Narrative:

While northbound en route to smo; in the los angeles class B airspace flying the published 'mini route' on the los angeles terminal area chart; flying at 100 KTS at 2500 ft on the smo VOR 128/308 degree radial and having been cleared into the class B airspace of lax; I was advised by lax local ATC that I -- a properly endorsed student pilot -- was; 'west of course' -- 308 degrees; magnetic. I made a visual fix on course and checked the VOR navigation communication indicator set to 128 degrees on frequency 110.8 (smo VOR). I believed I was east of course and corrected; contrary to ATC; to the west. At this point the local controller began to harass and harangue me on the radio with needless questions and unnecessary tasks to add to my workload in this very busy airspace. I cannot recount the exact conversation here; however; her attitude became belligerent and agitated. The controller's apparent lack of training or limited experience added to and complicated this event. This transition through the lax class B airspace is so quick that before substantial corrective action and determination of errors could be made I had flown out of the class B airspace and was handed off to smo local control. For the controller; the best action would simply have been to request a right turn (easterly) back to course rather than; as she did; question my pilot skills and repeat that 'this is a published course.' an experienced or knowledgeable controller would also know that the smo VOR 128 degree radial is a sbound radial and for this course the 308 degree radial should be flown northbound. This is where lack of local knowledge is evident. Upon further flight review after landing; I found that I made a reverse needle error. While the navigation communication indicator was set to the 128 degree radial; as published; I was flying the radial in reverse; therefore; my actions should have been reversed and I was indeed west of course. Further corrective action has been to study and review proper VOR navcom radio navigation procedures. Also; adding a reference to the smo VOR 308 degree radial; when flying nb; on the chart and in the published documents would be helpful for those who actually don't fly the route; such as controllers.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 STUDENT PILOT REPORTS CONFUSION TRANSITIONING THE LAX CLASS B AIRSPACE ON THE 'MINI ROUTE' USING THE SMO 128 DEGREE RADIAL.

Narrative: WHILE NBOUND ENRTE TO SMO; IN THE LOS ANGELES CLASS B AIRSPACE FLYING THE PUBLISHED 'MINI RTE' ON THE LOS ANGELES TERMINAL AREA CHART; FLYING AT 100 KTS AT 2500 FT ON THE SMO VOR 128/308 DEG RADIAL AND HAVING BEEN CLRED INTO THE CLASS B AIRSPACE OF LAX; I WAS ADVISED BY LAX LCL ATC THAT I -- A PROPERLY ENDORSED STUDENT PLT -- WAS; 'W OF COURSE' -- 308 DEGS; MAGNETIC. I MADE A VISUAL FIX ON COURSE AND CHKED THE VOR NAV COM INDICATOR SET TO 128 DEGS ON FREQ 110.8 (SMO VOR). I BELIEVED I WAS E OF COURSE AND CORRECTED; CONTRARY TO ATC; TO THE W. AT THIS POINT THE LCL CTLR BEGAN TO HARASS AND HARANGUE ME ON THE RADIO WITH NEEDLESS QUESTIONS AND UNNECESSARY TASKS TO ADD TO MY WORKLOAD IN THIS VERY BUSY AIRSPACE. I CANNOT RECOUNT THE EXACT CONVERSATION HERE; HOWEVER; HER ATTITUDE BECAME BELLIGERENT AND AGITATED. THE CTLR'S APPARENT LACK OF TRAINING OR LIMITED EXPERIENCE ADDED TO AND COMPLICATED THIS EVENT. THIS TRANSITION THROUGH THE LAX CLASS B AIRSPACE IS SO QUICK THAT BEFORE SUBSTANTIAL CORRECTIVE ACTION AND DETERMINATION OF ERRORS COULD BE MADE I HAD FLOWN OUT OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AND WAS HANDED OFF TO SMO LCL CTL. FOR THE CTLR; THE BEST ACTION WOULD SIMPLY HAVE BEEN TO REQUEST A R TURN (EASTERLY) BACK TO COURSE RATHER THAN; AS SHE DID; QUESTION MY PLT SKILLS AND REPEAT THAT 'THIS IS A PUBLISHED COURSE.' AN EXPERIENCED OR KNOWLEDGEABLE CTLR WOULD ALSO KNOW THAT THE SMO VOR 128 DEG RADIAL IS A SBOUND RADIAL AND FOR THIS COURSE THE 308 DEG RADIAL SHOULD BE FLOWN NBOUND. THIS IS WHERE LACK OF LCL KNOWLEDGE IS EVIDENT. UPON FURTHER FLT REVIEW AFTER LNDG; I FOUND THAT I MADE A REVERSE NEEDLE ERROR. WHILE THE NAV COM INDICATOR WAS SET TO THE 128 DEG RADIAL; AS PUBLISHED; I WAS FLYING THE RADIAL IN REVERSE; THEREFORE; MY ACTIONS SHOULD HAVE BEEN REVERSED AND I WAS INDEED W OF COURSE. FURTHER CORRECTIVE ACTION HAS BEEN TO STUDY AND REVIEW PROPER VOR NAVCOM RADIO NAV PROCS. ALSO; ADDING A REF TO THE SMO VOR 308 DEG RADIAL; WHEN FLYING NB; ON THE CHART AND IN THE PUBLISHED DOCUMENTS WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THOSE WHO ACTUALLY DON'T FLY THE RTE; SUCH AS CTLRS.

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.