Narrative:

This involves flight in an air traffic area control zone (control zone) without 2-WAY communication with the control tower. The air traffic area control zone for boeing field and renton airport intersect. Because of this, a portion of the boeing air traffic area control zone is assigned to renton, but only below 800 ft AGL. One approach to landing at renton (not published, but commonly used and approved by renton tower) requires flight through the edge of the boeing air traffic area control zone 2 at 1200 ft AGL, immediately above the portion of the boeing air traffic area control zone assigned to renton. Typically, in order to fly this approach, a radio call is made to renton tower outside both the boeing and renton air traffic area control zone's, and renton tower and boeing tower communicate/coordinate control of the aircraft. When flying this approach, I made the radio call to renton tower outside both the boeing and renton air traffic area control zone's, but just outside -- that is, before renton tower and boeing tower could communicate, I was already in the boeing air traffic area control zone, but not in contact with boeing tower. Instead, I was in contact with renton tower, approximately 5 mi away from the airport. Renton tower inquired whether I was in contact with boeing tower, then offered to communicate with them by landline to advise them of my presence. Rather then relying on the tower to communicate, I should have contacted boeing tower first with the request that I be handed off to renton tower. Also, this call should have been made farther from the air traffic area control zone, rather than just outside. In summary, the situation could have been avoided by allowing more time to establish communication with the first air traffic area control zone encountered, and also, this would have avoided the need for the second air traffic area control zone authority/authorized to communicate with the first air traffic area control zone authority/authorized.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT ENTERS ATA CTL ZONE WITHOUT CONTACT.

Narrative: THIS INVOLVES FLT IN AN ATA CTL ZONE (CTL ZONE) WITHOUT 2-WAY COM WITH THE CTL TWR. THE ATA CTL ZONE FOR BOEING FIELD AND RENTON ARPT INTERSECT. BECAUSE OF THIS, A PORTION OF THE BOEING ATA CTL ZONE IS ASSIGNED TO RENTON, BUT ONLY BELOW 800 FT AGL. ONE APCH TO LNDG AT RENTON (NOT PUBLISHED, BUT COMMONLY USED AND APPROVED BY RENTON TWR) REQUIRES FLT THROUGH THE EDGE OF THE BOEING ATA CTL ZONE 2 AT 1200 FT AGL, IMMEDIATELY ABOVE THE PORTION OF THE BOEING ATA CTL ZONE ASSIGNED TO RENTON. TYPICALLY, IN ORDER TO FLY THIS APCH, A RADIO CALL IS MADE TO RENTON TWR OUTSIDE BOTH THE BOEING AND RENTON ATA CTL ZONE'S, AND RENTON TWR AND BOEING TWR COMMUNICATE/COORDINATE CTL OF THE ACFT. WHEN FLYING THIS APCH, I MADE THE RADIO CALL TO RENTON TWR OUTSIDE BOTH THE BOEING AND RENTON ATA CTL ZONE'S, BUT JUST OUTSIDE -- THAT IS, BEFORE RENTON TWR AND BOEING TWR COULD COMMUNICATE, I WAS ALREADY IN THE BOEING ATA CTL ZONE, BUT NOT IN CONTACT WITH BOEING TWR. INSTEAD, I WAS IN CONTACT WITH RENTON TWR, APPROX 5 MI AWAY FROM THE ARPT. RENTON TWR INQUIRED WHETHER I WAS IN CONTACT WITH BOEING TWR, THEN OFFERED TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM BY LANDLINE TO ADVISE THEM OF MY PRESENCE. RATHER THEN RELYING ON THE TWR TO COMMUNICATE, I SHOULD HAVE CONTACTED BOEING TWR FIRST WITH THE REQUEST THAT I BE HANDED OFF TO RENTON TWR. ALSO, THIS CALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE FARTHER FROM THE ATA CTL ZONE, RATHER THAN JUST OUTSIDE. IN SUMMARY, THE SIT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY ALLOWING MORE TIME TO ESTABLISH COM WITH THE FIRST ATA CTL ZONE ENCOUNTERED, AND ALSO, THIS WOULD HAVE AVOIDED THE NEED FOR THE SECOND ATA CTL ZONE AUTH TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE FIRST ATA CTL ZONE AUTH.

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.