A PVT PLT IN A PA31 PENETRATES THE CLASS B OF DCA WITHOUT ASKING FOR PERMISSION TO ENTER. RPTR HAD BEEN ON NHK CTLR FREQ FOR RADAR ADVISORY SVC.
Synopsis
A PVT PLT IN A PA31 PENETRATES THE CLASS B OF DCA WITHOUT ASKING FOR PERMISSION TO ENTER. RPTR HAD BEEN ON NHK CTLR FREQ FOR RADAR ADVISORY SVC.
Narrative
I WAS UNDER VFR FLT FOLLOWING (WITH A XPONDER CODE ASSIGNED BY PATUXENT APCH SET INTO MY XPONDER) WITH PATUXENT APCH CTL; FLYING WBOUND DIRECT TOWARD GAI. THE CTLR ADVISED ME THAT I WAS LEAVING HIS AIRSPACE AND IF I WANTED FURTHER ADVISORIES TO CONTACT BWI APCH ON 124.55. I REQUESTED A HDOF TO BWI APCH. PATUXENT THEN CAME BACK AND SAID; 'OH WELL; YOU ARE ALREADY IN BWI'S AIRSPACE; CONTACT BWI ON 124.55.' I THEN CALLED BWI APCH AND SAID; 'BWI APCH; NAVAJO XY LEVEL AT 4500 FT.' BWI REPLIED; 'ROGER NAVAJO XY ALTIMETER SETTING IS...' AND I THEN READ BACK THE ALTIMETER SETTING. APPROX 5 MINS WENT BY AND I SPOTTED ANOTHER ACFT THAT PASSED EBOUND AT ABOUT 1000 FT ABOVE ME. IT WAS A TWIN COMMUTER ACFT. NO CORRECTIVE ACTIONS WERE REQUIRED AND I MAINTAINED VISUAL SEPARATION. AT NO TIME DID I HEAR THE CTLR ISSUE ANY TA'S TO MYSELF OR THE COMMUTER (UNLESS THE COMMUTER WAS ON ANOTHER FREQ). I THOUGHT IT WAS STRANGE THAT NO TA'S WERE GIVEN TO EITHER ACFT AND CONSIDERED CHASTISING THE CTLR; BUT ELECTED NOT TO SINCE HE APPEARED BUSY. I CONTINUED DIRECT TOWARD MY DEST AND WHEN I WAS APPROX 12 MI FROM GAI; I CALLED BWI APCH AND REQUESTED A DSCNT OUT OF 4500 FT TO 2500 FT. THE CTLR REPLIED; 'ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH CLASS B OPS? I NEVER CLRED YOU INTO THE CLASS B.' I REPLIED TO THE CTLR THAT I WAS HANDED OFF TO HIM AND HE REPLIED WITH AN ALTIMETER SETTING AND WENT ON TO DESCRIBE THE SIT. AFTER CHASTISING ME; THE CTLR SAID THAT HE WAS NOT GOING TO PURSUE A VIOLATION AGAINST ME BUT TO BE CERTAIN THAT I ALWAYS GET AN AFFIRMATIVE CLRNC INTO THE CLASS B IN THE FUTURE. MY OBSERVATIONS: I DO REALIZE THAT I WAS IN ERROR NOT CONFIRMING A CLASS B CLRNC. HOWEVER; I BELIEVE THE CTLRS ARE ALSO PARTLY TO BLAME BASED ON THEIR ACTIONS/INACTIONS. THE ERROR BEGAN WHEN PATUXENT APCH COMMENTED TO ME THAT I WAS ALREADY WITHIN BWI'S AIRSPACE. BASED ON THAT COMMENT; I ASSUMED SINCE I WAS ALREADY IN THE BWI AIRSPACE; AND SINCE A HDOF TO BWI WAS GIVEN; I ASSUMED IN ERROR THAT I WAS CLRED INTO THE CLASS B. ONCE I CHKED IN WITH BWI APCH AND AN ALTIMETER SETTING GIVEN; I WAS FURTHER LED TO BELIEVE I HAD OBTAINED THE PROPER CLRNC. TYPICALLY; CTLRS HAVE ALWAYS ADVISED 'REMAIN CLR OF THE CLASS B' AND THIS ADVISORY WAS NEVER ISSUED TO ME. FURTHERMORE; I AM ALSO USED TO FLYING UNDER AN IFR FLT PLAN AND I CHKED IN WITH THE CTLR AS I ALWAYS DO UNDER AN IFR FLT PLAN THEN WHEN I WAS GIVEN AN ALTIMETER SETTING BY BWI; I WAS MISLED INTO THINKING 'BUSINESS AS USUAL.' TO HELP ELIMINATE SUCH FUTURE INCURSIONS; I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT CTLRS BE REQUIRED TO REMIND VFR TFC TO REMAIN CLR OF CTLED AIRSPACE UPON THEIR INITIAL CONTACT WITH A VFR ACFT. OF COURSE; THIS MATTER WILL SERVE AS A LESSON TO ME TO BE CERTAIN TO OBTAIN AFFIRMATIVE CLRNC INTO CTLED AIRSPACE.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.