Narrative:

This was my first flight in the northwest leaving from estacada, or, to pae in everett, wa. Upon departure everything was operating correctly and communication with and flight over pdx went normally. Portland later communicated loss of radar contact and transponder squawk 1200. WX had ceilings varying from 2000-3500' MSL with numerous rain showers. Navigation using dead reckoning and pilotage with verification of position using VOR's. Everything was fine. Over centralia, wa, I tried to call FSS to get updated WX for seattle area and pae. I was unable to reach them on communication 1 radio. I switched to communication 2 radio and was able to get desired WX. Not thinking too much of the communication 1 problem, I habitually went back to using it for I could receive fine. Having not flown in the area, I was paying particular attention to the seattle TCA planning my route to the west and under the TCA. I had decided not to talk with mccord AFB TRSA as I would be on the outer section of it and under it. I then saw that mccord had an ATIS so I tried to dial it in, but had never come across an ATIS which was aired over the VOR, so I couldn't understand how to get the frequency and thought it must be military. With my mind on this I seemed to get behind the aircraft navigation. Also, due to quick last min course planning I hadn't looked over the path of flight for smaller airspace restrictions other than restr/MOA/TCA airspace. I was also concerned about rainier 1 and 2 MOA and R-6703 a, B, and C restr airspace so I was leaning to stay left of course leaving larger margin from these airspaces. Before I knew it I was at my next chkpoint, olympia airport. It was of to my righthand side 1 to 2 mi away. I was flying at 2500' MSL, 2294 AGL. Seeing a fairly large airport I thought maybe they had ATIS, so I quickly checked my sectional and it was here that I saw they had a control tower and air traffic area. So I quickly dialed tower in on my communication 1 (I could hear but not transmit). The safest thing to do at this point would have been to contact olympia, yet it's sad because keeping out of trouble at times is more important than doing the right thing. So what did I do? I kept radio silence (still on communication 1) and climbed to 3000' MSL. I didn't want to get busted, with the word out that FAA is out to get you. I decided not to confess to olympia lest they hand me onto the FAA. I continued monitoring CTAF (tower) until out of air traffic area where I then had to descend back down to 2500' MSL due to conflicting traffic (no factor). I later figured out communication 1 did not transmit when trying to contact seattle approach. Other than the radio problem, the rest of the flight went fine. Communication, approach, and landing at pae in everett, wa, went normal.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA UNAUTH PENETRATION ON OLM ATA.

Narrative: THIS WAS MY FIRST FLT IN THE NW LEAVING FROM ESTACADA, OR, TO PAE IN EVERETT, WA. UPON DEP EVERYTHING WAS OPERATING CORRECTLY AND COM WITH AND FLT OVER PDX WENT NORMALLY. PORTLAND LATER COMMUNICATED LOSS OF RADAR CONTACT AND XPONDER SQUAWK 1200. WX HAD CEILINGS VARYING FROM 2000-3500' MSL WITH NUMEROUS RAIN SHOWERS. NAV USING DEAD RECKONING AND PILOTAGE WITH VERIFICATION OF POS USING VOR'S. EVERYTHING WAS FINE. OVER CENTRALIA, WA, I TRIED TO CALL FSS TO GET UPDATED WX FOR SEATTLE AREA AND PAE. I WAS UNABLE TO REACH THEM ON COM 1 RADIO. I SWITCHED TO COM 2 RADIO AND WAS ABLE TO GET DESIRED WX. NOT THINKING TOO MUCH OF THE COM 1 PROB, I HABITUALLY WENT BACK TO USING IT FOR I COULD RECEIVE FINE. HAVING NOT FLOWN IN THE AREA, I WAS PAYING PARTICULAR ATTN TO THE SEATTLE TCA PLANNING MY RTE TO THE W AND UNDER THE TCA. I HAD DECIDED NOT TO TALK WITH MCCORD AFB TRSA AS I WOULD BE ON THE OUTER SECTION OF IT AND UNDER IT. I THEN SAW THAT MCCORD HAD AN ATIS SO I TRIED TO DIAL IT IN, BUT HAD NEVER COME ACROSS AN ATIS WHICH WAS AIRED OVER THE VOR, SO I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW TO GET THE FREQ AND THOUGHT IT MUST BE MIL. WITH MY MIND ON THIS I SEEMED TO GET BEHIND THE ACFT NAV. ALSO, DUE TO QUICK LAST MIN COURSE PLANNING I HADN'T LOOKED OVER THE PATH OF FLT FOR SMALLER AIRSPACE RESTRICTIONS OTHER THAN RESTR/MOA/TCA AIRSPACE. I WAS ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT RAINIER 1 AND 2 MOA AND R-6703 A, B, AND C RESTR AIRSPACE SO I WAS LEANING TO STAY LEFT OF COURSE LEAVING LARGER MARGIN FROM THESE AIRSPACES. BEFORE I KNEW IT I WAS AT MY NEXT CHKPOINT, OLYMPIA ARPT. IT WAS OF TO MY RIGHTHAND SIDE 1 TO 2 MI AWAY. I WAS FLYING AT 2500' MSL, 2294 AGL. SEEING A FAIRLY LARGE ARPT I THOUGHT MAYBE THEY HAD ATIS, SO I QUICKLY CHKED MY SECTIONAL AND IT WAS HERE THAT I SAW THEY HAD A CTL TWR AND ATA. SO I QUICKLY DIALED TWR IN ON MY COM 1 (I COULD HEAR BUT NOT XMIT). THE SAFEST THING TO DO AT THIS POINT WOULD HAVE BEEN TO CONTACT OLYMPIA, YET IT'S SAD BECAUSE KEEPING OUT OF TROUBLE AT TIMES IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN DOING THE RIGHT THING. SO WHAT DID I DO? I KEPT RADIO SILENCE (STILL ON COM 1) AND CLBED TO 3000' MSL. I DIDN'T WANT TO GET BUSTED, WITH THE WORD OUT THAT FAA IS OUT TO GET YOU. I DECIDED NOT TO CONFESS TO OLYMPIA LEST THEY HAND ME ONTO THE FAA. I CONTINUED MONITORING CTAF (TWR) UNTIL OUT OF ATA WHERE I THEN HAD TO DSND BACK DOWN TO 2500' MSL DUE TO CONFLICTING TFC (NO FACTOR). I LATER FIGURED OUT COM 1 DID NOT XMIT WHEN TRYING TO CONTACT SEATTLE APCH. OTHER THAN THE RADIO PROB, THE REST OF THE FLT WENT FINE. COM, APCH, AND LNDG AT PAE IN EVERETT, WA, WENT NORMAL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.