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Pilot in C172 flying a common VFR route through the sfo class B airspace has difficulty obtaining clearance to transit near the sfo LOM.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 536144 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200201 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sfo.airport |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 1000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : o90.tracon tower : sfo.tower tower : sql.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 145 flight time total : 953 flight time type : 155 |
| ASRS Report | 536144 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | airspace violation : entry non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera other controllerb other flight crewa other other : 4 |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance controller : issued advisory flight crew : exited penetrated airspace |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Ambiguous |
Narrative:
I was on a flight over highway 880 on the east side of the bay approaching the san mateo bridge. I was communicating with bay approach. I had been given a transponder code. I advised the controller that I was planning to go over the san mateo bridge and north upon reaching the west side through sfo class B airspace along highway 101, and that, hence, I needed a clearance into class B airspace. The controller advised me to request the clearance with the next controller. Abeam the san mateo bridge toll plaza I was handed off to a subsequent controller. When I requested a class B clearance, this controller advised me to squawk 1200 and to contact san carlos. I did and thought that was odd, as I would not be going through sql's airspace. I needed to talk to sfo tower. Immediately, I advised sql of my intentions and that I needed a handoff to sfo for clearance into class B airspace. The sql controller acknowledged my request but did not get back to me. He was busy talking to other aircraft. My stress level was rising. By then, I reached beyond mid-span san mateo bridge and entered sfo class B airspace ever so slightly. As soon as I could get in a word with the sql controller, he told me to contact sfo tower, which I did. Sfo asked me whether it was me that came across the bridge and I admitted. He informed me that his airspace started at 1 1/2 mi from where I was. I apologized. It did not sound like that controller would violate me, but you never know.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT IN C172 FLYING A COMMON VFR RTE THROUGH THE SFO CLASS B AIRSPACE HAS DIFFICULTY OBTAINING CLRNC TO TRANSIT NEAR THE SFO LOM.
Narrative: I WAS ON A FLT OVER HWY 880 ON THE E SIDE OF THE BAY APCHING THE SAN MATEO BRIDGE. I WAS COMMUNICATING WITH BAY APCH. I HAD BEEN GIVEN A XPONDER CODE. I ADVISED THE CTLR THAT I WAS PLANNING TO GO OVER THE SAN MATEO BRIDGE AND N UPON REACHING THE W SIDE THROUGH SFO CLASS B AIRSPACE ALONG HWY 101, AND THAT, HENCE, I NEEDED A CLRNC INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE. THE CTLR ADVISED ME TO REQUEST THE CLRNC WITH THE NEXT CTLR. ABEAM THE SAN MATEO BRIDGE TOLL PLAZA I WAS HANDED OFF TO A SUBSEQUENT CTLR. WHEN I REQUESTED A CLASS B CLRNC, THIS CTLR ADVISED ME TO SQUAWK 1200 AND TO CONTACT SAN CARLOS. I DID AND THOUGHT THAT WAS ODD, AS I WOULD NOT BE GOING THROUGH SQL'S AIRSPACE. I NEEDED TO TALK TO SFO TWR. IMMEDIATELY, I ADVISED SQL OF MY INTENTIONS AND THAT I NEEDED A HDOF TO SFO FOR CLRNC INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE. THE SQL CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED MY REQUEST BUT DID NOT GET BACK TO ME. HE WAS BUSY TALKING TO OTHER ACFT. MY STRESS LEVEL WAS RISING. BY THEN, I REACHED BEYOND MID-SPAN SAN MATEO BRIDGE AND ENTERED SFO CLASS B AIRSPACE EVER SO SLIGHTLY. AS SOON AS I COULD GET IN A WORD WITH THE SQL CTLR, HE TOLD ME TO CONTACT SFO TWR, WHICH I DID. SFO ASKED ME WHETHER IT WAS ME THAT CAME ACROSS THE BRIDGE AND I ADMITTED. HE INFORMED ME THAT HIS AIRSPACE STARTED AT 1 1/2 MI FROM WHERE I WAS. I APOLOGIZED. IT DID NOT SOUND LIKE THAT CTLR WOULD VIOLATE ME, BUT YOU NEVER KNOW.
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.