Narrative:

I was cleared to enter chd (class D airspace) 'left downwind for runway 22L; report entering downwind.' there were numerous other aircraft and helicopters in the area. Upon reporting my downwind entry the controller asked my altitude; I replied 2000 ft. The controller said she needed me at 2200 ft (pattern altitude which I had fallen below) and that she was working a helicopter over the approach end of runway 22L at 1900 ft. I replied I was expediting my return to 2200 ft; which I did quickly. The controller replied for me to extend my downwind. I did not get an instruction for base or cleared to land. My downwind leg was now getting long and I called chd tower and said 'call sign; 2 mi left downwind runway 22L; ready base.' there was no reply. After a few moments; I called again reporting being on a long downwind for runway 22L and ready base turn. The chd controller responded by asking where I was; which I replied with 'now on a 3 mi left downwind for runway 22L; ready base turn.' she replied asking me to identify; which I did. I did not get a confirmation from her on my location; or being cleared to turn base or cleared for landing. At this point I was very concerned about my location as my direction of flight was taking me directly towards the iwa class D airspace that abuts and overlaps chd. By the time I determined how close I was I had already entered the perimeter of iwa (with which I had not established communication since I was talking to chd tower). I immediately began a turn and called chd tower and reported I had 'busted williams (iwa) airspace and was turning south to leave both airspaces and would return for another entry to chd in a few mins;' this statement was of an abrupt tone. Now the chd controller responded and verified radar contact and location. At this point she was replaced by another controller who asked me to verify my location and direction of flight and asked if I would be returning for landing. I replied that I was 'sbound; at overlap of williams and chandler; leaving area and will return for landing at chandler.' I proceeded south for approximately 6-7 mi; turned 180 degrees and re-established contact with chd (the second controller; not the first) and had an uneventful left downwind entry and landing on runway 22L. I believe that contributing factors to this situation started with my entry into the pattern at too low an altitude; 2000 ft versus 2200 ft. While there is no excuse for this; it was caused by lowering the gear; immediately making a turn to downwind entry; watching for nearby traffic; all on a bumpy; turbulent; desert afternoon. I caught the altitude deviation right away; but had not corrected it fully when the tower called. The next thing I should have done is realize that the controller had probably forgotten me. The controller was very busy coordinating flts across runways of a couple of helicopters (there is extensive helicopter training there). I could hear some tension in the controller's voice; the radio was very busy and she was not responding to my calls. It did not occur to me that the adjoining airspace would be an issue; as I was in the 'pattern' and talking to chandler tower. I should have realized I was on an 'endless downwind' earlier and taken action to avoid violating the adjacent class D. Other factors I believe were that the chandler controller lost awareness of where I was. The high activity level with the helicopters on the runways may have been too much of a distraction. Certainly when I made my radio call about 'busting the williams airspace' she had no idea where I was and that I was still on downwind for runway 22L. A contributing factor may have been that chd is a class D of 4 mi radius except where it abuts iwa where a crescent shaped slice is taken out reducing the radius to less than 3 mi at that point. The left downwind for runway 22L takes you on a radius to this reduced point. This is an exception to other airports/airspace that I have had experience with and may have contributed to my delayed awareness of my location in proximity to it. Another factor here may have been a combination of tower intimidation and basic communication style. In my 2 yrs of flying in this area I have heard plenty of instances of controllers reprimanding pilots;this helps reinforce the attitude of 'don't question the tower' especially in high activity areas. My own speaking style tends to be very level and monotone; perhaps easy to miss in a chaotic radio environment. I've learned from this event (among other things) to always question what the controller is doing; after all they're people too; and to be more forceful in my own communication style.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TB21 LNDG CHD ON ATC EXTENDED DOWNWIND ENTERED IWA CLASS D WITHOUT COORD DUE TO ATC CONFUSION REGARDING ACFT'S POS.

Narrative: I WAS CLRED TO ENTER CHD (CLASS D AIRSPACE) 'L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 22L; RPT ENTERING DOWNWIND.' THERE WERE NUMEROUS OTHER ACFT AND HELIS IN THE AREA. UPON RPTING MY DOWNWIND ENTRY THE CTLR ASKED MY ALT; I REPLIED 2000 FT. THE CTLR SAID SHE NEEDED ME AT 2200 FT (PATTERN ALT WHICH I HAD FALLEN BELOW) AND THAT SHE WAS WORKING A HELI OVER THE APCH END OF RWY 22L AT 1900 FT. I REPLIED I WAS EXPEDITING MY RETURN TO 2200 FT; WHICH I DID QUICKLY. THE CTLR REPLIED FOR ME TO EXTEND MY DOWNWIND. I DID NOT GET AN INSTRUCTION FOR BASE OR CLRED TO LAND. MY DOWNWIND LEG WAS NOW GETTING LONG AND I CALLED CHD TWR AND SAID 'CALL SIGN; 2 MI L DOWNWIND RWY 22L; READY BASE.' THERE WAS NO REPLY. AFTER A FEW MOMENTS; I CALLED AGAIN RPTING BEING ON A LONG DOWNWIND FOR RWY 22L AND READY BASE TURN. THE CHD CTLR RESPONDED BY ASKING WHERE I WAS; WHICH I REPLIED WITH 'NOW ON A 3 MI L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 22L; READY BASE TURN.' SHE REPLIED ASKING ME TO IDENT; WHICH I DID. I DID NOT GET A CONFIRMATION FROM HER ON MY LOCATION; OR BEING CLRED TO TURN BASE OR CLRED FOR LNDG. AT THIS POINT I WAS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT MY LOCATION AS MY DIRECTION OF FLT WAS TAKING ME DIRECTLY TOWARDS THE IWA CLASS D AIRSPACE THAT ABUTS AND OVERLAPS CHD. BY THE TIME I DETERMINED HOW CLOSE I WAS I HAD ALREADY ENTERED THE PERIMETER OF IWA (WITH WHICH I HAD NOT ESTABLISHED COM SINCE I WAS TALKING TO CHD TWR). I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN A TURN AND CALLED CHD TWR AND RPTED I HAD 'BUSTED WILLIAMS (IWA) AIRSPACE AND WAS TURNING S TO LEAVE BOTH AIRSPACES AND WOULD RETURN FOR ANOTHER ENTRY TO CHD IN A FEW MINS;' THIS STATEMENT WAS OF AN ABRUPT TONE. NOW THE CHD CTLR RESPONDED AND VERIFIED RADAR CONTACT AND LOCATION. AT THIS POINT SHE WAS REPLACED BY ANOTHER CTLR WHO ASKED ME TO VERIFY MY LOCATION AND DIRECTION OF FLT AND ASKED IF I WOULD BE RETURNING FOR LNDG. I REPLIED THAT I WAS 'SBOUND; AT OVERLAP OF WILLIAMS AND CHANDLER; LEAVING AREA AND WILL RETURN FOR LNDG AT CHANDLER.' I PROCEEDED S FOR APPROX 6-7 MI; TURNED 180 DEGS AND RE-ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH CHD (THE SECOND CTLR; NOT THE FIRST) AND HAD AN UNEVENTFUL L DOWNWIND ENTRY AND LNDG ON RWY 22L. I BELIEVE THAT CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS SITUATION STARTED WITH MY ENTRY INTO THE PATTERN AT TOO LOW AN ALT; 2000 FT VERSUS 2200 FT. WHILE THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THIS; IT WAS CAUSED BY LOWERING THE GEAR; IMMEDIATELY MAKING A TURN TO DOWNWIND ENTRY; WATCHING FOR NEARBY TFC; ALL ON A BUMPY; TURBULENT; DESERT AFTERNOON. I CAUGHT THE ALTDEV RIGHT AWAY; BUT HAD NOT CORRECTED IT FULLY WHEN THE TWR CALLED. THE NEXT THING I SHOULD HAVE DONE IS REALIZE THAT THE CTLR HAD PROBABLY FORGOTTEN ME. THE CTLR WAS VERY BUSY COORDINATING FLTS ACROSS RWYS OF A COUPLE OF HELIS (THERE IS EXTENSIVE HELI TRAINING THERE). I COULD HEAR SOME TENSION IN THE CTLR'S VOICE; THE RADIO WAS VERY BUSY AND SHE WAS NOT RESPONDING TO MY CALLS. IT DID NOT OCCUR TO ME THAT THE ADJOINING AIRSPACE WOULD BE AN ISSUE; AS I WAS IN THE 'PATTERN' AND TALKING TO CHANDLER TWR. I SHOULD HAVE REALIZED I WAS ON AN 'ENDLESS DOWNWIND' EARLIER AND TAKEN ACTION TO AVOID VIOLATING THE ADJACENT CLASS D. OTHER FACTORS I BELIEVE WERE THAT THE CHANDLER CTLR LOST AWARENESS OF WHERE I WAS. THE HIGH ACTIVITY LEVEL WITH THE HELIS ON THE RWYS MAY HAVE BEEN TOO MUCH OF A DISTR. CERTAINLY WHEN I MADE MY RADIO CALL ABOUT 'BUSTING THE WILLIAMS AIRSPACE' SHE HAD NO IDEA WHERE I WAS AND THAT I WAS STILL ON DOWNWIND FOR RWY 22L. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR MAY HAVE BEEN THAT CHD IS A CLASS D OF 4 MI RADIUS EXCEPT WHERE IT ABUTS IWA WHERE A CRESCENT SHAPED SLICE IS TAKEN OUT REDUCING THE RADIUS TO LESS THAN 3 MI AT THAT POINT. THE L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 22L TAKES YOU ON A RADIUS TO THIS REDUCED POINT. THIS IS AN EXCEPTION TO OTHER ARPTS/AIRSPACE THAT I HAVE HAD EXPERIENCE WITH AND MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO MY DELAYED AWARENESS OF MY LOCATION IN PROX TO IT. ANOTHER FACTOR HERE MAY HAVE BEEN A COMBINATION OF TWR INTIMIDATION AND BASIC COM STYLE. IN MY 2 YRS OF FLYING IN THIS AREA I HAVE HEARD PLENTY OF INSTANCES OF CTLRS REPRIMANDING PLTS;THIS HELPS REINFORCE THE ATTITUDE OF 'DON'T QUESTION THE TWR' ESPECIALLY IN HIGH ACTIVITY AREAS. MY OWN SPEAKING STYLE TENDS TO BE VERY LEVEL AND MONOTONE; PERHAPS EASY TO MISS IN A CHAOTIC RADIO ENVIRONMENT. I'VE LEARNED FROM THIS EVENT (AMONG OTHER THINGS) TO ALWAYS QUESTION WHAT THE CTLR IS DOING; AFTER ALL THEY'RE PEOPLE TOO; AND TO BE MORE FORCEFUL IN MY OWN COM STYLE.

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.