Narrative:

I was en route to the R-2508 complex on a T-62A stereo route from naws point mugu. ZLA gave me a vector of 55 degrees then handed me off to joshua control a few mi east of bakersfield. I checked in with joshua. Then, approaching the complex they provided me with the standard MOA clearance that they usually give: 'you are cleared to operate in the isabella, owens, saline and panamint at FL290 and below, china lake altimeter 29.98.' I knew that I wasn't in the complex yet so I delayed my descent from FL210 until I was visually established over the power plant a few mi southwest of lake isabella, inside the complex. At that point I began descending. Joshua asked my altitude and I reported passing 18000 ft. The controller informed me that I had descended while outside of the complex boundaries without clearance but was now inside and gave me a new transponder code. I was mislead by the clearance. When I received the clearance I assumed I was cleared to leave my last assigned altitude since it stated operations at 'FL290 and below,' a VFR clearance. I was additionally mislead since the clearance was issued while I was inside the bakersfield MOA which I subsequently learned is only available upon special request and wasn't active at the time I checked in. Some methods of avoiding this confusion in the future include: joshua could include a statement in the clearance to remain at the last ATC cleared altitude until inside the boundaries of the complex. Joshua could issue a single MOA clearance when the aircraft is nearer to the MOA boundaries combining it with a change of transponder code and clearance to leave the last assigned altitude. Pilots communicate with joshua asking when they are cleared to maneuver. Pilots proceed to the MOA VFR below 18000 ft MSL avoiding entirely positive control from ZLA. The important point I learned from this is that the VFR clearance to operate in the MOA is similar to clearance for a TACAN approach. The pilot may be cleared for the approach, however, he cannot commence the approach until arrival at the initial approach fix. The same applies to the clearance into the MOA, but is misleading since the aircraft is on an IFR clearance, however, the pilot must determine his position with a VFR scan of the ground.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: QF4N PLT LEAVES ASSIGNED ALT BEFORE ENTERING MOA.

Narrative: I WAS ENRTE TO THE R-2508 COMPLEX ON A T-62A STEREO RTE FROM NAWS POINT MUGU. ZLA GAVE ME A VECTOR OF 55 DEGS THEN HANDED ME OFF TO JOSHUA CTL A FEW MI E OF BAKERSFIELD. I CHKED IN WITH JOSHUA. THEN, APCHING THE COMPLEX THEY PROVIDED ME WITH THE STANDARD MOA CLRNC THAT THEY USUALLY GIVE: 'YOU ARE CLRED TO OPERATE IN THE ISABELLA, OWENS, SALINE AND PANAMINT AT FL290 AND BELOW, CHINA LAKE ALTIMETER 29.98.' I KNEW THAT I WASN'T IN THE COMPLEX YET SO I DELAYED MY DSCNT FROM FL210 UNTIL I WAS VISUALLY ESTABLISHED OVER THE PWR PLANT A FEW MI SW OF LAKE ISABELLA, INSIDE THE COMPLEX. AT THAT POINT I BEGAN DSNDING. JOSHUA ASKED MY ALT AND I RPTED PASSING 18000 FT. THE CTLR INFORMED ME THAT I HAD DSNDED WHILE OUTSIDE OF THE COMPLEX BOUNDARIES WITHOUT CLRNC BUT WAS NOW INSIDE AND GAVE ME A NEW XPONDER CODE. I WAS MISLEAD BY THE CLRNC. WHEN I RECEIVED THE CLRNC I ASSUMED I WAS CLRED TO LEAVE MY LAST ASSIGNED ALT SINCE IT STATED OPS AT 'FL290 AND BELOW,' A VFR CLRNC. I WAS ADDITIONALLY MISLEAD SINCE THE CLRNC WAS ISSUED WHILE I WAS INSIDE THE BAKERSFIELD MOA WHICH I SUBSEQUENTLY LEARNED IS ONLY AVAILABLE UPON SPECIAL REQUEST AND WASN'T ACTIVE AT THE TIME I CHKED IN. SOME METHODS OF AVOIDING THIS CONFUSION IN THE FUTURE INCLUDE: JOSHUA COULD INCLUDE A STATEMENT IN THE CLRNC TO REMAIN AT THE LAST ATC CLRED ALT UNTIL INSIDE THE BOUNDARIES OF THE COMPLEX. JOSHUA COULD ISSUE A SINGLE MOA CLRNC WHEN THE ACFT IS NEARER TO THE MOA BOUNDARIES COMBINING IT WITH A CHANGE OF XPONDER CODE AND CLRNC TO LEAVE THE LAST ASSIGNED ALT. PLTS COMMUNICATE WITH JOSHUA ASKING WHEN THEY ARE CLRED TO MANEUVER. PLTS PROCEED TO THE MOA VFR BELOW 18000 FT MSL AVOIDING ENTIRELY POSITIVE CTL FROM ZLA. THE IMPORTANT POINT I LEARNED FROM THIS IS THAT THE VFR CLRNC TO OPERATE IN THE MOA IS SIMILAR TO CLRNC FOR A TACAN APCH. THE PLT MAY BE CLRED FOR THE APCH, HOWEVER, HE CANNOT COMMENCE THE APCH UNTIL ARR AT THE INITIAL APCH FIX. THE SAME APPLIES TO THE CLRNC INTO THE MOA, BUT IS MISLEADING SINCE THE ACFT IS ON AN IFR CLRNC, HOWEVER, THE PLT MUST DETERMINE HIS POS WITH A VFR SCAN OF THE GND.

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.