Narrative:

We had flown from boston, ma (norwood-owd) to frederick, md (fdk) on the morning of oct/sun/03, in my piper archer. We used flight following and ATC led us around the new york/philadelphia area without incident. On approach to fdk I canceled with potomac approach (125.52) and landed. After refueling we took off from fdk on a course of 230 degrees and immediately tried to contact potomac approach (125.52) for flight following. Fdk is located inside the 30 NM mode C washington dc area, and my plan was to establish flight following before reaching class B airspace, change course to charlottesville (cho) direct, and remain at '0 -- below 4400 ft' under the class B airspace. I received no response after numerous attempts to contact. The controller was busy, and I continued to try. Finally he responded 'aircraft calling potomac, tone only no voice.' having had previous difficulty with radio transmission I immediately turned west, exited the washington area, and then proceeded to cho. I called the cho tower at 20 mi and received no response. At 15 mi I called on my hand held radio with no response. At 9 mi the tower operator asked me to 'identify' if wishing to land. We landed without incident. The tower operator told me to call potomac approach, which I did. The next morning we proceeded to atlanta (fty) where the plane is back in the shop having its radio repaired. The main problem was a faulty radio. It is possible, but unlikely, that I climbed into class B airspace before exiting to the west, and I should have remained well clear of, and not under, the airspace until contact was made. Both of the above will be accomplished in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH AIRSPACE ENTRY WHEN A VFR C182 PVT PLT FAILS TO ADVISE PCT APCH CTLR PRIOR TO ENTERING THE AIRSPACE AT DC ADIZ, DC.

Narrative: WE HAD FLOWN FROM BOSTON, MA (NORWOOD-OWD) TO FREDERICK, MD (FDK) ON THE MORNING OF OCT/SUN/03, IN MY PIPER ARCHER. WE USED FLT FOLLOWING AND ATC LED US AROUND THE NEW YORK/PHILADELPHIA AREA WITHOUT INCIDENT. ON APCH TO FDK I CANCELED WITH POTOMAC APCH (125.52) AND LANDED. AFTER REFUELING WE TOOK OFF FROM FDK ON A COURSE OF 230 DEGS AND IMMEDIATELY TRIED TO CONTACT POTOMAC APCH (125.52) FOR FLT FOLLOWING. FDK IS LOCATED INSIDE THE 30 NM MODE C WASHINGTON DC AREA, AND MY PLAN WAS TO ESTABLISH FLT FOLLOWING BEFORE REACHING CLASS B AIRSPACE, CHANGE COURSE TO CHARLOTTESVILLE (CHO) DIRECT, AND REMAIN AT '0 -- BELOW 4400 FT' UNDER THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. I RECEIVED NO RESPONSE AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT. THE CTLR WAS BUSY, AND I CONTINUED TO TRY. FINALLY HE RESPONDED 'ACFT CALLING POTOMAC, TONE ONLY NO VOICE.' HAVING HAD PREVIOUS DIFFICULTY WITH RADIO XMISSION I IMMEDIATELY TURNED W, EXITED THE WASHINGTON AREA, AND THEN PROCEEDED TO CHO. I CALLED THE CHO TWR AT 20 MI AND RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. AT 15 MI I CALLED ON MY HAND HELD RADIO WITH NO RESPONSE. AT 9 MI THE TWR OPERATOR ASKED ME TO 'IDENT' IF WISHING TO LAND. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE TWR OPERATOR TOLD ME TO CALL POTOMAC APCH, WHICH I DID. THE NEXT MORNING WE PROCEEDED TO ATLANTA (FTY) WHERE THE PLANE IS BACK IN THE SHOP HAVING ITS RADIO REPAIRED. THE MAIN PROB WAS A FAULTY RADIO. IT IS POSSIBLE, BUT UNLIKELY, THAT I CLBED INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE BEFORE EXITING TO THE W, AND I SHOULD HAVE REMAINED WELL CLR OF, AND NOT UNDER, THE AIRSPACE UNTIL CONTACT WAS MADE. BOTH OF THE ABOVE WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED IN THE FUTURE.

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.