he again apologized. I had flown through their airspace just a couple of weeks prior to this incident, and they did no issue any explicit 'cleared to enter class C airspace' transmission. The TRACON has operated for many yrs, and I have flown into and out of their airspace innumerable times, but it was only recently that it changed over to class C status, and it may be that there are some 'growing pains' in learning the new processes. Whatever the case, in the future, I will always ask for an explicit clearance into such airspace, if one is not given in due course.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HUSK PLT CHALLENGED FOR XNA AIRSPACE ENTRY. FSM APCH INCIDENT REVIEW DETERMINES CTLR RELIEF ERROR WITH ACFT CLASS C TFC PATTERN ENTRY.

Narrative: I MADE A VFR FLT FROM MU41 TO XNA, AR. AT APPROX 30 NM FROM THE ARPT, I OBTAINED THE ASOS INFO. I THEN CONTACTED NORTHWEST ARKANSAS REGIONAL APCH CTL ON 121.0, BUT WAS TOLD TO CONTACT ANOTHER CTLR ON 128.15. I ATTEMPTED TO DO SO, BUT SINCE THIS CTLR WAS WORKING QUITE A NUMBER OF ACFT ON ANOTHER FREQ, IT TOOK WELL OVER A MIN FOR HIM TO ANSWER EVEN MY THIRD RADIO CALL. HE TOLD ME TO SQUAWK A XPONDER CODE AND IDENT, AFTER WHICH HE SAID TO ENTER R TFC FOR RWY 34. I CONTINUED TOWARD THE ARPT WITH NO FURTHER COM FROM THE CTLR AND, AT THE POINT AT WHICH I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED HIM TO SWITCH ME OVER TO THE TWR FREQ, I QUERIED THE (APCH) CTLR. A DIFFERENT VOICE CAME ON THE LINE, AND EXPRESSED SURPRISE THAT I WAS EVEN THERE. HE TURNED ME TO A SOUTHEASTERLY HEADING, TO ENTER A SHORT R DOWNWIND LEG, SAID, 'I HAVE YOUR XPONDER NOW,' AND THEN SAID THAT I HAD NOT BEEN CLRED INTO THE CLASS C AIRSPACE. HE IMMEDIATE SWITCHED ME TO THE TWR FREQ, WHEREUPON I WAS CLRED TO LAND. THERE WAS NO CONFLICT WITH OTHER TFC. IMMEDIATELY AFTER LNDG AND SECURING MY ACFT, I CALLED THE TWR AND HE EXPRESSED COMPLETE SURPRISE THAT THERE HAD BEEN ANY SORT OF 'ISSUE' WITH MY ARR. I TOLD HIM WHAT HAD HAPPENED, AND HE SAID THAT IT HAD CAUSED NO PROB WHATSOEVER FOR THE TWR. HE THEN GOT ON THE LAND LINE TO APCH CTL AND DISCUSSED IT WITH SOMEONE THERE. HE THEN GAVE ME THE DIRECT TELEPHONE NUMBER FOR THE TRACON AND I TALKED TO A SUPVR. HE APOLOGIZED, SAYING, 'IT WAS OUR PROB,' BECAUSE A CTLR CHANGE HAD TAKEN PLACE JUST AFTER I WAS TOLD TO ENTER R TFC FOR RWY 34, AND THAT I HAD BEEN 'LOST' IN THE PROCESS. HE SAID THAT SINCE I HAD NOT BEEN ISSUED ANY DIRECTIVE TO 'REMAIN CLR OF THE CLASS C AIRSPACE,' IN THE ABSENCE OF THAT, I WAS PERFECTLY CORRECT TO CONTINUE TOWARD THE ARPT AS ORIGINALLY INSTRUCTED. HE SAID THAT THE INCIDENT HAD BEEN CAUSED BY AN 'INTERNAL COMS' BREAKDOWN, AND HE AGAIN APOLOGIZED. I HAD FLOWN THROUGH THEIR AIRSPACE JUST A COUPLE OF WKS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, AND THEY DID NO ISSUE ANY EXPLICIT 'CLRED TO ENTER CLASS C AIRSPACE' XMISSION. THE TRACON HAS OPERATED FOR MANY YRS, AND I HAVE FLOWN INTO AND OUT OF THEIR AIRSPACE INNUMERABLE TIMES, BUT IT WAS ONLY RECENTLY THAT IT CHANGED OVER TO CLASS C STATUS, AND IT MAY BE THAT THERE ARE SOME 'GROWING PAINS' IN LEARNING THE NEW PROCESSES. WHATEVER THE CASE, IN THE FUTURE, I WILL ALWAYS ASK FOR AN EXPLICIT CLRNC INTO SUCH AIRSPACE, IF ONE IS NOT GIVEN IN DUE COURSE.

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.