BE33A PLT HAS DIFFICULTY MAKING CONTACT WITH TWR FOR CLASS C AIRSPACE WHEN DEPARTING ARPT ON THE PERIPHERY OF THE CLASS C AIRSPACE. USED PROPER PROCS AND ATC FINALLY RESPONDED. NO REAL PROB.

Date: 1996-12 · Aircraft: Bonanza 33

Anomalies: other-airspace-violation-entry-or-exit|other-unspecified

Synopsis

BE33A PLT HAS DIFFICULTY MAKING CONTACT WITH TWR FOR CLASS C AIRSPACE WHEN DEPARTING ARPT ON THE PERIPHERY OF THE CLASS C AIRSPACE. USED PROPER PROCS AND ATC FINALLY RESPONDED. NO REAL PROB.

Narrative

DEPARTING RHV; I NOTIFIED GND THAT I WISHED TO TRANSITION TO SJC; NUQ; AND PAO AIRSPACE TO FLY TO SAN CARLOS; CA. I WAS ASSIGNED A SQUAWK CODE AND GIVEN RWY 13R FOR A R DOWNWIND DEP DIRECTLY TOWARDS THE SJC CLASS C AND D AIRSPACE. WHILE I WAS ABEAM THE RWY ON THE DOWNWIND; HDG APPROX 310 DEGS; I WAS GIVEN A CHANGE OF FREQ APPROVAL TO SJC TWR. I WAITED UNTIL ABOUT THE END OF THE DOWNWIND TO MAKE THE CHANGE BECAUSE I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO HEAR REED TWR FOR ANY TFC IN MY AREA. AT ABOUT THE END OF THE DOWNWIND I CHANGED FREQ AND CALLED SJC TWR AS RHV HAD INSTRUCTED. I RECEIVED NO ANSWER EVEN THOUGH I WAS EXPECTED; AND BELIEVE I HAD BEEN CLRED INTO THE SJC CLASS D AIRSPACE. I KEPT CALLING SJC AND RECEIVED NO ANSWER UNTIL I WAS WELL WITHIN THE CLASS D AIRSPACE; WHEREUPON I WAS ACKNOWLEDGED AND GIVEN A HDG TO FLY. I HAVE FLOWN THE RTE PERHAPS 40 OR MORE TIMES AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SJC HAS FAILED TO RESPOND BEFORE I REACHED THEIR AIRSPACE. I AM UNCERTAIN WHETHER THE SQUAWK CODE AND ADVANCE CALL CONSTITUTED A CLRNC TO ENTER THE SJC CLASS D AIRSPACE (AND THE CLASS C AIRSPACE) BUT I THOUGHT SO. JUST ABOUT 1 MI OFF THE END OF THE RHV RWY 13R DOWNWIND YOU ARE IN THE SJC AIRSPACE. A L TURN FROM THE DOWNWIND TAKES YOU ALMOST IMMEDIATELY INTO THE CLASS C AND D AIRSPACE. A R TURN FROM WHERE I WAS TAKES YOU ACROSS THE APCH ENDS OF RWY 13R&L FOR RHV. I DID NOT WANT TO TURN R SINCE I WAS NOT MONITORING THE RHV TWR FREQ AND I COULD HAVE BEEN TURNING ACROSS ONCOMING TFC APCHING RHV. ACCORDINGLY; I CONTINUED STRAIGHT AHEAD AND KEPT CALLING SJC TWR FOR RECOGNITION AND WAS FINALLY ACKNOWLEDGED. PERHAPS SOME ADMONISHMENT SHOULD BE DELIVERED BY REED TWR IF CLRNC IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES INTO SJC AIRSPACE IS NOT INTENDED. UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES I BELIEVE I MADE THE SAFEST CHOICE FROM A POTENTIAL TFC CONFLICT VIEWPOINT. I INTEND TO FIND OUT BY ASKING QUESTIONS IF A CLRNC IS INTENDED INTO THE CLASS C AND D AIRSPACE.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.