Narrative:

In a nutshell, I thought I was in contact with socal approach when, in fact, unbeknownst to me, they had terminated my flight following. I thought I was complying with the class C communication requirement, but since my flight following was terminated, I wasn't. As I approached sna (thinking that I was still on flight following), I expected to hear something like 'sna 10 mi ahead bearing 180 degrees, flight following canceled.' when I didn't hear anything from ATC, I thought they might have forgotten about me and radioed to ATC, 'airport in sight.' the ATC controller informed me that he 'knew nothing about me' and asked 'where are you?' when I told him that I was about 5 mi from sna, he immediately vectored me to a commonly used initial approach point for sna. I was then passed on to the sna tower and landed. I had been on socal ATC 125.5 until I was about 20 mi from sna. I called 125.5 to let the controller know that I intended to descend from 3500 ft. The controller informed me that he had tried to reach me earlier to terminate my flight following and that I should contact socal ATC on 121.3. I did so, still 15-25 mi out from sna and heard back from 123.3 'sna altimeter 29.88.' in hindsight, I now do not believe that the controller was acknowledging my 'socal approach, I'm with you at XXX ft' message, but the timing was such that it certainly seemed like a normal communication exchange at the time. So there I was, the previous controller gave me the new ATC frequency, and told me that he had 'tried to terminate my flight following,' but never actually 'told me' that my flight following was terminated or to squawk 1200, he simply told me to contact the next controller. I continued squawking my assigned transponder code and called the next controller as I said above. Much attention has been given to the requirement to hear the positive acknowledgement 'you have been cleared to class B airspace.' I don't recall any such emphasis on class C airspace. Maybe that would have helped. Also, when in contact with ATC and approaching any 'special airspace,' the distinction of to whom one should be talking at any given point has always been a bit vague. I have learned from this experience that, at least in the case of class C, entering class C while talking to ATC controller isn't ok. Final note: when I contacted the sna tower, I was immediately berated and informed of all of the problems I had caused. Initially by the active tower controller, then again after prompting from another controller that also broadcasted over the tower frequency with 'yeah! And tell him a police helicopter was dispatched too!. So I heard that one twice. I should study my charts. I was near (but not in) a tfr area. A police intercept helicopter had to be dispatched. I was inside sna airspace. An aircraft on approach had to be diverted. I'm sure all of the above is true and for that I apologize. But, in the interest of safety, it would have been better to do all of that berating after I had landed and not during my final approach to landing, which is known to already be the most stressful phase of flight. It would also seem like a poor use of already limited tower communication time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SOME LEVEL OF CONFUSION REGARDING ACFT'S STATUS WITHIN SCT APCH CTL WHEN A C150 CFI ENTERS THE CLASS C AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC 10 MI N OF SNA.

Narrative: IN A NUTSHELL, I THOUGHT I WAS IN CONTACT WITH SOCAL APCH WHEN, IN FACT, UNBEKNOWNST TO ME, THEY HAD TERMINATED MY FLT FOLLOWING. I THOUGHT I WAS COMPLYING WITH THE CLASS C COM REQUIREMENT, BUT SINCE MY FLT FOLLOWING WAS TERMINATED, I WASN'T. AS I APCHED SNA (THINKING THAT I WAS STILL ON FLT FOLLOWING), I EXPECTED TO HEAR SOMETHING LIKE 'SNA 10 MI AHEAD BEARING 180 DEGS, FLT FOLLOWING CANCELED.' WHEN I DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING FROM ATC, I THOUGHT THEY MIGHT HAVE FORGOTTEN ABOUT ME AND RADIOED TO ATC, 'ARPT IN SIGHT.' THE ATC CTLR INFORMED ME THAT HE 'KNEW NOTHING ABOUT ME' AND ASKED 'WHERE ARE YOU?' WHEN I TOLD HIM THAT I WAS ABOUT 5 MI FROM SNA, HE IMMEDIATELY VECTORED ME TO A COMMONLY USED INITIAL APCH POINT FOR SNA. I WAS THEN PASSED ON TO THE SNA TWR AND LANDED. I HAD BEEN ON SOCAL ATC 125.5 UNTIL I WAS ABOUT 20 MI FROM SNA. I CALLED 125.5 TO LET THE CTLR KNOW THAT I INTENDED TO DSND FROM 3500 FT. THE CTLR INFORMED ME THAT HE HAD TRIED TO REACH ME EARLIER TO TERMINATE MY FLT FOLLOWING AND THAT I SHOULD CONTACT SOCAL ATC ON 121.3. I DID SO, STILL 15-25 MI OUT FROM SNA AND HEARD BACK FROM 123.3 'SNA ALTIMETER 29.88.' IN HINDSIGHT, I NOW DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE CTLR WAS ACKNOWLEDGING MY 'SOCAL APCH, I'M WITH YOU AT XXX FT' MESSAGE, BUT THE TIMING WAS SUCH THAT IT CERTAINLY SEEMED LIKE A NORMAL COM EXCHANGE AT THE TIME. SO THERE I WAS, THE PREVIOUS CTLR GAVE ME THE NEW ATC FREQ, AND TOLD ME THAT HE HAD 'TRIED TO TERMINATE MY FLT FOLLOWING,' BUT NEVER ACTUALLY 'TOLD ME' THAT MY FLT FOLLOWING WAS TERMINATED OR TO SQUAWK 1200, HE SIMPLY TOLD ME TO CONTACT THE NEXT CTLR. I CONTINUED SQUAWKING MY ASSIGNED XPONDER CODE AND CALLED THE NEXT CTLR AS I SAID ABOVE. MUCH ATTN HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THE REQUIREMENT TO HEAR THE POSITIVE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 'YOU HAVE BEEN CLRED TO CLASS B AIRSPACE.' I DON'T RECALL ANY SUCH EMPHASIS ON CLASS C AIRSPACE. MAYBE THAT WOULD HAVE HELPED. ALSO, WHEN IN CONTACT WITH ATC AND APCHING ANY 'SPECIAL AIRSPACE,' THE DISTINCTION OF TO WHOM ONE SHOULD BE TALKING AT ANY GIVEN POINT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A BIT VAGUE. I HAVE LEARNED FROM THIS EXPERIENCE THAT, AT LEAST IN THE CASE OF CLASS C, ENTERING CLASS C WHILE TALKING TO ATC CTLR ISN'T OK. FINAL NOTE: WHEN I CONTACTED THE SNA TWR, I WAS IMMEDIATELY BERATED AND INFORMED OF ALL OF THE PROBS I HAD CAUSED. INITIALLY BY THE ACTIVE TWR CTLR, THEN AGAIN AFTER PROMPTING FROM ANOTHER CTLR THAT ALSO BROADCASTED OVER THE TWR FREQ WITH 'YEAH! AND TELL HIM A POLICE HELI WAS DISPATCHED TOO!. SO I HEARD THAT ONE TWICE. I SHOULD STUDY MY CHARTS. I WAS NEAR (BUT NOT IN) A TFR AREA. A POLICE INTERCEPT HELI HAD TO BE DISPATCHED. I WAS INSIDE SNA AIRSPACE. AN ACFT ON APCH HAD TO BE DIVERTED. I'M SURE ALL OF THE ABOVE IS TRUE AND FOR THAT I APOLOGIZE. BUT, IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER TO DO ALL OF THAT BERATING AFTER I HAD LANDED AND NOT DURING MY FINAL APCH TO LNDG, WHICH IS KNOWN TO ALREADY BE THE MOST STRESSFUL PHASE OF FLT. IT WOULD ALSO SEEM LIKE A POOR USE OF ALREADY LIMITED TWR COM TIME.

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.