Narrative:

Upon departing local landing area, pilot contacted lft tower for clearance into class D airspace for aerial survey (low level). Pilot failed to notice class D airspace at ara, new iberia, until lft tower questioned if communications were established with new iberia. Approximately 3 mi from airport at new iberia, communications were established and clearance received. The closeness of lft, new iberia, and pilot's departure point, and the communications with lft while flying in marginal WX in unfamiliar territory, led to missing communications with new iberia tower. Knowing pilot's starting survey point was in lft airspace and pilot's familiarity with lft communications, less time was spent in frequency location and more time was spent in visual contact with terrain avoidance in marginal conditions. The first survey point was not told to pilot until liftoff and proper preflight planning was unable to be performed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELI PLT FAILS TO GET AUTH FOR ENTRY INTO CLASS D AIRSPACE AT ARA, LA. HE WAS RUSHED AND PREOCCUPIED WITH OTHER RADIO CALLS AND SIMPLY FAILED TO REMEMBER TO CALL THE TWR FOR PERMISSION.

Narrative: UPON DEPARTING LCL LNDG AREA, PLT CONTACTED LFT TWR FOR CLRNC INTO CLASS D AIRSPACE FOR AERIAL SURVEY (LOW LEVEL). PLT FAILED TO NOTICE CLASS D AIRSPACE AT ARA, NEW IBERIA, UNTIL LFT TWR QUESTIONED IF COMS WERE ESTABLISHED WITH NEW IBERIA. APPROX 3 MI FROM ARPT AT NEW IBERIA, COMS WERE ESTABLISHED AND CLRNC RECEIVED. THE CLOSENESS OF LFT, NEW IBERIA, AND PLT'S DEP POINT, AND THE COMS WITH LFT WHILE FLYING IN MARGINAL WX IN UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY, LED TO MISSING COMS WITH NEW IBERIA TWR. KNOWING PLT'S STARTING SURVEY POINT WAS IN LFT AIRSPACE AND PLT'S FAMILIARITY WITH LFT COMS, LESS TIME WAS SPENT IN FREQ LOCATION AND MORE TIME WAS SPENT IN VISUAL CONTACT WITH TERRAIN AVOIDANCE IN MARGINAL CONDITIONS. THE FIRST SURVEY POINT WAS NOT TOLD TO PLT UNTIL LIFTOFF AND PROPER PREFLT PLANNING WAS UNABLE TO BE PERFORMED.

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.