Narrative:

I called the tower 9-10 mi out (over ibm plant) and got no answer. I called again approximately 7 mi out (fairgrounds) and they replied with my call sign and 'standby.' I assumed they were busy, even though the frequency I was on did not sound it. I assumed this constituted 2-WAY communication, so I continued. A few mi further I was worried about not hearing from them again, so I turned south westerly (away from the airport) and called again. They said this was the first usable radio transmission they had heard. They were quite upset I was in the air traffic area, and asked me to leave, which I did. The encounter brought up the following questions: when they first reply to me with my call sign, isn't '2-way radio communication' established? If so, that should be all I need to enter the air traffic area unless they give me other instructions. They never attempted to call me again. Even if my transmitter was flaky, which I doubt--no other trouble report before or since--my receiver was fine. Once we were in more solid communication, the tower continued to try to confirm my position in terms of highway #'south, which are not on any chart. He kept doing so, even after I told him I was 'unfamiliar.' in between first radio contact and final, more solid contact, I crossed the ILS. It would help avoid such things if ILS frequency/radial were on the VFR charts. No, I don't know how to balance this with avoiding chart clutter. It seems to me that trying to communication with an 'unfamiliar' pilot in terms of landmarks not on the chart does not make a lot of sense. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: from section reporter read in far and aim, he realized needs to establish 2-WAY communication, but at this point in publications does not state must also have permission to enter. This should be published in same places where radio communication requirements are published. Stated most pilots transiting sjc avoid area just for reason too hard to get controllers to work with GA aircraft, as in this case, after controller said 'standby,' then seemed to disappear although he was not busy on frequency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH PENETRATION OF ATA BY GA SMA.

Narrative: I CALLED THE TWR 9-10 MI OUT (OVER IBM PLANT) AND GOT NO ANSWER. I CALLED AGAIN APPROX 7 MI OUT (FAIRGROUNDS) AND THEY REPLIED WITH MY CALL SIGN AND 'STANDBY.' I ASSUMED THEY WERE BUSY, EVEN THOUGH THE FREQ I WAS ON DID NOT SOUND IT. I ASSUMED THIS CONSTITUTED 2-WAY COM, SO I CONTINUED. A FEW MI FURTHER I WAS WORRIED ABOUT NOT HEARING FROM THEM AGAIN, SO I TURNED S WESTERLY (AWAY FROM THE ARPT) AND CALLED AGAIN. THEY SAID THIS WAS THE FIRST USABLE RADIO XMISSION THEY HAD HEARD. THEY WERE QUITE UPSET I WAS IN THE ATA, AND ASKED ME TO LEAVE, WHICH I DID. THE ENCOUNTER BROUGHT UP THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS: WHEN THEY FIRST REPLY TO ME WITH MY CALL SIGN, ISN'T '2-WAY RADIO COM' ESTABLISHED? IF SO, THAT SHOULD BE ALL I NEED TO ENTER THE ATA UNLESS THEY GIVE ME OTHER INSTRUCTIONS. THEY NEVER ATTEMPTED TO CALL ME AGAIN. EVEN IF MY XMITTER WAS FLAKY, WHICH I DOUBT--NO OTHER TROUBLE RPT BEFORE OR SINCE--MY RECEIVER WAS FINE. ONCE WE WERE IN MORE SOLID COM, THE TWR CONTINUED TO TRY TO CONFIRM MY POS IN TERMS OF HWY #'S, WHICH ARE NOT ON ANY CHART. HE KEPT DOING SO, EVEN AFTER I TOLD HIM I WAS 'UNFAMILIAR.' IN BTWN FIRST RADIO CONTACT AND FINAL, MORE SOLID CONTACT, I CROSSED THE ILS. IT WOULD HELP AVOID SUCH THINGS IF ILS FREQ/RADIAL WERE ON THE VFR CHARTS. NO, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO BALANCE THIS WITH AVOIDING CHART CLUTTER. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT TRYING TO COM WITH AN 'UNFAMILIAR' PLT IN TERMS OF LANDMARKS NOT ON THE CHART DOES NOT MAKE A LOT OF SENSE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: FROM SECTION RPTR READ IN FAR AND AIM, HE REALIZED NEEDS TO ESTABLISH 2-WAY COM, BUT AT THIS POINT IN PUBLICATIONS DOES NOT STATE MUST ALSO HAVE PERMISSION TO ENTER. THIS SHOULD BE PUBLISHED IN SAME PLACES WHERE RADIO COM REQUIREMENTS ARE PUBLISHED. STATED MOST PLTS TRANSITING SJC AVOID AREA JUST FOR REASON TOO HARD TO GET CTLRS TO WORK WITH GA ACFT, AS IN THIS CASE, AFTER CTLR SAID 'STANDBY,' THEN SEEMED TO DISAPPEAR ALTHOUGH HE WAS NOT BUSY ON FREQ.

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.