Narrative:

I was under VFR flight following (with a transponder code assigned by patuxent approach set into my transponder) with patuxent approach control, flying wbound direct toward gai. The controller advised me that I was leaving his airspace and if I wanted further advisories to contact bwi approach on 124.55. I requested a handoff to bwi approach. Patuxent then came back and said, 'oh well, you are already in bwi's airspace, contact bwi on 124.55.' I then called bwi approach and said, 'bwi approach, navajo xy level at 4500 ft.' bwi replied, 'roger navajo xy altimeter setting is...' and I then read back the altimeter setting. Approximately 5 mins went by and I spotted another aircraft that passed eastbound at about 1000 ft above me. It was a twin commuter aircraft. No corrective actions were required and I maintained visual separation. At no time did I hear the controller issue any TA's to myself or the commuter (unless the commuter was on another frequency). I thought it was strange that no TA's were given to either aircraft and considered chastising the controller, but elected not to since he appeared busy. I continued direct toward my destination and when I was approximately 12 mi from gai, I called bwi approach and requested a descent out of 4500 ft to 2500 ft. The controller replied, 'are you familiar with class B operations? I never cleared you into the class B.' I replied to the controller that I was handed off to him and he replied with an altimeter setting and went on to describe the situation. After chastising me, the controller said that he was not going to pursue a violation against me but to be certain that I always get an affirmative clearance into the class B in the future. My observations: I do realize that I was in error not confirming a class B clearance. However, I believe the controllers are also partly to blame based on their actions/inactions. The error began when patuxent approach commented to me that I was already within bwi's airspace. Based on that comment, I assumed since I was already in the bwi airspace, and since a handoff to bwi was given, I assumed in error that I was cleared into the class B. Once I checked in with bwi approach and an altimeter setting given, I was further led to believe I had obtained the proper clearance. Typically, controllers have always advised 'remain clear of the class B' and this advisory was never issued to me. Furthermore, I am also used to flying under an IFR flight plan and I checked in with the controller as I always do under an IFR flight plan then when I was given an altimeter setting by bwi, I was misled into thinking 'business as usual.' to help eliminate such future incursions, I would recommend that controllers be required to remind VFR traffic to remain clear of controled airspace upon their initial contact with a VFR aircraft. Of course, this matter will serve as a lesson to me to be certain to obtain affirmative clearance into controled airspace.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PVT PLT IN A PA31 PENETRATES THE CLASS B OF DCA WITHOUT ASKING FOR PERMISSION TO ENTER. RPTR HAD BEEN ON NHK CTLR FREQ FOR RADAR ADVISORY SVC.

Narrative: I WAS UNDER VFR FLT FOLLOWING (WITH A XPONDER CODE ASSIGNED BY PATUXENT APCH SET INTO MY XPONDER) WITH PATUXENT APCH CTL, FLYING WBOUND DIRECT TOWARD GAI. THE CTLR ADVISED ME THAT I WAS LEAVING HIS AIRSPACE AND IF I WANTED FURTHER ADVISORIES TO CONTACT BWI APCH ON 124.55. I REQUESTED A HDOF TO BWI APCH. PATUXENT THEN CAME BACK AND SAID, 'OH WELL, YOU ARE ALREADY IN BWI'S AIRSPACE, CONTACT BWI ON 124.55.' I THEN CALLED BWI APCH AND SAID, 'BWI APCH, NAVAJO XY LEVEL AT 4500 FT.' BWI REPLIED, 'ROGER NAVAJO XY ALTIMETER SETTING IS...' AND I THEN READ BACK THE ALTIMETER SETTING. APPROX 5 MINS WENT BY AND I SPOTTED ANOTHER ACFT THAT PASSED EBOUND AT ABOUT 1000 FT ABOVE ME. IT WAS A TWIN COMMUTER ACFT. NO CORRECTIVE ACTIONS WERE REQUIRED AND I MAINTAINED VISUAL SEPARATION. AT NO TIME DID I HEAR THE CTLR ISSUE ANY TA'S TO MYSELF OR THE COMMUTER (UNLESS THE COMMUTER WAS ON ANOTHER FREQ). I THOUGHT IT WAS STRANGE THAT NO TA'S WERE GIVEN TO EITHER ACFT AND CONSIDERED CHASTISING THE CTLR, BUT ELECTED NOT TO SINCE HE APPEARED BUSY. I CONTINUED DIRECT TOWARD MY DEST AND WHEN I WAS APPROX 12 MI FROM GAI, I CALLED BWI APCH AND REQUESTED A DSCNT OUT OF 4500 FT TO 2500 FT. THE CTLR REPLIED, 'ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH CLASS B OPS? I NEVER CLRED YOU INTO THE CLASS B.' I REPLIED TO THE CTLR THAT I WAS HANDED OFF TO HIM AND HE REPLIED WITH AN ALTIMETER SETTING AND WENT ON TO DESCRIBE THE SIT. AFTER CHASTISING ME, THE CTLR SAID THAT HE WAS NOT GOING TO PURSUE A VIOLATION AGAINST ME BUT TO BE CERTAIN THAT I ALWAYS GET AN AFFIRMATIVE CLRNC INTO THE CLASS B IN THE FUTURE. MY OBSERVATIONS: I DO REALIZE THAT I WAS IN ERROR NOT CONFIRMING A CLASS B CLRNC. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THE CTLRS ARE ALSO PARTLY TO BLAME BASED ON THEIR ACTIONS/INACTIONS. THE ERROR BEGAN WHEN PATUXENT APCH COMMENTED TO ME THAT I WAS ALREADY WITHIN BWI'S AIRSPACE. BASED ON THAT COMMENT, I ASSUMED SINCE I WAS ALREADY IN THE BWI AIRSPACE, AND SINCE A HDOF TO BWI WAS GIVEN, I ASSUMED IN ERROR THAT I WAS CLRED INTO THE CLASS B. ONCE I CHKED IN WITH BWI APCH AND AN ALTIMETER SETTING GIVEN, I WAS FURTHER LED TO BELIEVE I HAD OBTAINED THE PROPER CLRNC. TYPICALLY, CTLRS HAVE ALWAYS ADVISED 'REMAIN CLR OF THE CLASS B' AND THIS ADVISORY WAS NEVER ISSUED TO ME. FURTHERMORE, I AM ALSO USED TO FLYING UNDER AN IFR FLT PLAN AND I CHKED IN WITH THE CTLR AS I ALWAYS DO UNDER AN IFR FLT PLAN THEN WHEN I WAS GIVEN AN ALTIMETER SETTING BY BWI, I WAS MISLED INTO THINKING 'BUSINESS AS USUAL.' TO HELP ELIMINATE SUCH FUTURE INCURSIONS, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT CTLRS BE REQUIRED TO REMIND VFR TFC TO REMAIN CLR OF CTLED AIRSPACE UPON THEIR INITIAL CONTACT WITH A VFR ACFT. OF COURSE, THIS MATTER WILL SERVE AS A LESSON TO ME TO BE CERTAIN TO OBTAIN AFFIRMATIVE CLRNC INTO CTLED AIRSPACE.

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.