Bravo Airspace - Altitude Miscommunication/Misunderstanding

kjwalker01

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Nov 27, 2013
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Denver, CO
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Display name:
Keith
This afternoon, I was headed back to Addison and had made my initial call to regional approach, who gave me a heading and altitude (3,000) to fly. This was the bottom of the Class B shelf. I was about 3 miles from the point where the Bravo shelf starts at 2,000 when she handed me off to another approach controller. He was extremely busy on the radio, and I was about to make a turn to avoid the Bravo, when I was able to make my initial contact. He simply replied with my tail # and radar contact, so I called him back and asked if I was cleared into the Bravo. I heard "cleared into the bravo at 2,500," so, not having heard my tail number, I repeated this back to him with my tail number and descended.

About 3 minutes later, he jumped on me for being at 2,500, not at 3,000. I told him that I had heard him clear me at 2,500 and repeated it back, but he was too busy to argue and just told me to get up to 3,000.

That was the end of it, no phone numbers to call, and after a few vectors, cleared me to Addison and kicked me over to the tower. Again, didn't hear a thing about it.

My guess is that I had stepped on his transmission when I asked if I was cleared, and it just so happened that the first thing I heard when I release the mic was that part of his clearance to someone else. I would have expected him to correct me, as I gave my tail # and "cleared into Bravo at 2,500", but it was busy. Looking back, not hearing "Descent to 2,500" should have tipped me off, as well as not hearing the tail number.

I filed an ASRS form just to be safe, but am curious if I should expect to hear anything from anyone on this?
 
Sounds like an honest miscommunication. I doubt you will hear anything further from it, but didn't hurt to file the ASRS.

Lesson learned to be extra careful with comms in a busy airspace.
 
Ok, as a very low hour student pilot who hasn't gotten into stuff like this yet can anyone give me a 101 on ASRS? I keep hearing about it around here and it seems to me like you're required to report your own mistakes, and no matter if you do or if you don't the big bad FAA is going to come huffing and puffing you right out of the sky?
 
Doubt you'll hear anything, highly doubt it. Filing the NASA was a good idea ether way, honest mistake, no one hurt, no metal bent, no rules were majorly injured, alls good.
 
Sounds very much like a minor controller error. You were cleared, you did what you were told. VFR, you didn't see any airliners blasting by you.

The point of ASRS is safety. If there is an issue, that's the reason to file those. Protecting your butt is secondary. I'm not sure I'd bother in this instance, as it's real obvious to everyone what happened, and is on the recordings. But it won't hurt.
 
I heard "cleared into the bravo at 2,500," so, not having heard my tail number, I repeated this back to him with my tail number and descended.

That was where your error was - you acted on part of a transmission without confirmation it was for you. You reading it back as if it was for you was incorrect. You should have requested clarification on the clearance before doing anything, other than avoiding Class B entry until you were certain of your clearance.

You'll likely never hear from them. Go forth and sin no more.
 
Flight Following or IFR plan?

(And don't forget about the aviation event happening in Denton in a few weeks. Be a good chance to meet more local pilots and a few of the PoA crazies)
 
Ok, as a very low hour student pilot who hasn't gotten into stuff like this yet can anyone give me a 101 on ASRS? I keep hearing about it around here and it seems to me like you're required to report your own mistakes, and no matter if you do or if you don't the big bad FAA is going to come huffing and puffing you right out of the sky?

Nope.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=asrs
 
Flight Following or IFR plan?

(And don't forget about the aviation event happening in Denton in a few weeks. Be a good chance to meet more local pilots and a few of the PoA crazies)

There is no "Cleared into Class B" on an IFR flight plan.

There is a "cleared to XXXX airport" and a route that takes you through Class B.
 
Flight Following or IFR plan?

(And don't forget about the aviation event happening in Denton in a few weeks. Be a good chance to meet more local pilots and a few of the PoA crazies)

What event is that?
 
We might be able to give better info if we could listen to the exchange. Can you help us find it on liveatc?
 
That was where your error was - you acted on part of a transmission without confirmation it was for you. You reading it back as if it was for you was incorrect. You should have requested clarification on the clearance before doing anything, other than avoiding Class B entry until you were certain of your clearance.

You'll likely never hear from them. Go forth and sin no more.

Definitely see this now, though in the moment it seemed like it was my clearance. Won't be making this mistake again!
 
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