Narrative:

From a position well south of hwd air traffic area, I requested and received permission to transition through hayward to a landing at oak. Hwd asked where at oak I was landing, issued me a transponder code, and advised me that I was cleared as requested (bay shoreline, 500', to oak north field spot echo). Upon reaching the approximately west end of the hwd traffic pattern area with oak in sight, I requested and received a frequency change to oak. Upon call up, oak issued us a new transponder code, and when we idented, admonished us for being well within the oak arsa, lined up with the final approach course (I wasn't), and that I should call oak north tower. I mentioned that I had been talking to hwd, but said no more, instead making the instructed frequency change and continuing to a landing at oak. Clearly, the reaction of the first oak tower controller convinced me that hwd tower had fumbled the handoff. Oak apparently didn't know I was coming, and was understandably agitated, although there was no conflict with other aircraft. If there is a general problem with handoffs between overlapping air traffic area's, or air traffic area/arsa overlaps, the tower controller issuing a transition clearance must communicate with the adjoining facility or else tell the involved aircraft to 'remain clear.' otherwise, 'cleared as requested' will set up a trusting pilot for an airspace violation. Perhaps the jurisdictional side deals that exist between adjacent facs (ie, hwd, oak and bay approach all own certain airspace over the seam between them) should be published so that interested pilots can be in on the side deals that don't appear on sectional or TCA charts. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter did not follow up by calling the tower supervisor on the telephone. Reporter believes the most feasible explanation as to why the south tower radar position was surprised by this helicopter's call and unaware of his position is that the coordination done by hwd tower was done with the north tower at oak. This is where the helicopter was destined and although the helicopter was entering south tower's airspace and should have been coordinated with them, the north tower seemed to be the one that knew about the helicopter's approach. Reporter has received no further communication with FAA about this incident and assumes that the matter has been dropped. Reporter's statement that he had been working with hwd tower was apparently enough to satisfy oak tower.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COORD BREAKDOWN BETWEEN HWD TWR AND OAK NORTH AND SOUTH TWRS.

Narrative: FROM A POS WELL S OF HWD ATA, I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED PERMISSION TO TRANSITION THROUGH HAYWARD TO A LNDG AT OAK. HWD ASKED WHERE AT OAK I WAS LNDG, ISSUED ME A TRANSPONDER CODE, AND ADVISED ME THAT I WAS CLRED AS REQUESTED (BAY SHORELINE, 500', TO OAK N FIELD SPOT ECHO). UPON REACHING THE APPROX W END OF THE HWD TFC PATTERN AREA WITH OAK IN SIGHT, I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED A FREQ CHANGE TO OAK. UPON CALL UP, OAK ISSUED US A NEW TRANSPONDER CODE, AND WHEN WE IDENTED, ADMONISHED US FOR BEING WELL WITHIN THE OAK ARSA, LINED UP WITH THE FINAL APCH COURSE (I WASN'T), AND THAT I SHOULD CALL OAK N TWR. I MENTIONED THAT I HAD BEEN TALKING TO HWD, BUT SAID NO MORE, INSTEAD MAKING THE INSTRUCTED FREQ CHANGE AND CONTINUING TO A LNDG AT OAK. CLEARLY, THE REACTION OF THE FIRST OAK TWR CTLR CONVINCED ME THAT HWD TWR HAD FUMBLED THE HDOF. OAK APPARENTLY DIDN'T KNOW I WAS COMING, AND WAS UNDERSTANDABLY AGITATED, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO CONFLICT WITH OTHER ACFT. IF THERE IS A GENERAL PROB WITH HDOFS BTWN OVERLAPPING ATA'S, OR ATA/ARSA OVERLAPS, THE TWR CTLR ISSUING A TRANSITION CLRNC MUST COMMUNICATE WITH THE ADJOINING FAC OR ELSE TELL THE INVOLVED ACFT TO 'REMAIN CLR.' OTHERWISE, 'CLRED AS REQUESTED' WILL SET UP A TRUSTING PLT FOR AN AIRSPACE VIOLATION. PERHAPS THE JURISDICTIONAL SIDE DEALS THAT EXIST BTWN ADJACENT FACS (IE, HWD, OAK AND BAY APCH ALL OWN CERTAIN AIRSPACE OVER THE SEAM BTWN THEM) SHOULD BE PUBLISHED SO THAT INTERESTED PLTS CAN BE IN ON THE SIDE DEALS THAT DON'T APPEAR ON SECTIONAL OR TCA CHARTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR DID NOT FOLLOW UP BY CALLING THE TWR SUPVR ON THE TELEPHONE. RPTR BELIEVES THE MOST FEASIBLE EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THE S TWR RADAR POS WAS SURPRISED BY THIS HELI'S CALL AND UNAWARE OF HIS POS IS THAT THE COORD DONE BY HWD TWR WAS DONE WITH THE N TWR AT OAK. THIS IS WHERE THE HELI WAS DESTINED AND ALTHOUGH THE HELI WAS ENTERING S TWR'S AIRSPACE AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN COORDINATED WITH THEM, THE N TWR SEEMED TO BE THE ONE THAT KNEW ABOUT THE HELI'S APCH. RPTR HAS RECEIVED NO FURTHER COM WITH FAA ABOUT THIS INCIDENT AND ASSUMES THAT THE MATTER HAS BEEN DROPPED. RPTR'S STATEMENT THAT HE HAD BEEN WORKING WITH HWD TWR WAS APPARENTLY ENOUGH TO SATISFY OAK TWR.

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.