A PVT SMA PLT WAS FLYING IN MARGINAL VMC. HE ENTERED A MIL ATA AND CZN WITH AN ATTEMPT TO COMMUNICATE (HE COULD HEAR THEM; THEIR RESPONSE OFFERED NO REAL HELP). ACFT DEPARTED THE CZN WITH NO CONFLICT.
Synopsis
A PVT SMA PLT WAS FLYING IN MARGINAL VMC. HE ENTERED A MIL ATA AND CZN WITH AN ATTEMPT TO COMMUNICATE (HE COULD HEAR THEM; THEIR RESPONSE OFFERED NO REAL HELP). ACFT DEPARTED THE CZN WITH NO CONFLICT.
Narrative
THIS SITUATION AROSE ON A RETURN TRIP FROM SUN 'N FUN. AFTER GETTING WX BRIEFING AT FSS SUN N FUN AND CHKING CONDITIONS BTWN LAKELAND AND ALBERT WHITTED (SPG) SUNDAY MORNING BEFORE TKOF; THEN CALLING MACDILL TWR 10-11 MI E OF MACDILL OVER I-75 AND ASKING WX CONDITIONS AT SPG WHICH WERE RPTED BY MACDILL AS VFR WITH LIGHT RAIN AT SPG. ALSO TOLD ME THE ATC WAS CLOSED. THEN I FLEW SW TO A POINT S OF PWR PLANT AND TURNED W. HAZY OR LIGHT RAIN CONDITIONS OVER TAMPA BAY MADE VISUAL CONTACT WITH ST PETERSBURG IMPOSSIBLE. I MAY HAVE OVERCOMPENSATED FOR WIND. ALSO HAZY CONDITIONS MAY HAVE MADE MACDILL LOOK FURTHER AWAY THAN IT WAS. WHILE LISTENING TO MACDILL ON 126.2 AND HEARING THE AIR BOSS TELL THE TWR THERE WAS AN SMA TO THE SE AND KNOWING I WAS SE; I ASKED FOR THE LOCATION OF THE SMA. I DO NOT REMEMBER GETTING AN ANSWER. I THEN HEARD THE AIR BOSS CALL THE TWR AND TELL OF AN INTRUDER TRAVELING W. ALTHOUGH I HAD NOT BEEN ASKED TO MAKE ANY MANEUVERS FOR IDENT; I TURNED L TO THE S OVER TAMPA BAY. AFTER A MIN OR SO I HEARD THE AIR BOSS RPT TO THE TWR THAT THE INTRUDER HAD DEPARTED THEIR AIRSPACE. I THEN RECEIVED A CALL FROM MACDILL TWR FOR FREQ CHANGE. I THEN TURNED R AND HAD SPG IN SIGHT AT ABOUT 5 MI AND CALLED FOR A LNDG FROM ESE OF THE FIELD. PRECAUTIONS TO KEEP FROM MACDILL'S AIRSPACE BY ME WILL BE TO START ACROSS THE BAY FROM A POINT FURTHER TO THE S AND HAVE A MORE SOUTHERLY COURSE. IF SECTIONAL AND TERMINAL CHARTS HAD THE SHIP MARKERS OF TAMPA BAY FOR REF POINTS; IT COULD MAKE FOR POS LOCATING EASIER FOR THE PLT.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.