Narrative:

While conducting a VFR flight this small aircraft contacted saginaw approach control approximately 25 NM northwest of the primary airport requesting advisories through the area. Small aircraft was level at 5500' MSL at the time of initial call up and above the ceiling of the saginaw arsa. Approximately 4 NM northeast of the saginaw arsa small aircraft requested and received clearance to descend to and maintain 3500' MSL. After reaching and maintaining 3500' MSL for approximately 8 mins small aircraft requested from saginaw approach clearance to descend and maintain 2500'. At this time the saginaw controller requested small aircraft to 'say position.' small aircraft responded with 'small aircraft approximately 10 mi northeast of flint.' saginaw responded with 'contact flint approach 118.8.' at no time did small aircraft receive nor confirm receipt of any xmissions re: termination of radar service or instructions to contact flint approach. Small aircraft immediately contacted flint approach with flint responding, 'small aircraft radar contact 8 mi east of flint, and please in the future contact approach prior to entering the arsa.' while it is certainly the PIC's responsibility to contact ATC prior to entering an arsa, special circumstances may be involved here and in similar geographical locations. The saginaw airport, upon which the arsa is centered, is 37 NM from the flint airport, upon which the flint arsa is centered. Considering this distance, obviously the 2 arsa's outer areas overlap. According to the aim, 'the same services are provided for aircraft operating within the outer area, as within the arsa, when 2-WAY radio communication and radar contact is established.' clearly 2-WAY communications and radar contact had been established. With overlapping outer areas, an aircraft cannot positively determine where or who is the controling agency at any particular moment unless he is advised by ATC that radar/advisory service is terminated and/or instructed to contact the adjoining arsa's controller. It appears rather clear in this situation that the saginaw controller omitted instructions to small aircraft to change frequencys or that radar service was terminated. If the aircraft had received either of the above xmissions, he would have immediately contacted flint approach or adjusted his flight path or altitude to avoid the flint arsa. With an overlapping outer area and no instructions from the saginaw controller, it had to be assumed that the saginaw-to-flint handoff had not yet occurred.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OPERATIONAL DEVIATION. CTLR ALLOWED GA SMA TO FLY INTO ADJACENT ARSA WHILE PROVIDING FLT ADVISORIES.

Narrative: WHILE CONDUCTING A VFR FLT THIS SMA CONTACTED SAGINAW APCH CTL APPROX 25 NM NW OF THE PRIMARY ARPT REQUESTING ADVISORIES THROUGH THE AREA. SMA WAS LEVEL AT 5500' MSL AT THE TIME OF INITIAL CALL UP AND ABOVE THE CEILING OF THE SAGINAW ARSA. APPROX 4 NM NE OF THE SAGINAW ARSA SMA REQUESTED AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO DSND TO AND MAINTAIN 3500' MSL. AFTER REACHING AND MAINTAINING 3500' MSL FOR APPROX 8 MINS SMA REQUESTED FROM SAGINAW APCH CLRNC TO DSND AND MAINTAIN 2500'. AT THIS TIME THE SAGINAW CTLR REQUESTED SMA TO 'SAY POS.' SMA RESPONDED WITH 'SMA APPROX 10 MI NE OF FLINT.' SAGINAW RESPONDED WITH 'CONTACT FLINT APCH 118.8.' AT NO TIME DID SMA RECEIVE NOR CONFIRM RECEIPT OF ANY XMISSIONS RE: TERMINATION OF RADAR SVC OR INSTRUCTIONS TO CONTACT FLINT APCH. SMA IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED FLINT APCH WITH FLINT RESPONDING, 'SMA RADAR CONTACT 8 MI E OF FLINT, AND PLEASE IN THE FUTURE CONTACT APCH PRIOR TO ENTERING THE ARSA.' WHILE IT IS CERTAINLY THE PIC'S RESPONSIBILITY TO CONTACT ATC PRIOR TO ENTERING AN ARSA, SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES MAY BE INVOLVED HERE AND IN SIMILAR GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATIONS. THE SAGINAW ARPT, UPON WHICH THE ARSA IS CENTERED, IS 37 NM FROM THE FLINT ARPT, UPON WHICH THE FLINT ARSA IS CENTERED. CONSIDERING THIS DISTANCE, OBVIOUSLY THE 2 ARSA'S OUTER AREAS OVERLAP. ACCORDING TO THE AIM, 'THE SAME SVCS ARE PROVIDED FOR ACFT OPERATING WITHIN THE OUTER AREA, AS WITHIN THE ARSA, WHEN 2-WAY RADIO COM AND RADAR CONTACT IS ESTABLISHED.' CLEARLY 2-WAY COMS AND RADAR CONTACT HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED. WITH OVERLAPPING OUTER AREAS, AN ACFT CANNOT POSITIVELY DETERMINE WHERE OR WHO IS THE CTLING AGENCY AT ANY PARTICULAR MOMENT UNLESS HE IS ADVISED BY ATC THAT RADAR/ADVISORY SVC IS TERMINATED AND/OR INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT THE ADJOINING ARSA'S CTLR. IT APPEARS RATHER CLEAR IN THIS SITUATION THAT THE SAGINAW CTLR OMITTED INSTRUCTIONS TO SMA TO CHANGE FREQS OR THAT RADAR SVC WAS TERMINATED. IF THE ACFT HAD RECEIVED EITHER OF THE ABOVE XMISSIONS, HE WOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED FLINT APCH OR ADJUSTED HIS FLT PATH OR ALT TO AVOID THE FLINT ARSA. WITH AN OVERLAPPING OUTER AREA AND NO INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE SAGINAW CTLR, IT HAD TO BE ASSUMED THAT THE SAGINAW-TO-FLINT HDOF HAD NOT YET OCCURRED.

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.