Narrative:

The day before the occurrence my transponder worked satisfactorily on a flight over lax. I landed at sna airport. I left sna VFR. I requested a hollywood park transition over lax at 7500 ft. Departure control then reported that I had no transponder, and socal would not approve a transaction, and asked my intentions. I requested to fly around the class B over the ocean or inland VFR. They would not approve either course and told me to return to sna and get my transponder fixed there. It was friday evening so I would have been stuck there until at least monday. I repeated my desire to continue to my destination. Finally, a socal controller said he would get me a waiver to use a VFR corridor at 4500 ft. I wasn't familiar with it, so he told me to fly the 132 degree radial to vny. When checking in with the next controller, he said I couldn't cross without a transponder. I told him I had been given a waiver. He then told me to change to the common pilot frequency. I did so, completed the transition without sighting another aircraft and proceeded to my destination. The WX was good, I had plenty of fuel and I wanted to stay out of class B airspace, but departure/socal wouldn't approve my departing the area. It seems inappropriate to tell me to return to sna. Fortunately, an understanding controller found a simple solution for everyone. To the best of my knowledge, there were no safety of flight issues. It was simply uncomfortable to have to argue a bit over the air to do something I thought was reasonable and prudent.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT REQUESTS AND OBTAINS CLASS B TRANSITION WITH MALFUNCTIONING XPONDER. PLT QUESTIONS 1 OF 2 CTLR'S RESPONSE TO HIS EQUIP PROB.

Narrative: THE DAY BEFORE THE OCCURRENCE MY XPONDER WORKED SATISFACTORILY ON A FLT OVER LAX. I LANDED AT SNA ARPT. I LEFT SNA VFR. I REQUESTED A HOLLYWOOD PARK TRANSITION OVER LAX AT 7500 FT. DEP CTL THEN RPTED THAT I HAD NO XPONDER, AND SOCAL WOULD NOT APPROVE A TRANSACTION, AND ASKED MY INTENTIONS. I REQUESTED TO FLY AROUND THE CLASS B OVER THE OCEAN OR INLAND VFR. THEY WOULD NOT APPROVE EITHER COURSE AND TOLD ME TO RETURN TO SNA AND GET MY XPONDER FIXED THERE. IT WAS FRIDAY EVENING SO I WOULD HAVE BEEN STUCK THERE UNTIL AT LEAST MONDAY. I REPEATED MY DESIRE TO CONTINUE TO MY DEST. FINALLY, A SOCAL CTLR SAID HE WOULD GET ME A WAIVER TO USE A VFR CORRIDOR AT 4500 FT. I WASN'T FAMILIAR WITH IT, SO HE TOLD ME TO FLY THE 132 DEG RADIAL TO VNY. WHEN CHKING IN WITH THE NEXT CTLR, HE SAID I COULDN'T CROSS WITHOUT A XPONDER. I TOLD HIM I HAD BEEN GIVEN A WAIVER. HE THEN TOLD ME TO CHANGE TO THE COMMON PLT FREQ. I DID SO, COMPLETED THE TRANSITION WITHOUT SIGHTING ANOTHER ACFT AND PROCEEDED TO MY DEST. THE WX WAS GOOD, I HAD PLENTY OF FUEL AND I WANTED TO STAY OUT OF CLASS B AIRSPACE, BUT DEP/SOCAL WOULDN'T APPROVE MY DEPARTING THE AREA. IT SEEMS INAPPROPRIATE TO TELL ME TO RETURN TO SNA. FORTUNATELY, AN UNDERSTANDING CTLR FOUND A SIMPLE SOLUTION FOR EVERYONE. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, THERE WERE NO SAFETY OF FLT ISSUES. IT WAS SIMPLY UNCOMFORTABLE TO HAVE TO ARGUE A BIT OVER THE AIR TO DO SOMETHING I THOUGHT WAS REASONABLE AND PRUDENT.

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.