Penetrated air traffic area without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	94305
Time
Date	198809
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sjc
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : nuq
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 500 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	94305
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Training flight, 9/88, at pm local. Private pilot and his flight instrument in an small aircraft from san jose to palo alto to san carlos, ca. Communication could not be established with moffett field ATC after 4 repeated radio calls to moffett. While still within san jose air traffic area at 2000' MSL, instrument re-contacted san jose ATC to report 'negative contact' with moffett after repeated tries, and to request clearance through moffett air traffic area. San jose issued 'proceed on course' and advised of spc aircraft traffic in the pattern at moffett. San jose issued a frequency change to palo alto tower when small aircraft was overhead moffett. At no time during the incident were safety and sep standards compromised. The flight continued to palo alto (one landing with a taxi back for takeoff) then to san carlos where small aircraft was advised to telephone san carlos tower. San carlos tower controller advised us that he had received a call (from moffett??) complaining that we had not contacted moffett and that it was dangerous to fly through moffett air traffic area at 1100' as reported by moffett. Instrument outlined the event for controller. The private pilot's name and address and instrs name were given to controller. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter very aware of problem and his possible alternatives other than continuing to fly into air traffic area. Problem for him was thinking he heard what he wanted to hear--that he had clearance through air traffic area from sjc tower. Claims he made a learning experience of the situation by telling student this is what you do not want to do.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PENETRATED ATA WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: TRNING FLT, 9/88, AT PM LCL. PVT PLT AND HIS FLT INSTR IN AN SMA FROM SAN JOSE TO PALO ALTO TO SAN CARLOS, CA. COM COULD NOT BE ESTABLISHED WITH MOFFETT FIELD ATC AFTER 4 REPEATED RADIO CALLS TO MOFFETT. WHILE STILL WITHIN SAN JOSE ATA AT 2000' MSL, INSTR RE-CONTACTED SAN JOSE ATC TO RPT 'NEGATIVE CONTACT' WITH MOFFETT AFTER REPEATED TRIES, AND TO REQUEST CLRNC THROUGH MOFFETT ATA. SAN JOSE ISSUED 'PROCEED ON COURSE' AND ADVISED OF SPC ACFT TFC IN THE PATTERN AT MOFFETT. SAN JOSE ISSUED A FREQ CHANGE TO PALO ALTO TWR WHEN SMA WAS OVERHEAD MOFFETT. AT NO TIME DURING THE INCIDENT WERE SAFETY AND SEP STANDARDS COMPROMISED. THE FLT CONTINUED TO PALO ALTO (ONE LNDG WITH A TAXI BACK FOR TKOF) THEN TO SAN CARLOS WHERE SMA WAS ADVISED TO TELEPHONE SAN CARLOS TWR. SAN CARLOS TWR CTLR ADVISED US THAT HE HAD RECEIVED A CALL (FROM MOFFETT??) COMPLAINING THAT WE HAD NOT CONTACTED MOFFETT AND THAT IT WAS DANGEROUS TO FLY THROUGH MOFFETT ATA AT 1100' AS RPTED BY MOFFETT. INSTR OUTLINED THE EVENT FOR CTLR. THE PVT PLT'S NAME AND ADDRESS AND INSTRS NAME WERE GIVEN TO CTLR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR VERY AWARE OF PROB AND HIS POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVES OTHER THAN CONTINUING TO FLY INTO ATA. PROB FOR HIM WAS THINKING HE HEARD WHAT HE WANTED TO HEAR--THAT HE HAD CLRNC THROUGH ATA FROM SJC TWR. CLAIMS HE MADE A LEARNING EXPERIENCE OF THE SITUATION BY TELLING STUDENT THIS IS WHAT YOU DO NOT WANT TO DO.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.