Unable to establish timely communication with approach controller.

Attributes
ACN	81186
Time
Date	198801
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : vny
State Reference	CA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bur
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other descent other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 35 flight time total : 2500 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	81186
Person 2
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility

Narrative:

I have complained bitterly in the past because imposition of airspace restrictions such as arsa's west/O increasing personnel at ATC and more radio frequencys artificially overloads the system. Upon takeoff from vny, established radio contact with bur TRACON. Finally passed way outside their airspace en route to hesperia. They were too busy or forgot to advise leaving their airspace and by then I was beyond radio range. Upon return from hesperia in severe turbulence, called bur TRACON on #1 radio twice, no response. Changed mics and tried to 2 more times, no response. Changed to a third microphone and tried 2 more times, no response. Concluded complete transmitter failure and was considering squawking emergency and guessing which was less dangerous: go into vny norad and look for green light, or land in severe turbulence at an uncontrolled field and telephone for a norad clearance. About then bur TRACON called. Upon inquiry, he advised he had heard prior calls (8 calls!) but had been too busy to acknowledge. Since imposition of the new airspace restrictions in the last several months, not 1 additional controller has come in and not 1 additional frequency has been allocated. How would it have promoted safety to have an emergency-squawking target pass through some of the busiest airspace in the world?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNABLE TO ESTABLISH TIMELY COM WITH APCH CTLR.

Narrative: I HAVE COMPLAINED BITTERLY IN THE PAST BECAUSE IMPOSITION OF AIRSPACE RESTRICTIONS SUCH AS ARSA'S W/O INCREASING PERSONNEL AT ATC AND MORE RADIO FREQS ARTIFICIALLY OVERLOADS THE SYS. UPON TKOF FROM VNY, ESTABLISHED RADIO CONTACT WITH BUR TRACON. FINALLY PASSED WAY OUTSIDE THEIR AIRSPACE ENRTE TO HESPERIA. THEY WERE TOO BUSY OR FORGOT TO ADVISE LEAVING THEIR AIRSPACE AND BY THEN I WAS BEYOND RADIO RANGE. UPON RETURN FROM HESPERIA IN SEVERE TURBULENCE, CALLED BUR TRACON ON #1 RADIO TWICE, NO RESPONSE. CHANGED MICS AND TRIED TO 2 MORE TIMES, NO RESPONSE. CHANGED TO A THIRD MIC AND TRIED 2 MORE TIMES, NO RESPONSE. CONCLUDED COMPLETE TRANSMITTER FAILURE AND WAS CONSIDERING SQUAWKING EMER AND GUESSING WHICH WAS LESS DANGEROUS: GO INTO VNY NORAD AND LOOK FOR GREEN LIGHT, OR LAND IN SEVERE TURBULENCE AT AN UNCONTROLLED FIELD AND TELEPHONE FOR A NORAD CLRNC. ABOUT THEN BUR TRACON CALLED. UPON INQUIRY, HE ADVISED HE HAD HEARD PRIOR CALLS (8 CALLS!) BUT HAD BEEN TOO BUSY TO ACKNOWLEDGE. SINCE IMPOSITION OF THE NEW AIRSPACE RESTRICTIONS IN THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, NOT 1 ADDITIONAL CTLR HAS COME IN AND NOT 1 ADDITIONAL FREQ HAS BEEN ALLOCATED. HOW WOULD IT HAVE PROMOTED SAFETY TO HAVE AN EMER-SQUAWKING TARGET PASS THROUGH SOME OF THE BUSIEST AIRSPACE IN THE WORLD?

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.