<< >> NASA ASRS Report 346350, August 1996

Pilot of an small aircraft sel circumnaved class B airspace when he could not obtain clearance through the airspace due to controller workload frequency congestion.

Attributes
ACN	346350
Time
Date	199608
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : cle
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4500 msl bound upper : 4500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cle
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 24 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 1146
ASRS Report	346350
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was unexpectedly attempting to circumnav cleveland, oh's class B airspace. The originally planned VFR altitude was 8500 ft (which would have been 500 ft above the class B airspace), however, in maintaining VFR (scattered to broken cloud conditions) a cruise altitude of 4500 ft was established early in the flight. Flight following was requested and provided shortly after takeoff. Instead of overflying, as planned, I would now be traversing. Approaching cleveland (from the southeast), the controller advised that 'cleveland approach would not take a radar handoff, squawk VFR and change to en route frequency.' asking for an appropriate frequency, I was given cle's. On switching, the controller was busy and rather than 'bust in' with a transmission, I began descending to stay below the class B. Almost reaching the innermost core and still not reaching the controller, I diverted to the west and circumnaved, reclbing to cruise altitude after clearing the airspace to the w-nw. Remainder of flight was uneventful.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SEL CIRCUMNAVED CLASS B AIRSPACE WHEN HE COULD NOT OBTAIN CLRNC THROUGH THE AIRSPACE DUE TO CTLR WORKLOAD FREQ CONGESTION.

Narrative: I WAS UNEXPECTEDLY ATTEMPTING TO CIRCUMNAV CLEVELAND, OH'S CLASS B AIRSPACE. THE ORIGINALLY PLANNED VFR ALT WAS 8500 FT (WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN 500 FT ABOVE THE CLASS B AIRSPACE), HOWEVER, IN MAINTAINING VFR (SCATTERED TO BROKEN CLOUD CONDITIONS) A CRUISE ALT OF 4500 FT WAS ESTABLISHED EARLY IN THE FLT. FLT FOLLOWING WAS REQUESTED AND PROVIDED SHORTLY AFTER TKOF. INSTEAD OF OVERFLYING, AS PLANNED, I WOULD NOW BE TRAVERSING. APCHING CLEVELAND (FROM THE SE), THE CTLR ADVISED THAT 'CLEVELAND APCH WOULD NOT TAKE A RADAR HDOF, SQUAWK VFR AND CHANGE TO ENRTE FREQ.' ASKING FOR AN APPROPRIATE FREQ, I WAS GIVEN CLE'S. ON SWITCHING, THE CTLR WAS BUSY AND RATHER THAN 'BUST IN' WITH A XMISSION, I BEGAN DSNDING TO STAY BELOW THE CLASS B. ALMOST REACHING THE INNERMOST CORE AND STILL NOT REACHING THE CTLR, I DIVERTED TO THE W AND CIRCUMNAVED, RECLBING TO CRUISE ALT AFTER CLRING THE AIRSPACE TO THE W-NW. REMAINDER OF FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL.

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.