Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Commercial
Flight Crew Total 1100
Communication Breakdown; Training / Qualification; Confusion
ATC Issue All Types
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Airspace Structure; Human Factors; Procedure; Chart Or Publication
I am submitting this report in an effort to make the process of entering the LAX Mini Route safer. Here is my experience and the results of a phone call I initiated with the Tower the next day. I had reviewed and had a current LAX TCA chart depicting the Mini Route over LAX and through Class 'B' airspace. I was taking off in daylight VMC from TOA; Runway 29R; an airport which is just south of LAX. The Mini Route instructions called for me to be at 2;500 FT and enter the route at Hawthorne Blvd at the 405 Freeway and get ATC permission to proceed. I knew where the 405 Freeway was but did not know where Hawthorne Blvd was and that was the big problem as the Tower provided almost no help. I was flying a G1000 Cessna 182. I had set up the VOR and OBS in the HSI and had the Radial painted on my display. Before taking off I had advised the Tower [that] I needed help to find Hawthorne Blvd as I was heading for the Mini Route. I asked them to watch me as this was my first time using the route. Once airborne I turned right heading towards the freeway; and asked for help to find Hawthorne Blvd. They said 'it was a big 8 lane street'. There was no directional help like at 1 o'clock 1 mile. I asked for vectors; none were given. There were several calls back and forth as I was moving away from the airport without the necessary directions from the Tower. The Tower then asked me if I had requested the Mini Route with Ground; I did not and then I was told it should have been done. Tick tock; I am airborne and this is not going well. Then TOA Tower handed me off to HHR Tower. HHR Tower then helped me locate a large park adjacent to the freeway and this location was on the flight radial for the Mini Route. I proceeded and was handed off to LAX and obtained permission to fly the Mini Route. I never violated any airspace; that was not an issue here; but it could have. The process needs help to make it safer. Here is the list of issues that need attention:1. There is no published requirement or recommendation at TOA to notify Ground of an intention to fly the LAX Mini route. While Ground and Tower may want to know this; it appears to be some sort of local policy that makes it difficult for transient operators to be aware of. Such notice and help would be greatly appreciated; such notice could have been placed on the ATIS. My conversation with the Tower later disclosed they were not permitted to solicit the flying of the Mini Route.2. Using a major street in the city as a way-point is problematic to someone not familiar. The Tower's inability to help me find this street quickly set up potential safety issues which I will detail later.3. The Tower was prevented from giving me vectors as they did not have radar and was not authorize to give vectors.4. There are no published departure instructions from TOA to access the Mini Route and the Tower could not provide better instructions to find the street way-point.To fix this; to make it safer; I recommend the following changes.1. Departure instructions for TOA and other close airports be provided on the Mini Route instructions and made available by Ground and Tower ATC. The instructions can be very simple like; turn right heading 030 degree intercept the 128 degree radial; climb to 2;500 FT. No ground reference point is needed and pilots are use to these types of instructions.2. Allow the Ground and Tower ATC to ask if pilots are flying the Mini Route so that special aid can be given. This can be a big deal as in the confusion of essentially being lost for a few minutes I found myself not flying the plane any more. I was still low just 1;000 FT AGL; not the 2;500 FT I needed to be at. I had just taken off which requires attention to a takeoff checklist that I never got too. Frankly I was very distracted looking at the ground for Hawthorne Blvd. I was no longer looking at the sky for other aircraft and not monitoring my instruments. I am a 1;100 hour plus IFR current pilot that learnedto fly in Southern California and this was very unsettling experience. The existing process and procedures set me up for an accident if one more thing went wrong. Not flying vectors and not really knowing where I needed to go precluded me from using the autopilot. For local pilots this is not a big deal as they know where the streets are and have done this before. FAA needs to make sure this process can work safely for all pilots.
C182 pilot departing TOA and planning to cross LAX using the Mini Route finds the procedure confusing and suggests changes.