Narrative:

Departed corona to the west, turned nwbnd towards chino while climbing. Contacted chino tower at 1500 MSL for transition through their airspace which was approved. At 3500' MSL over chino tower advises us to contact ont approach. I was unable to establish communication, so I turned southbound, descended to 1500 MSL and exited both arsa area and chino air traffic area to the south over corona. The reason for my NASA report is that the far 91.88 is rather ambiguous concerning flts to and from satellite airports underlying an arsa. The regulations state that 'communications with ATC will be established as soon as practical.' is this to say that ATC is the airport control tower at chino which has jurisdiction up to 3650' MSL or ont approach control (arsa floor is 2700 MSL over chino)? This is a rather grey zone in the regulations as they stand today. Callback conversation with reporter revealed following information. Callback confirmed that when unable to get ont approach on frequency given by chino tower for handoff pilot elected to depart area immediately. Confirmed with ont approach that they and chino due coordination when they put traffic through the air traffic area at 3000 MSL and chino tower coordinates with ont approach when they have traffic over air traffic area above 2700 MSL floor of ont arsa over chino. Supervisor at TRACON said must have been a foul up in coordination between chino and ont approach in them not receiving the handoff and that pilot had followed proper procedure and could have continued and would have eventually made radio contact.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: QUESTION BY GA SMA OF WHETHER PROPER PROC HAD BEEN FOLLOWED IN ENTERING ARSA WHERE 3000 AGL EXTENDS ABOVE 2700 MSL FLOOR ON OVERLYING ARSA.

Narrative: DEPARTED CORONA TO THE W, TURNED NWBND TOWARDS CHINO WHILE CLBING. CONTACTED CHINO TWR AT 1500 MSL FOR TRANSITION THROUGH THEIR AIRSPACE WHICH WAS APPROVED. AT 3500' MSL OVER CHINO TWR ADVISES US TO CONTACT ONT APCH. I WAS UNABLE TO ESTABLISH COM, SO I TURNED SBND, DSNDED TO 1500 MSL AND EXITED BOTH ARSA AREA AND CHINO ATA TO THE S OVER CORONA. THE REASON FOR MY NASA RPT IS THAT THE FAR 91.88 IS RATHER AMBIGUOUS CONCERNING FLTS TO AND FROM SATELLITE ARPTS UNDERLYING AN ARSA. THE REGS STATE THAT 'COMS WITH ATC WILL BE ESTABLISHED AS SOON AS PRACTICAL.' IS THIS TO SAY THAT ATC IS THE ARPT CTL TWR AT CHINO WHICH HAS JURISDICTION UP TO 3650' MSL OR ONT APCH CTL (ARSA FLOOR IS 2700 MSL OVER CHINO)? THIS IS A RATHER GREY ZONE IN THE REGS AS THEY STAND TODAY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED FOLLOWING INFO. CALLBACK CONFIRMED THAT WHEN UNABLE TO GET ONT APCH ON FREQ GIVEN BY CHINO TWR FOR HANDOFF PLT ELECTED TO DEPART AREA IMMEDIATELY. CONFIRMED WITH ONT APCH THAT THEY AND CHINO DUE COORD WHEN THEY PUT TFC THROUGH THE ATA AT 3000 MSL AND CHINO TWR COORDINATES WITH ONT APCH WHEN THEY HAVE TFC OVER ATA ABOVE 2700 MSL FLOOR OF ONT ARSA OVER CHINO. SUPVR AT TRACON SAID MUST HAVE BEEN A FOUL UP IN COORD BTWN CHINO AND ONT APCH IN THEM NOT RECEIVING THE HANDOFF AND THAT PLT HAD FOLLOWED PROPER PROC AND COULD HAVE CONTINUED AND WOULD HAVE EVENTUALLY MADE RADIO CONTACT.

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.