Narrative:

I was operating on a VFR flight plan flying from laconia, nh (lci) to portsmouth, nh (psm), with an en route stop at nashua, nh (ash) to drop off passenger. After departing lci, I established radio communication with manchester approach control to get VFR advisories and to pass through their class C airspace. The nashua airport is located under about 9 NM southwest of the manchester airport, under the class C airspace outer circle. The direct flight from lci to ash requires passage through the mht class C airspace. 2-WAY radio contact and VFR advisories were established and I proceeded directly to ash. I had just passed west of the mht airport, swbound, when mht approach told me to squawk VFR and to contact ash tower. At this time I was about 6 mi from the nashua airport. I tried several times to contact the nashua tower while continuing inbound to the field. I mistakenly assumed that manchester approach control had given me a handoff to the nashua tower. I entered the traffic pattern and was finally able to establish 2-WAY radio communication with ash tower as I turned onto a left crosswind. Nashua tower advised me that I had not been handed off by manchester approach and that I should have remained clear of their class D airspace until I had established 2-WAY radio communication. The primary reason that I violated far 91.129 is that almost 100% of my flying for the past 3 yrs has been on an IFR flight plan, regardless of WX conditions, and my expectation on this flight was that approach control would hand the flight over to the tower controller. A contributing factor is that the nashua airspace is directly under the manchester class C airspace. This also led me to the expectation that manchester approach would coordination my arrival at the nashua airport, since at the time that I was handed over to nashua, I was still within 4 NM of the center of the manchester airport. To preclude recurrence of this type of incident, I have reviewed VFR flight procedures in the aim and reviewed applicable parts of the FARS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C208 ENTERS ASH CLASS D AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: I WAS OPERATING ON A VFR FLT PLAN FLYING FROM LACONIA, NH (LCI) TO PORTSMOUTH, NH (PSM), WITH AN ENRTE STOP AT NASHUA, NH (ASH) TO DROP OFF PAX. AFTER DEPARTING LCI, I ESTABLISHED RADIO COM WITH MANCHESTER APCH CTL TO GET VFR ADVISORIES AND TO PASS THROUGH THEIR CLASS C AIRSPACE. THE NASHUA ARPT IS LOCATED UNDER ABOUT 9 NM SW OF THE MANCHESTER ARPT, UNDER THE CLASS C AIRSPACE OUTER CIRCLE. THE DIRECT FLT FROM LCI TO ASH REQUIRES PASSAGE THROUGH THE MHT CLASS C AIRSPACE. 2-WAY RADIO CONTACT AND VFR ADVISORIES WERE ESTABLISHED AND I PROCEEDED DIRECTLY TO ASH. I HAD JUST PASSED W OF THE MHT ARPT, SWBOUND, WHEN MHT APCH TOLD ME TO SQUAWK VFR AND TO CONTACT ASH TWR. AT THIS TIME I WAS ABOUT 6 MI FROM THE NASHUA ARPT. I TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO CONTACT THE NASHUA TWR WHILE CONTINUING INBOUND TO THE FIELD. I MISTAKENLY ASSUMED THAT MANCHESTER APCH CTL HAD GIVEN ME A HDOF TO THE NASHUA TWR. I ENTERED THE TFC PATTERN AND WAS FINALLY ABLE TO ESTABLISH 2-WAY RADIO COM WITH ASH TWR AS I TURNED ONTO A L XWIND. NASHUA TWR ADVISED ME THAT I HAD NOT BEEN HANDED OFF BY MANCHESTER APCH AND THAT I SHOULD HAVE REMAINED CLR OF THEIR CLASS D AIRSPACE UNTIL I HAD ESTABLISHED 2-WAY RADIO COM. THE PRIMARY REASON THAT I VIOLATED FAR 91.129 IS THAT ALMOST 100% OF MY FLYING FOR THE PAST 3 YRS HAS BEEN ON AN IFR FLT PLAN, REGARDLESS OF WX CONDITIONS, AND MY EXPECTATION ON THIS FLT WAS THAT APCH CTL WOULD HAND THE FLT OVER TO THE TWR CTLR. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IS THAT THE NASHUA AIRSPACE IS DIRECTLY UNDER THE MANCHESTER CLASS C AIRSPACE. THIS ALSO LED ME TO THE EXPECTATION THAT MANCHESTER APCH WOULD COORD MY ARR AT THE NASHUA ARPT, SINCE AT THE TIME THAT I WAS HANDED OVER TO NASHUA, I WAS STILL WITHIN 4 NM OF THE CTR OF THE MANCHESTER ARPT. TO PRECLUDE RECURRENCE OF THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT, I HAVE REVIEWED VFR FLT PROCS IN THE AIM AND REVIEWED APPLICABLE PARTS OF THE FARS.

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.