Narrative:

En route from santa paula, ca, to carlsbad, ca (crq), established VFR flight following service with burbank approach control. Requested routing through lax shoreline corridor, from the north to south. Burbank acknowledged with instructions to squawk XXXX and terminated service. Approval for shoreline corridor unclr. Reestablished flight following with burbank approach control and requested same routing through lax shoreline corridor. Burbank responded again with same instructions and terminated radar service again. At this point I was 15 mi northwest of lax along the shoreline. Although I believed I received a shoreline corridor approval from burbank, I radioed los angeles approach 2 times prior to entering the shoreline corridor. No response from los angeles approach. I proceeded through the corridor at 3500 ft. No traffic was departing lax to the west. My 3RD call to los angeles approach was returned. I was told I was 2 mi south of lax VOR (south of lax runways), 2 mi west of my correct course directly over lax and in violation of class B control zone. I explained my request with burbank approach briefly. I was advised to read my TCA chart more thoroughly next time and that he (the controller) held up departing traffic for me. He made no reference to writing up a violation and I have heard nothing else since the occurrence. Regarding my action: I should have circled north of lax until in contact with los angeles approach. I assumed burbank could and did clear me through the shoreline corridor, and I assumed los angeles approach was aware of my clearance and too busy to acknowledge my first 2 calls. I had not flown the lax VFR corridor for 10 yrs, and although I had reviewed my chart carefully, my error was in part due to the seeming unclr and ambiguous instructions on the chart. Burbank approach could have responded to my 2 'shoreline' corridor requests more clearly, and verified they were not approving my request and could not.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SEL ACFT FLEW THROUGH A TCA VFR CORRIDOR WITHOUT A CLRNC AS PRESCRIBED IN THE VFR TERMINAL AREA CHART.

Narrative: ENRTE FROM SANTA PAULA, CA, TO CARLSBAD, CA (CRQ), ESTABLISHED VFR FLT FOLLOWING SVC WITH BURBANK APCH CTL. REQUESTED ROUTING THROUGH LAX SHORELINE CORRIDOR, FROM THE N TO S. BURBANK ACKNOWLEDGED WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO SQUAWK XXXX AND TERMINATED SVC. APPROVAL FOR SHORELINE CORRIDOR UNCLR. REESTABLISHED FLT FOLLOWING WITH BURBANK APCH CTL AND REQUESTED SAME ROUTING THROUGH LAX SHORELINE CORRIDOR. BURBANK RESPONDED AGAIN WITH SAME INSTRUCTIONS AND TERMINATED RADAR SVC AGAIN. AT THIS POINT I WAS 15 MI NW OF LAX ALONG THE SHORELINE. ALTHOUGH I BELIEVED I RECEIVED A SHORELINE CORRIDOR APPROVAL FROM BURBANK, I RADIOED LOS ANGELES APCH 2 TIMES PRIOR TO ENTERING THE SHORELINE CORRIDOR. NO RESPONSE FROM LOS ANGELES APCH. I PROCEEDED THROUGH THE CORRIDOR AT 3500 FT. NO TFC WAS DEPARTING LAX TO THE W. MY 3RD CALL TO LOS ANGELES APCH WAS RETURNED. I WAS TOLD I WAS 2 MI S OF LAX VOR (S OF LAX RWYS), 2 MI W OF MY CORRECT COURSE DIRECTLY OVER LAX AND IN VIOLATION OF CLASS B CTL ZONE. I EXPLAINED MY REQUEST WITH BURBANK APCH BRIEFLY. I WAS ADVISED TO READ MY TCA CHART MORE THOROUGHLY NEXT TIME AND THAT HE (THE CTLR) HELD UP DEPARTING TFC FOR ME. HE MADE NO REF TO WRITING UP A VIOLATION AND I HAVE HEARD NOTHING ELSE SINCE THE OCCURRENCE. REGARDING MY ACTION: I SHOULD HAVE CIRCLED N OF LAX UNTIL IN CONTACT WITH LOS ANGELES APCH. I ASSUMED BURBANK COULD AND DID CLR ME THROUGH THE SHORELINE CORRIDOR, AND I ASSUMED LOS ANGELES APCH WAS AWARE OF MY CLRNC AND TOO BUSY TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY FIRST 2 CALLS. I HAD NOT FLOWN THE LAX VFR CORRIDOR FOR 10 YRS, AND ALTHOUGH I HAD REVIEWED MY CHART CAREFULLY, MY ERROR WAS IN PART DUE TO THE SEEMING UNCLR AND AMBIGUOUS INSTRUCTIONS ON THE CHART. BURBANK APCH COULD HAVE RESPONDED TO MY 2 'SHORELINE' CORRIDOR REQUESTS MORE CLRLY, AND VERIFIED THEY WERE NOT APPROVING MY REQUEST AND COULD NOT.

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.