Narrative:

I was returning from a patient xfer EMS flight at an airport. This occurred at the 10TH hour of a 12 hour duty day that was fairly busy. I had just transitioned through ZZZ class D airspace and was approximately 7 mi north of that airspace when I notified the tower controller that I was clear to the north. He told me that I was clear of his class D airspace but wanted me to stay on his frequency for oncoming traffic notification. I was told that there was an aircraft at my 1 O'clock position converging at approximately my altitude and 2-3 mi away. I did attempt to locate this traffic for approximately 2 mins and learned from the tower controller that the aircraft had passed and was no factor. During this time I was showing a GPS ground speed of approximately 135 KTS and my position now was 11 mi from XXX airport. I changed frequency and contacted the approach controller at a point where I believe I was outside of XXX class C airspace. The approach controller assigned me a transponder code and approximately 1 min after I entered this code, the approach controller again told me to squawk the same code. I told him I was indicating the assigned code and he told me he just picked up my position as being 8.2 mi from XXX airport. I was still indicating 3000 ft MSL in altitude and was within the class C airspace. I don't know if this was determined to be an improper airspace entry by the controller. I don't believe it was, but I wish to report the matter. I complied with all controller requests from this point on and had no further problems. I believe that the distraction of clearing oncoming traffic between ZZZ airport and the XXX class C airspace was enough to put my reported position closer to the class C airspace than I cared for. However, I feel I still may have contacted the controller prior to entry.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN EMS HELI FEELS HE DID NOT ENTER CLASS C AIRSPACE PRIOR TO MAKING CONTACT WITH ATC. HIS RPT IS 'JUST IN CASE.'

Narrative: I WAS RETURNING FROM A PATIENT XFER EMS FLT AT AN ARPT. THIS OCCURRED AT THE 10TH HR OF A 12 HR DUTY DAY THAT WAS FAIRLY BUSY. I HAD JUST TRANSITIONED THROUGH ZZZ CLASS D AIRSPACE AND WAS APPROX 7 MI N OF THAT AIRSPACE WHEN I NOTIFIED THE TWR CTLR THAT I WAS CLR TO THE N. HE TOLD ME THAT I WAS CLR OF HIS CLASS D AIRSPACE BUT WANTED ME TO STAY ON HIS FREQ FOR ONCOMING TFC NOTIFICATION. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS AN ACFT AT MY 1 O'CLOCK POS CONVERGING AT APPROX MY ALT AND 2-3 MI AWAY. I DID ATTEMPT TO LOCATE THIS TFC FOR APPROX 2 MINS AND LEARNED FROM THE TWR CTLR THAT THE ACFT HAD PASSED AND WAS NO FACTOR. DURING THIS TIME I WAS SHOWING A GPS GND SPD OF APPROX 135 KTS AND MY POS NOW WAS 11 MI FROM XXX ARPT. I CHANGED FREQ AND CONTACTED THE APCH CTLR AT A POINT WHERE I BELIEVE I WAS OUTSIDE OF XXX CLASS C AIRSPACE. THE APCH CTLR ASSIGNED ME A XPONDER CODE AND APPROX 1 MIN AFTER I ENTERED THIS CODE, THE APCH CTLR AGAIN TOLD ME TO SQUAWK THE SAME CODE. I TOLD HIM I WAS INDICATING THE ASSIGNED CODE AND HE TOLD ME HE JUST PICKED UP MY POS AS BEING 8.2 MI FROM XXX ARPT. I WAS STILL INDICATING 3000 FT MSL IN ALT AND WAS WITHIN THE CLASS C AIRSPACE. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WAS DETERMINED TO BE AN IMPROPER AIRSPACE ENTRY BY THE CTLR. I DON'T BELIEVE IT WAS, BUT I WISH TO RPT THE MATTER. I COMPLIED WITH ALL CTLR REQUESTS FROM THIS POINT ON AND HAD NO FURTHER PROBS. I BELIEVE THAT THE DISTR OF CLRING ONCOMING TFC BTWN ZZZ ARPT AND THE XXX CLASS C AIRSPACE WAS ENOUGH TO PUT MY RPTED POS CLOSER TO THE CLASS C AIRSPACE THAN I CARED FOR. HOWEVER, I FEEL I STILL MAY HAVE CONTACTED THE CTLR PRIOR TO ENTRY.

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.