Narrative:

I was en route from vero beach, sbound, to boca raton, fl. Palm beach approach had just released me from flight following and I was trying to make contact with boca tower. They were not responding to my calls, so I overflew their airspace and field and turned due west. I continued trying to contact boca tower while maneuvering west of their airspace. By this time I was southwest of boca class D and down to pmp class D which a joins it. I have found out after the fact that I did break into pmp class D. There was a cessna flying a practice approach. He was above me and to my left. I saw him and I started turn to the right as he kept dropping down. He was at my 10 O' clock position about 1/2 mi away. I didn't think he saw me since he kept dropping and did not change course. He finally broke from his pattern and we avoided one another. On my fifth or sixth try I was able to contact boca tower. I don't know if my push-to-talk switch was stuck or if my radio was not transmitting or what happened. I told them I was 3 mi to the southwest and requested touch-and-go landing. He told me to report a 2 mi right base for runway 5. I did so, flew the pattern, and did my touch and go. The controller told me about the practice approach which confused me at the time. Only after landing and carefully checking the sectional did I see how a turn to the left off of hdging 270 degrees could put me too far south into pmp airspace. I had stayed west of the highway, but upon review of the sectional, the airspace does cross the road at the western most boundary. The factors that contributed to this incident, in my opinion, are the fact that the airports are so close together in this part of florida. When you clear palm beach class C you are literally mins from boca class D. By the time you change transponder codes and radio frequencys you are there. The fact that I could not make radio contact with boca tower forced me off of my flight plan. I think that the cessna pilot was reluctant to deviate from his practice approach and flew closer to me because of it. It is always difficult going to an unfamiliar area and I am sorry that I put him in that position. Had I turned right instead of left I would have been far away from pompano till my radio calls were answered. Flying at or below 1500 ft does not give a pilot a lot of time to spend staring at this sectional, especially with a rather low ceiling in hot florida WX. I am glad that this situation turned out ok and I have learned a great deal from it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA PLT MISHANDLED COM WITH PMP TWR AND VIOLATED CLASS D AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I WAS ENRTE FROM VERO BEACH, SBOUND, TO BOCA RATON, FL. PALM BEACH APCH HAD JUST RELEASED ME FROM FLT FOLLOWING AND I WAS TRYING TO MAKE CONTACT WITH BOCA TWR. THEY WERE NOT RESPONDING TO MY CALLS, SO I OVERFLEW THEIR AIRSPACE AND FIELD AND TURNED DUE W. I CONTINUED TRYING TO CONTACT BOCA TWR WHILE MANEUVERING W OF THEIR AIRSPACE. BY THIS TIME I WAS SW OF BOCA CLASS D AND DOWN TO PMP CLASS D WHICH A JOINS IT. I HAVE FOUND OUT AFTER THE FACT THAT I DID BREAK INTO PMP CLASS D. THERE WAS A CESSNA FLYING A PRACTICE APCH. HE WAS ABOVE ME AND TO MY L. I SAW HIM AND I STARTED TURN TO THE R AS HE KEPT DROPPING DOWN. HE WAS AT MY 10 O' CLOCK POS ABOUT 1/2 MI AWAY. I DIDN'T THINK HE SAW ME SINCE HE KEPT DROPPING AND DID NOT CHANGE COURSE. HE FINALLY BROKE FROM HIS PATTERN AND WE AVOIDED ONE ANOTHER. ON MY FIFTH OR SIXTH TRY I WAS ABLE TO CONTACT BOCA TWR. I DON'T KNOW IF MY PUSH-TO-TALK SWITCH WAS STUCK OR IF MY RADIO WAS NOT XMITTING OR WHAT HAPPENED. I TOLD THEM I WAS 3 MI TO THE SW AND REQUESTED TOUCH-AND-GO LNDG. HE TOLD ME TO RPT A 2 MI R BASE FOR RWY 5. I DID SO, FLEW THE PATTERN, AND DID MY TOUCH AND GO. THE CTLR TOLD ME ABOUT THE PRACTICE APCH WHICH CONFUSED ME AT THE TIME. ONLY AFTER LNDG AND CAREFULLY CHKING THE SECTIONAL DID I SEE HOW A TURN TO THE L OFF OF HDGING 270 DEGS COULD PUT ME TOO FAR S INTO PMP AIRSPACE. I HAD STAYED W OF THE HWY, BUT UPON REVIEW OF THE SECTIONAL, THE AIRSPACE DOES CROSS THE ROAD AT THE WESTERN MOST BOUNDARY. THE FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INCIDENT, IN MY OPINION, ARE THE FACT THAT THE ARPTS ARE SO CLOSE TOGETHER IN THIS PART OF FLORIDA. WHEN YOU CLEAR PALM BEACH CLASS C YOU ARE LITERALLY MINS FROM BOCA CLASS D. BY THE TIME YOU CHANGE XPONDER CODES AND RADIO FREQS YOU ARE THERE. THE FACT THAT I COULD NOT MAKE RADIO CONTACT WITH BOCA TWR FORCED ME OFF OF MY FLT PLAN. I THINK THAT THE CESSNA PLT WAS RELUCTANT TO DEVIATE FROM HIS PRACTICE APCH AND FLEW CLOSER TO ME BECAUSE OF IT. IT IS ALWAYS DIFFICULT GOING TO AN UNFAMILIAR AREA AND I AM SORRY THAT I PUT HIM IN THAT POSITION. HAD I TURNED R INSTEAD OF L I WOULD HAVE BEEN FAR AWAY FROM POMPANO TILL MY RADIO CALLS WERE ANSWERED. FLYING AT OR BELOW 1500 FT DOES NOT GIVE A PLT A LOT OF TIME TO SPEND STARING AT THIS SECTIONAL, ESPECIALLY WITH A RATHER LOW CEILING IN HOT FLORIDA WX. I AM GLAD THAT THIS SITUATION TURNED OUT OK AND I HAVE LEARNED A GREAT DEAL FROM IT.

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.