Narrative:

The mission was for our aircraft to depart ZZZ2 and orbit for 4.5 hours in W291. We were to conduct air refueling in that time with multiple military aircraft and recover at ZZZ2. Ingress of air refueling was done without incident. While egressing W291; we contacted beaver control and informed them of our altitude; heading; and mode 3. The controller was experiencing a large amount of radio traffic; did not talk to us again after our initial check-in. After approximately 10-15 mins; we attempted to prompt for a change over to ZLA. My copilot attempted twice but was unsuccessful. I was finally able to get beaver control after 2 attempts. We were then told to switch over to another beaver control frequency. We complied and again prompted for hand over. We were not given the switch and shortly after received a call on guard telling us to switch to ZLA. We switched and received vectors into ZZZ2. While being vectored; we were given a phone number to call upon landing. We called and were informed that we may be involved in a pilot deviation. The causes for the deviation to me were a busy controller and our misunderstanding of who beaver control really was. We assumed they were actually involved in the exercise and would keep us out of ZLA airspace until they were ready for us. The human performance considerations that may have contributed were 3 days of early show times. Ways for my crew to alleviate future misunderstandings are to have a better understanding of the exercise procedures. Since the event occurred; we have already put a continuity binder together for the next crew that has to operate in the same airspace.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A KC135 CREW EXITING A MIL WARNING AREA WAS UNABLE TO SECURE AN ATC HDOF FROM MIL CTLRS AND ENTERED CTLED AIRSPACE WITHOUT A CLRNC.

Narrative: THE MISSION WAS FOR OUR ACFT TO DEPART ZZZ2 AND ORBIT FOR 4.5 HRS IN W291. WE WERE TO CONDUCT AIR REFUELING IN THAT TIME WITH MULTIPLE MIL ACFT AND RECOVER AT ZZZ2. INGRESS OF AIR REFUELING WAS DONE WITHOUT INCIDENT. WHILE EGRESSING W291; WE CONTACTED BEAVER CTL AND INFORMED THEM OF OUR ALT; HDG; AND MODE 3. THE CTLR WAS EXPERIENCING A LARGE AMOUNT OF RADIO TFC; DID NOT TALK TO US AGAIN AFTER OUR INITIAL CHK-IN. AFTER APPROX 10-15 MINS; WE ATTEMPTED TO PROMPT FOR A CHANGE OVER TO ZLA. MY COPLT ATTEMPTED TWICE BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO GET BEAVER CTL AFTER 2 ATTEMPTS. WE WERE THEN TOLD TO SWITCH OVER TO ANOTHER BEAVER CTL FREQ. WE COMPLIED AND AGAIN PROMPTED FOR HAND OVER. WE WERE NOT GIVEN THE SWITCH AND SHORTLY AFTER RECEIVED A CALL ON GUARD TELLING US TO SWITCH TO ZLA. WE SWITCHED AND RECEIVED VECTORS INTO ZZZ2. WHILE BEING VECTORED; WE WERE GIVEN A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL UPON LNDG. WE CALLED AND WERE INFORMED THAT WE MAY BE INVOLVED IN A PLTDEV. THE CAUSES FOR THE DEV TO ME WERE A BUSY CTLR AND OUR MISUNDERSTANDING OF WHO BEAVER CTL REALLY WAS. WE ASSUMED THEY WERE ACTUALLY INVOLVED IN THE EXERCISE AND WOULD KEEP US OUT OF ZLA AIRSPACE UNTIL THEY WERE READY FOR US. THE HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS THAT MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED WERE 3 DAYS OF EARLY SHOW TIMES. WAYS FOR MY CREW TO ALLEVIATE FUTURE MISUNDERSTANDINGS ARE TO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE EXERCISE PROCS. SINCE THE EVENT OCCURRED; WE HAVE ALREADY PUT A CONTINUITY BINDER TOGETHER FOR THE NEXT CREW THAT HAS TO OPERATE IN THE SAME AIRSPACE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.