Narrative:

On a training flight from sba to cma with flight following; sba approach handed us off to point mugu who in turn told us to contact cma tower. Cma tower asked us to widen out for traffic on base to oxr; informed us we were in oxr class D airspace; and asked us if we had coordination with oxr. I had not called oxr because I assumed that point mugu had taken care of the coordination with oxr. Reviewing these events after the flight; I realized that I can't rely on the approach controller to handle coordination with airspace that may be between me and my destination. I should have remained clear of oxr and asked point mugu if I was clear; or called oxr and coordination with them myself. If I had not had flight following; I would have called oxr. This is a particularly difficult spot because cma and oxr are within a few mi of each other; making it hard to contact both facilities in the short time it takes to fly from one airspace to the other. Right after cma told us about the oxr traffic; they had a similar event with another aircraft approaching for landing at cma. It might be a good idea if point mugu added a standard reply to approaching aircraft to warn them to remain clear of the adjacent airspace (either cma or oxr depending on the arrival airport) so pilots will realize that the flight following is not providing any coordination.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VFR ACFT ON TRAINING FLT TO CMA RECEIVING FLT FOLLOWING WITH NTD; AND ENTERED OXR CLASS D AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: ON A TRAINING FLT FROM SBA TO CMA WITH FLT FOLLOWING; SBA APCH HANDED US OFF TO POINT MUGU WHO IN TURN TOLD US TO CONTACT CMA TWR. CMA TWR ASKED US TO WIDEN OUT FOR TFC ON BASE TO OXR; INFORMED US WE WERE IN OXR CLASS D AIRSPACE; AND ASKED US IF WE HAD COORD WITH OXR. I HAD NOT CALLED OXR BECAUSE I ASSUMED THAT POINT MUGU HAD TAKEN CARE OF THE COORD WITH OXR. REVIEWING THESE EVENTS AFTER THE FLT; I REALIZED THAT I CAN'T RELY ON THE APCH CTLR TO HANDLE COORD WITH AIRSPACE THAT MAY BE BTWN ME AND MY DEST. I SHOULD HAVE REMAINED CLR OF OXR AND ASKED POINT MUGU IF I WAS CLR; OR CALLED OXR AND COORD WITH THEM MYSELF. IF I HAD NOT HAD FLT FOLLOWING; I WOULD HAVE CALLED OXR. THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT SPOT BECAUSE CMA AND OXR ARE WITHIN A FEW MI OF EACH OTHER; MAKING IT HARD TO CONTACT BOTH FACILITIES IN THE SHORT TIME IT TAKES TO FLY FROM ONE AIRSPACE TO THE OTHER. RIGHT AFTER CMA TOLD US ABOUT THE OXR TFC; THEY HAD A SIMILAR EVENT WITH ANOTHER ACFT APCHING FOR LNDG AT CMA. IT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA IF POINT MUGU ADDED A STANDARD REPLY TO APCHING ACFT TO WARN THEM TO REMAIN CLR OF THE ADJACENT AIRSPACE (EITHER CMA OR OXR DEPENDING ON THE ARR ARPT) SO PLTS WILL REALIZE THAT THE FLT FOLLOWING IS NOT PROVIDING ANY COORD.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.