Narrative:

On aug/xa/98 I departed gustine, ca, for a VFR flight to sna, ca, for a trip to disneyland. My original plan was to fly gorman to pomona VOR, then turn south direct to santa ana, thus avoiding most of the los angeles class B airspace. This was my route the last time I flew to orange county. However, I noticed in my pilots guide that there was a more direct route available, the hollywood park route, which requires a clearance. I was on one approach or another for the duration of the trip. I have all the equipment necessary, including a panel mounted GPS, to make the trip. Because I was unfamiliar with my intended route, I informed ZLA when I was first xferred to their frequency that I would be requesting a clearance into the class B airspace for transition to orange county. The controller told me to wait for my contact with socal approach, because they would be able to grant the clearance. When I was xferred to socal I again requested a clearance into the class B airspace. They asked me what route I would prefer and I replied I would like me to go directly through the class B to john wayne. The controller said that this route would not be available, but that the hollywood park route was available. He may have said that the shoreline route was also available, but I don't know for sure as I was busy changing frequencys, transponder codes, and looking for traffic. Then a socal controller came on (a female voice) and gave me some vectors, told me to maintain 3500 ft or below (I thought at the time, later I realized or was told that I was supposed to be 3500 ft or higher). At about this time she said 'radar service is terminated, squawk VFR, etc.' a moment later I was told to 'remain on this frequency and climb to 3500.' I was actually executing a slight descent in preparation for landing at john wayne. At this time the WX was VFR, I could see the surface over to the east, but there was a cloud cover directly below me, so I could not see los angeles international. I must have been directly over los angeles when I was told to climb to 3500 ft. Then she said that they would like to call a 619 number as soon as I landed. I called as soon as we got in the terminal and spoke to a supervisor, whose name I have forgotten. He asked me several questions about my experience in flying in southern california (very seldom). How long have I been flying (25 yrs)? He then explained that they had had to stop lndgs and takeoffs from los angeles in order to maintain the required minimum airspace for commercial flts because I was in their class B airspace without a clearance. It was only then that I realized that I hadn't heard the magic words 'you are cleared,' although I assumed that I had a clearance the whole time. He said that the vectors they were giving me were for directions through the VFR corridor (a place that I try to avoid because it seems like a freeway to me). I talked to him for about 15 mins and he explained all the difficulties in flying in the southern california area and various airspaces, especially los angeles class B. He said that he was a VFR pilot himself and understood the complexities, especially when one is unfamiliar with the area. I remember very well the commercial airliner that collided with a cessna in southern california several yrs ago, so I have given this incident a good deal of thought. What I have learned from this is: 1) go around the class B, if reasonably possible. 2) if you have to enter class B, make sure you hear the words, 'you are cleared into the class B airspace.' 4) don't take anything for granted. 5) I have decided to work on my instrument rating.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BEECH BONANZA PLT INVADES THE CLASS B AIRSPACE OF LAX INTL AND STOPS TFC WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TRANSIT LAX TO SNA.

Narrative: ON AUG/XA/98 I DEPARTED GUSTINE, CA, FOR A VFR FLT TO SNA, CA, FOR A TRIP TO DISNEYLAND. MY ORIGINAL PLAN WAS TO FLY GORMAN TO POMONA VOR, THEN TURN S DIRECT TO SANTA ANA, THUS AVOIDING MOST OF THE LOS ANGELES CLASS B AIRSPACE. THIS WAS MY RTE THE LAST TIME I FLEW TO ORANGE COUNTY. HOWEVER, I NOTICED IN MY PLTS GUIDE THAT THERE WAS A MORE DIRECT RTE AVAILABLE, THE HOLLYWOOD PARK RTE, WHICH REQUIRES A CLRNC. I WAS ON ONE APCH OR ANOTHER FOR THE DURATION OF THE TRIP. I HAVE ALL THE EQUIP NECESSARY, INCLUDING A PANEL MOUNTED GPS, TO MAKE THE TRIP. BECAUSE I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH MY INTENDED RTE, I INFORMED ZLA WHEN I WAS FIRST XFERRED TO THEIR FREQ THAT I WOULD BE REQUESTING A CLRNC INTO THE CLASS B AIRSPACE FOR TRANSITION TO ORANGE COUNTY. THE CTLR TOLD ME TO WAIT FOR MY CONTACT WITH SOCAL APCH, BECAUSE THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO GRANT THE CLRNC. WHEN I WAS XFERRED TO SOCAL I AGAIN REQUESTED A CLRNC INTO THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. THEY ASKED ME WHAT RTE I WOULD PREFER AND I REPLIED I WOULD LIKE ME TO GO DIRECTLY THROUGH THE CLASS B TO JOHN WAYNE. THE CTLR SAID THAT THIS RTE WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE, BUT THAT THE HOLLYWOOD PARK RTE WAS AVAILABLE. HE MAY HAVE SAID THAT THE SHORELINE RTE WAS ALSO AVAILABLE, BUT I DON'T KNOW FOR SURE AS I WAS BUSY CHANGING FREQS, XPONDER CODES, AND LOOKING FOR TFC. THEN A SOCAL CTLR CAME ON (A FEMALE VOICE) AND GAVE ME SOME VECTORS, TOLD ME TO MAINTAIN 3500 FT OR BELOW (I THOUGHT AT THE TIME, LATER I REALIZED OR WAS TOLD THAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE 3500 FT OR HIGHER). AT ABOUT THIS TIME SHE SAID 'RADAR SVC IS TERMINATED, SQUAWK VFR, ETC.' A MOMENT LATER I WAS TOLD TO 'REMAIN ON THIS FREQ AND CLB TO 3500.' I WAS ACTUALLY EXECUTING A SLIGHT DSCNT IN PREPARATION FOR LNDG AT JOHN WAYNE. AT THIS TIME THE WX WAS VFR, I COULD SEE THE SURFACE OVER TO THE E, BUT THERE WAS A CLOUD COVER DIRECTLY BELOW ME, SO I COULD NOT SEE LOS ANGELES INTL. I MUST HAVE BEEN DIRECTLY OVER LOS ANGELES WHEN I WAS TOLD TO CLB TO 3500 FT. THEN SHE SAID THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO CALL A 619 NUMBER AS SOON AS I LANDED. I CALLED AS SOON AS WE GOT IN THE TERMINAL AND SPOKE TO A SUPVR, WHOSE NAME I HAVE FORGOTTEN. HE ASKED ME SEVERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE IN FLYING IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (VERY SELDOM). HOW LONG HAVE I BEEN FLYING (25 YRS)? HE THEN EXPLAINED THAT THEY HAD HAD TO STOP LNDGS AND TKOFS FROM LOS ANGELES IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THE REQUIRED MINIMUM AIRSPACE FOR COMMERCIAL FLTS BECAUSE I WAS IN THEIR CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT A CLRNC. IT WAS ONLY THEN THAT I REALIZED THAT I HADN'T HEARD THE MAGIC WORDS 'YOU ARE CLRED,' ALTHOUGH I ASSUMED THAT I HAD A CLRNC THE WHOLE TIME. HE SAID THAT THE VECTORS THEY WERE GIVING ME WERE FOR DIRECTIONS THROUGH THE VFR CORRIDOR (A PLACE THAT I TRY TO AVOID BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE A FREEWAY TO ME). I TALKED TO HIM FOR ABOUT 15 MINS AND HE EXPLAINED ALL THE DIFFICULTIES IN FLYING IN THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AREA AND VARIOUS AIRSPACES, ESPECIALLY LOS ANGELES CLASS B. HE SAID THAT HE WAS A VFR PLT HIMSELF AND UNDERSTOOD THE COMPLEXITIES, ESPECIALLY WHEN ONE IS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA. I REMEMBER VERY WELL THE COMMERCIAL AIRLINER THAT COLLIDED WITH A CESSNA IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SEVERAL YRS AGO, SO I HAVE GIVEN THIS INCIDENT A GOOD DEAL OF THOUGHT. WHAT I HAVE LEARNED FROM THIS IS: 1) GO AROUND THE CLASS B, IF REASONABLY POSSIBLE. 2) IF YOU HAVE TO ENTER CLASS B, MAKE SURE YOU HEAR THE WORDS, 'YOU ARE CLRED INTO THE CLASS B AIRSPACE.' 4) DON'T TAKE ANYTHING FOR GRANTED. 5) I HAVE DECIDED TO WORK ON MY INST RATING.

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.