Narrative:

Intended to depart W00 for W10 (freeway direct to manassas) for pleasure. Departed W00 about XA30-XA45. Circled overhead freeway at 1400' and contacted dca approach 124.2. (Can't remember squawk code assigned.) asked for direct VFR at 2500' to manassas. He kept me at 1500' and initial course of 270 degrees. Approximately 10 mins afterward he changed my course to 340 degrees because of south traffic into washington. Approximately 15 mins later he changed my course to 320 degrees, still at 1500', and switched me to a north sector controller. We acknowledged each other. After about 10-15 mins I tried to raise the controller by radio and could not do so. I was still squawking the assigned code, and transmitting to raise dca. They acknowledged hearing my 'garbled and weak/unreadable' transmission, but couldn't hear my aircraft #, etc. Tried calling dulles, but could not raise them either. I was at sugar loaf mountain at this time. I decided to squawk 1200 and avoided dulles arsa. Landed at manassas at about XB55 (16R). Lessons learned: the controller should not have kept me so low knowing I could lose radio contact. He never did allow me to climb to my requested altitude. A situation resulted that could have caused an accident had visibility been marginal VFR. I should have pestered the ATC more to ensure he didn't forget me. The unsettling thing about the whole incident is that I went off his screen, while under ATC approach control, and no one appears to care. I wonder if they ever inquired to see if I had landed safely or crashed. Note: my radios were functional before, during and after this incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA BEING VECTORED BY TRACON FORGOTTEN WHILE ON VECTOR TOWARD HIGH TERRAIN. OPERATIONAL ERROR.

Narrative: INTENDED TO DEPART W00 FOR W10 (FREEWAY DIRECT TO MANASSAS) FOR PLEASURE. DEPARTED W00 ABOUT XA30-XA45. CIRCLED OVERHEAD FREEWAY AT 1400' AND CONTACTED DCA APCH 124.2. (CAN'T REMEMBER SQUAWK CODE ASSIGNED.) ASKED FOR DIRECT VFR AT 2500' TO MANASSAS. HE KEPT ME AT 1500' AND INITIAL COURSE OF 270 DEGS. APPROX 10 MINS AFTERWARD HE CHANGED MY COURSE TO 340 DEGS BECAUSE OF S TFC INTO WASHINGTON. APPROX 15 MINS LATER HE CHANGED MY COURSE TO 320 DEGS, STILL AT 1500', AND SWITCHED ME TO A N SECTOR CTLR. WE ACKNOWLEDGED EACH OTHER. AFTER ABOUT 10-15 MINS I TRIED TO RAISE THE CTLR BY RADIO AND COULD NOT DO SO. I WAS STILL SQUAWKING THE ASSIGNED CODE, AND XMITTING TO RAISE DCA. THEY ACKNOWLEDGED HEARING MY 'GARBLED AND WEAK/UNREADABLE' XMISSION, BUT COULDN'T HEAR MY ACFT #, ETC. TRIED CALLING DULLES, BUT COULD NOT RAISE THEM EITHER. I WAS AT SUGAR LOAF MOUNTAIN AT THIS TIME. I DECIDED TO SQUAWK 1200 AND AVOIDED DULLES ARSA. LANDED AT MANASSAS AT ABOUT XB55 (16R). LESSONS LEARNED: THE CTLR SHOULD NOT HAVE KEPT ME SO LOW KNOWING I COULD LOSE RADIO CONTACT. HE NEVER DID ALLOW ME TO CLB TO MY REQUESTED ALT. A SITUATION RESULTED THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT HAD VISIBILITY BEEN MARGINAL VFR. I SHOULD HAVE PESTERED THE ATC MORE TO ENSURE HE DIDN'T FORGET ME. THE UNSETTLING THING ABOUT THE WHOLE INCIDENT IS THAT I WENT OFF HIS SCREEN, WHILE UNDER ATC APCH CTL, AND NO ONE APPEARS TO CARE. I WONDER IF THEY EVER INQUIRED TO SEE IF I HAD LANDED SAFELY OR CRASHED. NOTE: MY RADIOS WERE FUNCTIONAL BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER THIS INCIDENT.

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.