PLT OF C152 HAS RADIO COM PROB AND ENTERS CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC. HE EXITS THE AREA; DSNDS BENEATH THE CLASS B AND SQUAWKS 7600 FOR CLRNC TO LAND AND NEARBY ARPT.
Synopsis
PLT OF C152 HAS RADIO COM PROB AND ENTERS CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC. HE EXITS THE AREA; DSNDS BENEATH THE CLASS B AND SQUAWKS 7600 FOR CLRNC TO LAND AND NEARBY ARPT.
Narrative
MY WIFE AND I HAD RENTED A PLANE FROM THE SCHOOL TO MAKE A VFR FLT TO IGM AND RETURN TO VGT. WE HAD AN UNEVENTFUL FLT TO IGM WITH THE EXCEPTION THAT WHEN MY WIFE'S RENTED HEADSET WAS PLUGGED IN; THE ATC AT VGT COULDN'T HEAR ME CLRLY. WE UNPLUGGED MY WIFE'S HEADSET AND SHOUTED TO EACH OTHER DURING THE FLT TO IGM. I CONTACTED IGM UNICOM FOR AN ADVISORY AND HAD GOOD RADIO COMS WITH THEM. DUE TO STRONGER THAN PREDICTED WINDS; WE HAD CONSUMED MORE THAN THE CALCULATED FUEL BURN GETTING TO IGM. I RECALCULATED THE FUEL TO RETURN TO VGT AND SAW THAT WE WOULD HAVE ENOUGH; BUT WITH LESS THAN 1 HR'S FUEL IN THE TANKS WHEN WE WOULD LAND. RETURNING TO VGT; I TRIED TO CONTACT VGT ATC AT THE APPROPRIATE DISTANCE FOR PERMISSION TO ENTER THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. I TRIED 6 OR 7 TIMES. I COULD HEAR HER TALKING TO OTHER ACFT; SO I CHKED MY RADIO AND COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. I THEN TRIED TO CONTACT THE CTLR OF THE ADJACENT SEGMENT OF CLASS B AIRSPACE. AFTER MULTIPLE TRIES; I HEARD PART OF HIS XMISSION TO 'UNKNOWN' ACFT; TO STOP INTERRUPTING HIS XMISSIONS; AND TO REMAIN CLR OF CLASS B AIRSPACE. THEN I WAS SURE THAT I COULD NOT ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH ATC. IN ACCORD WITH FAR 91.131 I TURNED AWAY FROM THE CLASS B BOUNDARY; CONSULTED MY CHART; AND SAW WHERE THE FLOOR OF CLASS B NEAR LAKE MEAD WAS 4500 FT MSL. I DSNDED TO 4000 FT MSL AND PROCEEDED TO VGT; FOLLOWING VECTORS THAT I HAD BEEN ASSIGNED ON PREVIOUS VFR FLTS. I CHOSE THIS COURSE OF ACTION BECAUSE I WAS CONCERNED FOR MY FUEL RESERVE; KNOWING THAT IF I TRIED TO FLY AROUND THE CLASS B AIRSPACE; I WOULD HAVE TO LAND WITH LESS THAN 1/2 HR RESERVE. ON APCH TO VGT; I TRIED TO CONTACT THE TWR; BUT WITH NO SUCCESS. I SQUAWKED 7600 AND THE TWR TOLD ME TO SWITCH MY XPONDER TO 'STANDBY;' IF I COULD RECEIVE HIS XMISSION. I DID AND DSNDED TO PATTERN ALT TO THE L AS WAS THE USUAL WITH THE RWY IN USE. THE TWR TOLD ME TO WATCH FOR THE LIGHT GUN. I DID; AND THE LIGHT SHONE STEADY GREEN. I LANDED AND TAXIED WITH CAUTION BACK TO THE RAMP. I WAS MET BY THE CHIEF INSTRUCTOR OF THE SCHOOL WHO HANDED ME A NOTE TO CALL THE ATC SUPVR AT VGT. THE SUPVR AND I DISCUSSED MY VIOLATION AND MY OPTIONS; WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN: 1) LAND AT BOULDER CITY; 2) FLY OVER THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AT 10000 FT TO VGT. THE SUPVR TOOK MY NAME AND ADDRESS AND I AM AWAITING FURTHER CONTACT WITH HIM. THE SCHOOL HAS GNDED ME UNTIL I HEAR. I DON'T REMEMBER BEING TAUGHT WHAT TO DO OUTSIDE CLASS B AIRSPACE IF I WERE TO HAVE A RADIO FAILURE. THIS WAS MY FIRST FLT AS A CERTIFIED PVT PLT.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.