Narrative:

I departed pdk airport, VFR, and inadvertently entered the atl class B airspace without being properly cleared into that airspace. I was flying a cirrus SR22 on a VFR trip to dts. Prior to departure, I contacted the pdk tower which cleared me for takeoff with instructions to fly runway heading. On takeoff pdk tower deleted altitude restrs and told me to contact atl departure on frequency 126.97. I immediately contacted atl departure requesting flight following through their airspace and then on to destin. The controller, instead of telling me to squawk identify or give me vectors or altitude instructions, simply told me that he could not deal with me right now, 'stand by.' the problem arose following the controller's response. On departure from runway 20L at pdk, there are a series of very tall (2000+ ft) radio towers several mi off the departure end, and to the right is downtown atlanta with its tall buildings. In order to clear the radio towers and the atlanta skyline, I had to continue climbing. I was awaiting the controller to get back with me and give me instructions, and simply did not know what to do in the meantime. Reversing course or turning would put me directly back into conflict with traffic at pdk. My airplane is equipped with traffic skywatch TCASII system, and there was no traffic in my path within several mi horizontally and 2000 ft vertically. I felt I had no choice but to continue with my present course and climb and wait for the controller to get back with me. On the other side of hartsfield, the controller finally contacted me and asked if I still wanted the flight following to destin. I told him that I did, and after a brief pause, he came back on the radio and asked me did I ever receive a clearance in the class B airspace. I responded that pdk tower had handed me off to him to which he responded, 'well, they didn't clear you into the class B airspace and you need to call us', at which point I copied the telephone number related by the controller. Once on the ground at dts, I immediately contacted atlanta control and discussed the situation with the supervisor. I apologized for the misunderstanding and we discussed the situation and how it arose. To my surprise, the supervisor had not been told by anyone that I had made contact with departure or that departure had again contacted me after I crossed atlanta airport to ask if I still wanted the flight following. I assured the controller that I did not intend to violate any FARS and the situation arose only because (being used to flying IFR all the time) I simply did not know what to do when the department controller told me to stand by without giving me further instructions. I also related to the supervisor that although the situation was unfortunate, that I did have the skywatch traffic system and that at no time was I within 2000 ft vertical distance from any traffic. The controller chastised me for not being familiar with far regulations concerning class B airspace, and I assured him that as soon as I returned to my base airport (mlu) I would contact my instructor and receive ground instruction from him on what I should have done in this situation and further instruction on VFR class B operations. Corrective actions: as a result of this situation, I have contacted my instructor and we plan to spend time on ground school in class B operations, at least one hour of which will be devoted to the atl class B area and the atl tersa. Other suggested corrective actions could be more specific instruction from the controllers at pdk to unfamiliar VFR pilots departing runways 20L and 20R. Departure from these runways puts pilots unfamiliar with the area into a difficult situation given that he or she is pointed directly at atl, and upon departure, there is no choice but to climb immediately into the class B airspace to avoid the tall radio towers and atlanta skyline off the departure end of runway 20L and 20R at pdk. Perhaps vectors away from atl or into the VFR corridor and altitude restrs from pdk tower following departure from these runways would contribute to safety. I realize atl controller are very busy, however, I did inform the controller that I was off pdk and climbing to 8500 ft. I further requested his assistance to get through the airspace. Controller, although busy, could have given me clear instructions as to vectors, or at least something to keep me away from atl. The response I got was confusing, in that I simply did not know what to do, and expected to receive further instructions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VFR SR22 DEP FROM PDK ENTERED ATL CLASS B WITHOUT ATC CLRNC.

Narrative: I DEPARTED PDK ARPT, VFR, AND INADVERTENTLY ENTERED THE ATL CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT BEING PROPERLY CLRED INTO THAT AIRSPACE. I WAS FLYING A CIRRUS SR22 ON A VFR TRIP TO DTS. PRIOR TO DEP, I CONTACTED THE PDK TWR WHICH CLRED ME FOR TKOF WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO FLY RWY HDG. ON TKOF PDK TWR DELETED ALT RESTRS AND TOLD ME TO CONTACT ATL DEP ON FREQ 126.97. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED ATL DEP REQUESTING FLT FOLLOWING THROUGH THEIR AIRSPACE AND THEN ON TO DESTIN. THE CTLR, INSTEAD OF TELLING ME TO SQUAWK IDENT OR GIVE ME VECTORS OR ALT INSTRUCTIONS, SIMPLY TOLD ME THAT HE COULD NOT DEAL WITH ME RIGHT NOW, 'STAND BY.' THE PROB AROSE FOLLOWING THE CTLR'S RESPONSE. ON DEP FROM RWY 20L AT PDK, THERE ARE A SERIES OF VERY TALL (2000+ FT) RADIO TWRS SEVERAL MI OFF THE DEP END, AND TO THE R IS DOWNTOWN ATLANTA WITH ITS TALL BUILDINGS. IN ORDER TO CLR THE RADIO TWRS AND THE ATLANTA SKYLINE, I HAD TO CONTINUE CLBING. I WAS AWAITING THE CTLR TO GET BACK WITH ME AND GIVE ME INSTRUCTIONS, AND SIMPLY DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO IN THE MEANTIME. REVERSING COURSE OR TURNING WOULD PUT ME DIRECTLY BACK INTO CONFLICT WITH TFC AT PDK. MY AIRPLANE IS EQUIPPED WITH TFC SKYWATCH TCASII SYS, AND THERE WAS NO TFC IN MY PATH WITHIN SEVERAL MI HORIZLY AND 2000 FT VERTLY. I FELT I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO CONTINUE WITH MY PRESENT COURSE AND CLB AND WAIT FOR THE CTLR TO GET BACK WITH ME. ON THE OTHER SIDE OF HARTSFIELD, THE CTLR FINALLY CONTACTED ME AND ASKED IF I STILL WANTED THE FLT FOLLOWING TO DESTIN. I TOLD HIM THAT I DID, AND AFTER A BRIEF PAUSE, HE CAME BACK ON THE RADIO AND ASKED ME DID I EVER RECEIVE A CLRNC IN THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. I RESPONDED THAT PDK TWR HAD HANDED ME OFF TO HIM TO WHICH HE RESPONDED, 'WELL, THEY DIDN'T CLR YOU INTO THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AND YOU NEED TO CALL US', AT WHICH POINT I COPIED THE TELEPHONE NUMBER RELATED BY THE CTLR. ONCE ON THE GND AT DTS, I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED ATLANTA CTL AND DISCUSSED THE SIT WITH THE SUPVR. I APOLOGIZED FOR THE MISUNDERSTANDING AND WE DISCUSSED THE SIT AND HOW IT AROSE. TO MY SURPRISE, THE SUPVR HAD NOT BEEN TOLD BY ANYONE THAT I HAD MADE CONTACT WITH DEP OR THAT DEP HAD AGAIN CONTACTED ME AFTER I CROSSED ATLANTA ARPT TO ASK IF I STILL WANTED THE FLT FOLLOWING. I ASSURED THE CTLR THAT I DID NOT INTEND TO VIOLATE ANY FARS AND THE SIT AROSE ONLY BECAUSE (BEING USED TO FLYING IFR ALL THE TIME) I SIMPLY DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN THE DEPT CTLR TOLD ME TO STAND BY WITHOUT GIVING ME FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. I ALSO RELATED TO THE SUPVR THAT ALTHOUGH THE SIT WAS UNFORTUNATE, THAT I DID HAVE THE SKYWATCH TFC SYSTEM AND THAT AT NO TIME WAS I WITHIN 2000 FT VERTICAL DISTANCE FROM ANY TFC. THE CTLR CHASTISED ME FOR NOT BEING FAMILIAR WITH FAR REGULATIONS CONCERNING CLASS B AIRSPACE, AND I ASSURED HIM THAT AS SOON AS I RETURNED TO MY BASE ARPT (MLU) I WOULD CONTACT MY INSTRUCTOR AND RECEIVE GND INSTRUCTION FROM HIM ON WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE IN THIS SIT AND FURTHER INSTRUCTION ON VFR CLASS B OPS. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: AS A RESULT OF THIS SIT, I HAVE CONTACTED MY INSTRUCTOR AND WE PLAN TO SPEND TIME ON GND SCHOOL IN CLASS B OPS, AT LEAST ONE HOUR OF WHICH WILL BE DEVOTED TO THE ATL CLASS B AREA AND THE ATL TERSA. OTHER SUGGESTED CORRECTIVE ACTIONS COULD BE MORE SPECIFIC INSTRUCTION FROM THE CTLRS AT PDK TO UNFAMILIAR VFR PLTS DEPARTING RWYS 20L AND 20R. DEP FROM THESE RWYS PUTS PLTS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA INTO A DIFFICULT SIT GIVEN THAT HE OR SHE IS POINTED DIRECTLY AT ATL, AND UPON DEP, THERE IS NO CHOICE BUT TO CLB IMMEDIATELY INTO THE CLASS B AIRSPACE TO AVOID THE TALL RADIO TWRS AND ATLANTA SKYLINE OFF THE DEP END OF RWY 20L AND 20R AT PDK. PERHAPS VECTORS AWAY FROM ATL OR INTO THE VFR CORRIDOR AND ALTITUDE RESTRS FROM PDK TWR FOLLOWING DEP FROM THESE RWYS WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO SAFETY. I REALIZE ATL CTLR ARE VERY BUSY, HOWEVER, I DID INFORM THE CTLR THAT I WAS OFF PDK AND CLBING TO 8500 FT. I FURTHER REQUESTED HIS ASSISTANCE TO GET THROUGH THE AIRSPACE. CTLR, ALTHOUGH BUSY, COULD HAVE GIVEN ME CLR INSTRUCTIONS AS TO VECTORS, OR AT LEAST SOMETHING TO KEEP ME AWAY FROM ATL. THE RESPONSE I GOT WAS CONFUSING, IN THAT I SIMPLY DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO, AND EXPECTED TO RECEIVE FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS.

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.