PLT OF C150 POSSIBLY INCURRED PHX CLASS B AIRSPACE WHILE TRYING TO REMAIN VFR IN AN INCREASING IMC ENVIRONMENT.

Date: 1999-09 · Aircraft: Cessna 150 · Phase: cruise

Anomalies: airspace-violation-all-types|deviation-track-heading-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|inflight-event-encounter-weather-turbulence

Synopsis

PLT OF C150 POSSIBLY INCURRED PHX CLASS B AIRSPACE WHILE TRYING TO REMAIN VFR IN AN INCREASING IMC ENVIRONMENT.

Narrative

ENRTE FROM IWA-DVT; I WAS CLRED TO TRANSITION THROUGH FALCON FIELD'S CLASS D AIRSPACE AND FREQ CHANGE TO SCOTTSDALE TWR WAS APPROVED. AS I APCHED SCOTTSDALE; A FAST MOVING TSTM OBSCURING THE MOUNTAINS CAUSED ME TO RETHINK MY PLAN AND TURN AROUND AND LAND AT FALCON FIELD. I DID MY BEST TO AVOID THE WX; MAINTAIN VFR AND REMAIN CLR OF THE PHX CLASS B AIRSPACE. HOWEVER; I AM SOMEWHAT UNCERTAIN IF I ACTUALLY DID STAY CLR OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE DUE TO THE DISTR AND CONCERN THE WX CAUSED ME. I HAD ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT PHX APCH BUT THEY WOULD NOT TALK TO ME. I BELIEVE THAT THE WX MOVED IN MUCH FASTER THAN I HAD ANTICIPATED AND MY DECISION TO DEPART WAS INFLUENCED BY MY DESIRE TO GET HOME BEFORE IT ARRIVED. HOWEVER; I FEEL I MADE THE CORRECT DECISION TO ABORT THE FLT AND LAND AT THE CLOSEST ARPT WHICH WAS FALCON FIELD AS SOON AS I REALIZED THAT I WAS CUTTING IT TOO CLOSE! WHEN I CONTACTED PHX APCH I ASKED FOR DIRECT DVT IN ORDER TO AVOID THE TSTM; BUT THEY SAID NO TIME FOR VFR TFC AND TO REMAIN CLR OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. I THINK THAT UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES; MY CURRENT POS IN RELATION TO THE WX; THE AIRSPACE; AND MY ALT THAT I WOULD ONLY HAVE BEEN IN THE CLASS B AIRSPACE FOR AT MOST 2-4 MINS AND IF THEY HAD TAKEN A MOMENT TO ASSESS MY SIT THAT THEY COULD HAVE HELPED ME OUT. THE PHX APCH FACILITY IS JUST IN THE HABIT OF LOCKING OUT VFR TFC AND COULD HAVE AT LEAST GIVEN ME A SQUAWK CODE OR ASKED ME TO IDENT IN ORDER TO ASCERTAIN MY POS AND WHAT AFFECT I WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE ON THEIR AIRSPACE AND TFC. ONCE THEY REFUSED TO WORK WITH ME I WAS FORCED TO MAKE THE DECISION TO TURN AROUND AND LAND AT FALCON FIELD. I FEAR THAT IN THE PROCESS I CAME EXTREMELY CLOSE TO THE CLASS B AIRSPACE; THOUGH I DO NOT THINK I ACTUALLY ENTERED IT; IT WAS VERY CLOSE. THE AIRSPACE AROUND PHX IS VERY COMPLEX ON A SUNNY DAY; WHEN WX MOVES IN IT IS SEVERE; AND CTLRS NEED TO MAKE AN EFFORT TO ASSIST PLTS IN THOSE TIMES.

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