Aircraft demonstration pilot enters class a airspace without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	459840
Time
Date	200001
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
State Reference	KS
Altitude	msl bound lower : 18000 msl bound upper : 23000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zkc.artcc
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : enroute altitude change
Route In Use	enroute other
Flight Plan	IFR Combined VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	observation : observer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 159 flight time total : 1600 flight time type : 1
ASRS Report	459840
Person 2
Affiliation	company other
Function	flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : unique event airspace violation : entry inflight encounter other non adherence : clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other controllerb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Passenger Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The company I fly for was interested in purchasing this airplane. The company wanted to know performance plane at FL240. The pilot that brought plane to demonstrate it, wasn't familiar with frequency and asked if I would talk on radios. We left ojc on south heading at 180 degrees. We contacted mci approach and made our request to climb to FL240 altitude. To see performance of plane. The approach gave me squawk code. Approach handed me off to ZKC. My first contact, no response. My second attempt to center, I requested FL240 for some aerial work on 180 degree radial. I contacted ZKC again to verify we would like to climb to FL240 and explained to controller it was for a pre-buy and we would reach altitude, then start down. The controller responded by saying she had me in radar contact, and gave me my position. Then she contacted me and said we had to have IFR clearance. Once again we explained our intentions and asked if we could have a round robin to ojc. Once we descended to VFR altitude, we would cancel IFR and proceed back VFR. Her supervisor contacted me and said that we did not have clearance into class a airspace and for me to contact him. At this point, the supervisor wanted to know our altitude -- we were at FL210. I contacted the controller and told her that we were clear to go to that altitude. The airplane was noisy and it was hard to hear, and that there was a misunderstanding. She verified we were clear for 'round robin' to olathe, and an altitude of FL230. We reached altitude and contacted ZKC and said we were ready to descend.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT DEMONSTRATION PLT ENTERS CLASS A AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: THE COMPANY I FLY FOR WAS INTERESTED IN PURCHASING THIS AIRPLANE. THE COMPANY WANTED TO KNOW PERFORMANCE PLANE AT FL240. THE PLT THAT BROUGHT PLANE TO DEMONSTRATE IT, WASN'T FAMILIAR WITH FREQ AND ASKED IF I WOULD TALK ON RADIOS. WE LEFT OJC ON S HDG AT 180 DEGS. WE CONTACTED MCI APCH AND MADE OUR REQUEST TO CLB TO FL240 ALT. TO SEE PERFORMANCE OF PLANE. THE APCH GAVE ME SQUAWK CODE. APCH HANDED ME OFF TO ZKC. MY FIRST CONTACT, NO RESPONSE. MY SECOND ATTEMPT TO CTR, I REQUESTED FL240 FOR SOME AERIAL WORK ON 180 DEG RADIAL. I CONTACTED ZKC AGAIN TO VERIFY WE WOULD LIKE TO CLB TO FL240 AND EXPLAINED TO CTLR IT WAS FOR A PRE-BUY AND WE WOULD REACH ALT, THEN START DOWN. THE CTLR RESPONDED BY SAYING SHE HAD ME IN RADAR CONTACT, AND GAVE ME MY POS. THEN SHE CONTACTED ME AND SAID WE HAD TO HAVE IFR CLRNC. ONCE AGAIN WE EXPLAINED OUR INTENTIONS AND ASKED IF WE COULD HAVE A ROUND ROBIN TO OJC. ONCE WE DSNDED TO VFR ALT, WE WOULD CANCEL IFR AND PROCEED BACK VFR. HER SUPVR CONTACTED ME AND SAID THAT WE DID NOT HAVE CLRNC INTO CLASS A AIRSPACE AND FOR ME TO CONTACT HIM. AT THIS POINT, THE SUPVR WANTED TO KNOW OUR ALT -- WE WERE AT FL210. I CONTACTED THE CTLR AND TOLD HER THAT WE WERE CLR TO GO TO THAT ALT. THE AIRPLANE WAS NOISY AND IT WAS HARD TO HEAR, AND THAT THERE WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING. SHE VERIFIED WE WERE CLR FOR 'ROUND ROBIN' TO OLATHE, AND AN ALT OF FL230. WE REACHED ALT AND CONTACTED ZKC AND SAID WE WERE READY TO DSND.

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.