Busted going into San Diego Bravo

[bbuckley]

I was coming out of W-291 carrier ops in an F-14B and wanted to do an ILS into Miramar so I contacted SOCAL about 40 nm west of KNKX (only ~12nm outside the Bravo) at 6,000' doing 325kts and asked for vectors to the ILS. SOCAL gave me a squawk and a vector (060) and said "vectors for the approach". I assumed I was picking up an IFR flight plan into KNKX but then he came on with "maintain appropriate VFR altitude". I acknowledged and climbed to 7,500 and started slowing down to 250kts. The next call was informing me I had entered the Bravo without clearance, true, since I guess I was VFR, so guilty. But extenuating circumstances are I was given a vector for an approach taking me into the Bravo and no direction to remain clear until otherwise cleared, and I don't recall hearing "maintain VFR" but I was having trouble hearing the controller (a combination of his headset and my FSX sounds too high for the PE sound), this wasn't the only call I blew so I just feel bad all around. I hate not getting it right but I guess it's gonna happen. I know I should have prompted the controller to give clearance or orbited outside until I could get his attention. Next time I'll make sure I'm IFR. BTW, the controller was professional and right and was doing a great job, so this is on me.

[Kevin_atc]

Was there any restriction that held your altitude? Seems like the controller put the altitude into your hands. Would you have been able to climb above or descend below the bravo?

[bbuckley]

Was there any restriction that held your altitude? Seems like the controller put the altitude into your hands. Would you have been able to climb above or descend below the bravo?

See, I didn't think of that... I could not have gone under and stayed at safe altitude for the approach, but I could have climbed to 11,500 and gone over. But the same issue would have come up when given a descent unless I was cleared into the Bravo with the descent. The issue was that I was so close to the Bravo initially that when given the initial vector, unless I had been given clearance into the Bravo at the same time, I was going to bust it or have to ignore the vector and turn around. The
mental error on my part was the uncertainty about whether I was now IFR or VFR. Even thought I was told to maintain an appropriate VFR altitude, my mindset was IFR.

[Kyle.Sanders]

Key words to listen for would be "cleared to ______"...

Also, using the phrase "would like IFR to ____ to shoot the approach". Until
Then, he may have assumed you wanted to fly the approach VFR as you were.

[Mudhen]

I realize it sounds as if I’m splitting hairs, but...
Unless you hear and acknowledge the words,”N12345, cleared to Miramar…”
Then you’re still VFR.
As for the Bravo, all pilots know they must remain clear at all times unless an emergency exists or they receive clearance to enter. Controllers are not required to remind pilots to remain clear of Bravo any more than they are required to tell pilots to maintain VFR. Both of those responsibilities rest on the pilot.
A control instruction can sometimes, as in this case, be insidious.
One might think, “Well...I gave the controller my request. He issued a heading. I guess I’m good to go both into clouds and/or the Bravo.” Pilots must be careful not to fall into the trap. Unless you’re specifically cleared, “cleared to, or cleared into,” then you can enter neither. Any control instruction that may cause a pilot to violate the Bravo, or enter into the soup without a clearance, can be rejected by the pilot. A simple query would be beneficial, (and sometimes intimidating.)

[bbuckley]

Key words to listen for would be "cleared to ______"...

Also, using the phrase "would like IFR to ____ to shoot the approach". Until
Then, he may have assumed you wanted to fly the approach VFR as you were.

That's the answer. 1. I didn't hear "cleared to" and 2. I should've asked for IFR.
Thanks.

[HRutila]

What happened to you on PE is actually not all that uncommon. Here's one example from real life:

NASA ASRS ACN #855810:
"After shooting a practice approach into OAK, I requested continued flight following to PAO and thence to WVI. I was given vectors and altitude restrictions to cross the Bay to PAO. At the time of this occurrence, the controller had requested that I climb to 2500. Shortly afterward, that controller handed me off to the next controller, who promptly notified me that I was in Class B airspace without clearance. I promptly descended below 2500 upon notification. No request was made to contact ATC via phone. I am not GPS equipped and admit I was not monitoring position with respect to Class B airspace, but assumed ATC was considering overlying Class B when instruction was given to climb to 2500. Lesson learned: I will be more careful to monitor my position with respect to airspace, and question ATC instructions that would cause a Class B incursion."

On practice approaches it is absolutely crucial that you know what flight rules are in effect. If you want to become IFR, you should state so. If you intend to maintain VFR, you should request the approach and include VFR (ie. "Request vectors for ILS Runway 24 approach, VFR."). I have had controllers mistake me for VFR when I was IFR, and IFR when I was VFR, the latter as recently as last weekend on a VFR cross country flight. (It would have been more interesting if my private pilot student was solo. The instructions were to expect an RNAV approach.)

[Ryan B]

Ironically you get IFR separation (3 mi lateral but 500 ft vertical) if flying a VFR practice approach and the controller clears you for the approach. Honestly the whole thing is just weird. I've found pilots have no idea what separation services they are actually getting sometimes in various phases of flight.

In Duluth we can't allow VOR approaches at night (stupid reasons but anyway), so the helicopter guys say they just want to fly the approach VFR "own nav." Which to me that means "I'm going to get established on a published segment of the approach and then the controller can clear me for it." But once we clear them they become IFR and the approach is NA so we can't do it. They've resorted to some other requests now but it took a long time to let them know that they were actually getting IFR separation even if they are VFR own nav hehe.

I could see how a controller mistake you for IFR especially if they put you into the NAS with a VFR FF code. On our ancient radar scope (arts IIe) the difference between a IFR arrival and VFR arrival is a "V" in the scratchpad. Sometimes when I'm busy I fail to notice the V.