Pilot reports of flying under flight following and not hearing a transfer of communications. Pilot i...

Attributes
ACN	1278783
Time
Date	201507
Local Time Of Day	0601-1200
Place
Locale Reference	SBA.Tower
State Reference	CA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	Cruise
Route In Use	Visual Approach
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Function	Single Pilot
Qualification	Flight Crew Student
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 10 Flight Crew Total 31.5 Flight Crew Type 31.5
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Airspace Violation All Types Deviation - Procedural FAR Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy

Narrative:

I am a student pilot and did my first solo cross country flight today. I was flying to sba via [route X] with flight following. I listened to sba ATIS as I approached and repeatedly requested (3-5 times) a frequency change from socal approach to sba approach. I had their frequency on standby and was waiting permission to change frequencies. Finally another aircraft relayed to me the message that sba approach was trying to get a hold of me. I immediately replied and changed frequencies to sba approach. I am unsure if I violated their airspace in the time that I was awaiting approval to change frequencies. I never heard back from socal approach which tells me that they must have terminated my radar services without my knowledge; but I never left their frequency. The only way it could have happened is if they did so while I was listening to sba ATIS.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Pilot reports of flying under flight following and not hearing a transfer of communications. Pilot is advised by another pilot to contact the approach control he was waiting to be switched to. Pilot is unsure if he violated any airspace during the communication issue.

Narrative: I am a student pilot and did my first solo cross country flight today. I was flying to SBA via [Route X] with flight following. I listened to SBA ATIS as I approached and repeatedly requested (3-5 times) a frequency change from SoCal Approach to SBA Approach. I had their frequency on standby and was waiting permission to change frequencies. Finally another aircraft relayed to me the message that SBA Approach was trying to get a hold of me. I immediately replied and changed frequencies to SBA Approach. I am unsure if I violated their airspace in the time that I was awaiting approval to change frequencies. I never heard back from SoCal approach which tells me that they must have terminated my radar services without my knowledge; but I never left their frequency. The only way it could have happened is if they did so while I was listening to SBA ATIS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.