Narrative:

While on an IFR flight plan in VFR conditions, we were being vectored for the VOR or GPS-a approach at santa monica airport. The vectors took us along the coastline at 3000 ft MSL near lax until we were north of smo, and then we were turned northeast for the downwind leg. The frequency was very busy with traffic receiving radar vectors, and there were several instances of confusion with some pilots stepping on each other when attempting to contact approach control. This resulted in some xmissions being blocked either partially or totally. Things settled down somewhat, and we received another radar vector further east, but still northeast, and then no more vectors for us. This concerned us as the last vector appeared to aim us toward the class B airspace of lax where we would be above the floor of 2500 ft MSL (we were still at 3000 ft MSL). We contacted the controller immediately to express our concern about nearing the class B airspace of lax, and asked the controller where he was taking us. When he answered us, he appeared confused and surprised to hear from us, and indicated he did not seem to have a record of our flight. He suggested a frequency for flight following, which we rejected, reminding him we were on an IFR flight plan and needed a vector away from class B airspace or else a clearance to enter class B. He reacted with more confusion, asked us to wait, and left us on the vector toward class B airspace. When he got back to us again, he gave us a new approach frequency, a vector west, and apologized for 'losing' us in the congestion on the frequency, saying 'he didn't know exactly how he'd dropped us.' we had seen no other aircraft in our vicinity during this time, but continued to hear the controller talking to others and assigning them the new frequency that we expected to get, but didn't, for the approach. The controller had a lot of unruly traffic conversation and a busy workload. He forgot us and we were flying toward potential trouble. Had we not questioned his intentions and therefore caused him to realize his oversight, we could have entered class B airspace without a clearance. We do not feel we did, but wish to point out how easily these things can happen (human error) and that whenever in doubt about a clearance, one must always ask or speak up and question the controller.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT ON IFR FLT PLAN, BEING VECTORED FOR PRACTICE APCH, STATES 'CTLR DROPPED US' DURING HVY TFC WORKLOAD. PLT QUESTIONED CTLR AND RADAR CONTACT WAS RE-ESTABLISHED. ACFT WAS VECTORED TO FINAL APCH COURSE. PLT BELIEVES FREQ CONGESTION WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.

Narrative: WHILE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN IN VFR CONDITIONS, WE WERE BEING VECTORED FOR THE VOR OR GPS-A APCH AT SANTA MONICA ARPT. THE VECTORS TOOK US ALONG THE COASTLINE AT 3000 FT MSL NEAR LAX UNTIL WE WERE N OF SMO, AND THEN WE WERE TURNED NE FOR THE DOWNWIND LEG. THE FREQ WAS VERY BUSY WITH TFC RECEIVING RADAR VECTORS, AND THERE WERE SEVERAL INSTANCES OF CONFUSION WITH SOME PLTS STEPPING ON EACH OTHER WHEN ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT APCH CTL. THIS RESULTED IN SOME XMISSIONS BEING BLOCKED EITHER PARTIALLY OR TOTALLY. THINGS SETTLED DOWN SOMEWHAT, AND WE RECEIVED ANOTHER RADAR VECTOR FURTHER E, BUT STILL NE, AND THEN NO MORE VECTORS FOR US. THIS CONCERNED US AS THE LAST VECTOR APPEARED TO AIM US TOWARD THE CLASS B AIRSPACE OF LAX WHERE WE WOULD BE ABOVE THE FLOOR OF 2500 FT MSL (WE WERE STILL AT 3000 FT MSL). WE CONTACTED THE CTLR IMMEDIATELY TO EXPRESS OUR CONCERN ABOUT NEARING THE CLASS B AIRSPACE OF LAX, AND ASKED THE CTLR WHERE HE WAS TAKING US. WHEN HE ANSWERED US, HE APPEARED CONFUSED AND SURPRISED TO HEAR FROM US, AND INDICATED HE DID NOT SEEM TO HAVE A RECORD OF OUR FLT. HE SUGGESTED A FREQ FOR FLT FOLLOWING, WHICH WE REJECTED, REMINDING HIM WE WERE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN AND NEEDED A VECTOR AWAY FROM CLASS B AIRSPACE OR ELSE A CLRNC TO ENTER CLASS B. HE REACTED WITH MORE CONFUSION, ASKED US TO WAIT, AND LEFT US ON THE VECTOR TOWARD CLASS B AIRSPACE. WHEN HE GOT BACK TO US AGAIN, HE GAVE US A NEW APCH FREQ, A VECTOR W, AND APOLOGIZED FOR 'LOSING' US IN THE CONGESTION ON THE FREQ, SAYING 'HE DIDN'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW HE'D DROPPED US.' WE HAD SEEN NO OTHER ACFT IN OUR VICINITY DURING THIS TIME, BUT CONTINUED TO HEAR THE CTLR TALKING TO OTHERS AND ASSIGNING THEM THE NEW FREQ THAT WE EXPECTED TO GET, BUT DIDN'T, FOR THE APCH. THE CTLR HAD A LOT OF UNRULY TFC CONVERSATION AND A BUSY WORKLOAD. HE FORGOT US AND WE WERE FLYING TOWARD POTENTIAL TROUBLE. HAD WE NOT QUESTIONED HIS INTENTIONS AND THEREFORE CAUSED HIM TO REALIZE HIS OVERSIGHT, WE COULD HAVE ENTERED CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT A CLRNC. WE DO NOT FEEL WE DID, BUT WISH TO POINT OUT HOW EASILY THESE THINGS CAN HAPPEN (HUMAN ERROR) AND THAT WHENEVER IN DOUBT ABOUT A CLRNC, ONE MUST ALWAYS ASK OR SPEAK UP AND QUESTION THE CTLR.

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.