PA28 pilot flew in a class B veil area with an inoperative transponder at phx.

Attributes
ACN	503780
Time
Date	200103
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : pxr.vortac
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	msl single value : 4500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other other vortac
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 42 flight time total : 2424 flight time type : 1703
ASRS Report	503780
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I departed geu 2 days prior and experienced a transponder failure on an IFR flight as indicated by a lack of 'ATC light' and reported by the controller. When I returned VFR on mar/xa/01, the light was operating intermittently on the transponder and I elected to proceed to my home airport for maintenance tests on the transponder. My airport is within the phx mode C veil but outside class B airspace. In retrospect, I should have contacted phx approach and informed them of my possibly inoperative transponder rather than rely on the questionable 'ATC light.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PLT FLEW IN A CLASS B VEIL AREA WITH AN INOP XPONDER AT PHX.

Narrative: I DEPARTED GEU 2 DAYS PRIOR AND EXPERIENCED A XPONDER FAILURE ON AN IFR FLT AS INDICATED BY A LACK OF 'ATC LIGHT' AND RPTED BY THE CTLR. WHEN I RETURNED VFR ON MAR/XA/01, THE LIGHT WAS OPERATING INTERMITTENTLY ON THE XPONDER AND I ELECTED TO PROCEED TO MY HOME ARPT FOR MAINT TESTS ON THE XPONDER. MY ARPT IS WITHIN THE PHX MODE C VEIL BUT OUTSIDE CLASS B AIRSPACE. IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD HAVE CONTACTED PHX APCH AND INFORMED THEM OF MY POSSIBLY INOP XPONDER RATHER THAN RELY ON THE QUESTIONABLE 'ATC LIGHT.

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.