Narrative:

The problem relates to a controller's misunderstanding of a descent in uncontrolled airspace in VFR conditions. Departing san VFR, I climbed nwbound under positive control with san departures in the san TCA until terminated near rancho california at 8500' MSL in VFR. Further north, the clouds sloped up to a broken to overcast layer with tops to approximately 9000'. I called the ont TRACON, requested and received the flight following services. To comply with far 91.105, I informed the controller that I was climbing in VFR to 10500' and requested his approval. The controller responded that altitudes were at my discretion. The next sector controller asked where I planned to descend for bur, my destination. I told him due to the could conditions it would not be for a few mi, 'probably closer to pomona that paradise (VOR).' proceeding wbound direct pomona VOR, I noticed a large hole in the cloud cover and good VFR underneath. (The ont ATIS was reporting 4000' broken.) the controller gave me a traffic pointout, which I acknowledged. I said I would be descending through a large hole in the clouds below me in left turns. The controller asked me the altitude to which I was descending and I responded, '4.5.' the controller responded 'VFR descent approved, contact ont approach on 125.5.' I checked in on that frequency. I indicated that I was descending in left turns out of 10500', and commenced a 30 degree left bank at higher than standard rates to maintain cloud clearance. Ont controller #3, to whom I had just been switched, responded that the descent was approved, and I believe, gave me the ont altimeter setting. After completing approximately 360 degrees of turn and reaching approximately 9000' MSL, a new voice came on the radio and informed me in a very angry tone of voice, 'don't you ever do that again! Stop descent and fly heading 290.' I immediately stopped the descent and complied with the request. I called on the radio, once stabilized in level flight, and non-committally asked what the problem was. The controller responded that I was descending near a major airport. I replied that I was in VFR, that I had informed ont approach of my intentions to descend in left turns and that it had been approved. The controller responded, 'the clearance (sic) to descend does not include permission to do 360 degree turns.' the area involved in this incident is uncontrolled airspace over the ont arsa and below the cca. At all times proper clearance above and horizontal from clouds was observed. I waited until arrival at bur and contacted the ont TRACON. The supervisor in the controller's area told me that he had heard nothing of the incident and that there had been a shift change approximately 15 mins prior to that time. I believe that this incident was caused by the controller's lack of understanding of his responsibility and authority in uncontrolled airspace under VFR.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA CHIDED BY ONT APCH CTLR FOR MAKING A SPIRAL DESCENT OVER THE ONT ARSA.

Narrative: THE PROB RELATES TO A CTLR'S MISUNDERSTANDING OF A DSCNT IN UNCONTROLLED AIRSPACE IN VFR CONDITIONS. DEPARTING SAN VFR, I CLBED NWBOUND UNDER POSITIVE CTL WITH SAN DEPS IN THE SAN TCA UNTIL TERMINATED NEAR RANCHO CALIFORNIA AT 8500' MSL IN VFR. FURTHER N, THE CLOUDS SLOPED UP TO A BROKEN TO OVCST LAYER WITH TOPS TO APPROX 9000'. I CALLED THE ONT TRACON, REQUESTED AND RECEIVED THE FLT FOLLOWING SVCS. TO COMPLY WITH FAR 91.105, I INFORMED THE CTLR THAT I WAS CLBING IN VFR TO 10500' AND REQUESTED HIS APPROVAL. THE CTLR RESPONDED THAT ALTS WERE AT MY DISCRETION. THE NEXT SECTOR CTLR ASKED WHERE I PLANNED TO DSND FOR BUR, MY DEST. I TOLD HIM DUE TO THE COULD CONDITIONS IT WOULD NOT BE FOR A FEW MI, 'PROBABLY CLOSER TO POMONA THAT PARADISE (VOR).' PROCEEDING WBOUND DIRECT POMONA VOR, I NOTICED A LARGE HOLE IN THE CLOUD COVER AND GOOD VFR UNDERNEATH. (THE ONT ATIS WAS RPTING 4000' BROKEN.) THE CTLR GAVE ME A TFC POINTOUT, WHICH I ACKNOWLEDGED. I SAID I WOULD BE DSNDING THROUGH A LARGE HOLE IN THE CLOUDS BELOW ME IN LEFT TURNS. THE CTLR ASKED ME THE ALT TO WHICH I WAS DSNDING AND I RESPONDED, '4.5.' THE CTLR RESPONDED 'VFR DSCNT APPROVED, CONTACT ONT APCH ON 125.5.' I CHKED IN ON THAT FREQ. I INDICATED THAT I WAS DSNDING IN LEFT TURNS OUT OF 10500', AND COMMENCED A 30 DEG LEFT BANK AT HIGHER THAN STANDARD RATES TO MAINTAIN CLOUD CLRNC. ONT CTLR #3, TO WHOM I HAD JUST BEEN SWITCHED, RESPONDED THAT THE DSCNT WAS APPROVED, AND I BELIEVE, GAVE ME THE ONT ALTIMETER SETTING. AFTER COMPLETING APPROX 360 DEGS OF TURN AND REACHING APPROX 9000' MSL, A NEW VOICE CAME ON THE RADIO AND INFORMED ME IN A VERY ANGRY TONE OF VOICE, 'DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT AGAIN! STOP DSCNT AND FLY HDG 290.' I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE DSCNT AND COMPLIED WITH THE REQUEST. I CALLED ON THE RADIO, ONCE STABILIZED IN LEVEL FLT, AND NON-COMMITTALLY ASKED WHAT THE PROB WAS. THE CTLR RESPONDED THAT I WAS DSNDING NEAR A MAJOR ARPT. I REPLIED THAT I WAS IN VFR, THAT I HAD INFORMED ONT APCH OF MY INTENTIONS TO DSND IN LEFT TURNS AND THAT IT HAD BEEN APPROVED. THE CTLR RESPONDED, 'THE CLRNC (SIC) TO DSND DOES NOT INCLUDE PERMISSION TO DO 360 DEG TURNS.' THE AREA INVOLVED IN THIS INCIDENT IS UNCONTROLLED AIRSPACE OVER THE ONT ARSA AND BELOW THE CCA. AT ALL TIMES PROPER CLRNC ABOVE AND HORIZ FROM CLOUDS WAS OBSERVED. I WAITED UNTIL ARR AT BUR AND CONTACTED THE ONT TRACON. THE SUPVR IN THE CTLR'S AREA TOLD ME THAT HE HAD HEARD NOTHING OF THE INCIDENT AND THAT THERE HAD BEEN A SHIFT CHANGE APPROX 15 MINS PRIOR TO THAT TIME. I BELIEVE THAT THIS INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY THE CTLR'S LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF HIS RESPONSIBILITY AND AUTHORITY IN UNCONTROLLED AIRSPACE UNDER VFR.

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.