Narrative:

I was flying to bisbee municipal airport (P04) in my C182. Though missing on navcom, I still had another navigation communication, DME, and a transponder. After passing marana northwest regional airport (avq), I got the tucson ATIS and began contacting tus approach on 119.4 when I was about 22-23 NM north of tus airport. The controller was busy with military aircraft, commercial aircraft, and GA aircraft. I tried calling when there was a gap in the controller's xmissions. I continued making calls to tus approach, but I never got any response from the controller. After having made at least 5 attempts to contact the controller without any response, I began to believe that I wasn't transmitting due to a possible electrical failure or something that the avionics technicians did. I contacted approach again without any response. By this time, I realized that I had penetrated the class C airspace around tus and davis monthan AFB and I began flying to the east away from tus international. At this point, I heard the controller give my position to another aircraft. I called tus approach and gave my position and told him that I was VFR to bisbee. The controller's response was 'is that you?' and then he said 'get out of my airspace!' the controller then ordered me to turn northbound, which I did. At no time did the controller acknowledge my tail number. I then flew northbound out of the class C airspace and then to the east around the rincon mountains and then on to bisbee municipal. The diversion added at least 40 mins to my trip. I have been flying through the tus class C airspace for 5 yrs and I have never had an experience where the controller would flat-out refuse to respond to repeated calls to enter the class C airspace and get VFR TA's. I feel that the controller should have at least told me to stay clear of the class C airspace without acknowledging my tail number if he was that busy. The controller could have also given me vectors around the class C airspace. I don't believe it was appropriate for the controller to simply ignore my repeated calls. It seems that the controller was aware of my repeated calls, and knew my position, but deliberately refused to respond and acknowledge my calls. I don't see what could possibly be gained by this kind of behavior by the controller, other than to lure pilots into committing airspace violations as I did. I admit that I entered the class C airspace without establishing contact with the controller in violation of 91.130(C)(1). Thank you for your attention and consideration of this matter.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 ENTERS TUS CLASS C AIRSPACE WITHOUT ATC APPROVAL.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING TO BISBEE MUNICIPAL ARPT (P04) IN MY C182. THOUGH MISSING ON NAVCOM, I STILL HAD ANOTHER NAV COM, DME, AND A XPONDER. AFTER PASSING MARANA NW REGIONAL ARPT (AVQ), I GOT THE TUCSON ATIS AND BEGAN CONTACTING TUS APCH ON 119.4 WHEN I WAS ABOUT 22-23 NM N OF TUS ARPT. THE CTLR WAS BUSY WITH MIL ACFT, COMMERCIAL ACFT, AND GA ACFT. I TRIED CALLING WHEN THERE WAS A GAP IN THE CTLR'S XMISSIONS. I CONTINUED MAKING CALLS TO TUS APCH, BUT I NEVER GOT ANY RESPONSE FROM THE CTLR. AFTER HAVING MADE AT LEAST 5 ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT THE CTLR WITHOUT ANY RESPONSE, I BEGAN TO BELIEVE THAT I WASN'T XMITTING DUE TO A POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL FAILURE OR SOMETHING THAT THE AVIONICS TECHNICIANS DID. I CONTACTED APCH AGAIN WITHOUT ANY RESPONSE. BY THIS TIME, I REALIZED THAT I HAD PENETRATED THE CLASS C AIRSPACE AROUND TUS AND DAVIS MONTHAN AFB AND I BEGAN FLYING TO THE E AWAY FROM TUS INTL. AT THIS POINT, I HEARD THE CTLR GIVE MY POS TO ANOTHER ACFT. I CALLED TUS APCH AND GAVE MY POS AND TOLD HIM THAT I WAS VFR TO BISBEE. THE CTLR'S RESPONSE WAS 'IS THAT YOU?' AND THEN HE SAID 'GET OUT OF MY AIRSPACE!' THE CTLR THEN ORDERED ME TO TURN NBOUND, WHICH I DID. AT NO TIME DID THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGE MY TAIL NUMBER. I THEN FLEW NBOUND OUT OF THE CLASS C AIRSPACE AND THEN TO THE E AROUND THE RINCON MOUNTAINS AND THEN ON TO BISBEE MUNICIPAL. THE DIVERSION ADDED AT LEAST 40 MINS TO MY TRIP. I HAVE BEEN FLYING THROUGH THE TUS CLASS C AIRSPACE FOR 5 YRS AND I HAVE NEVER HAD AN EXPERIENCE WHERE THE CTLR WOULD FLAT-OUT REFUSE TO RESPOND TO REPEATED CALLS TO ENTER THE CLASS C AIRSPACE AND GET VFR TA'S. I FEEL THAT THE CTLR SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST TOLD ME TO STAY CLR OF THE CLASS C AIRSPACE WITHOUT ACKNOWLEDGING MY TAIL NUMBER IF HE WAS THAT BUSY. THE CTLR COULD HAVE ALSO GIVEN ME VECTORS AROUND THE CLASS C AIRSPACE. I DON'T BELIEVE IT WAS APPROPRIATE FOR THE CTLR TO SIMPLY IGNORE MY REPEATED CALLS. IT SEEMS THAT THE CTLR WAS AWARE OF MY REPEATED CALLS, AND KNEW MY POS, BUT DELIBERATELY REFUSED TO RESPOND AND ACKNOWLEDGE MY CALLS. I DON'T SEE WHAT COULD POSSIBLY BE GAINED BY THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOR BY THE CTLR, OTHER THAN TO LURE PLTS INTO COMMITTING AIRSPACE VIOLATIONS AS I DID. I ADMIT THAT I ENTERED THE CLASS C AIRSPACE WITHOUT ESTABLISHING CONTACT WITH THE CTLR IN VIOLATION OF 91.130(C)(1). THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTN AND CONSIDERATION OF THIS MATTER.

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.