Amateur/Home Built/Experimental
Flight Crew Rotorcraft; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Commercial
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 85; Flight Crew Total 1428; Flight Crew Type 42
Physiological - Other
Airspace Violation All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Illness / Injury; Inflight Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Landed As Precaution; Flight Crew Diverted; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; General Physical Injury / Incapacitation
Aircraft; Human Factors
Without intent to violate the airspace rules I entered Class A airspace while on an IFR filed maintenance flight.As filed via internet; departed home base in a Turbine Legend; contacted Approach as I was climbing out and they could not locate my flight plan and passed me to Center. I was unable to reach Center but continued to try as I climbed to FL175 and held for some time while trying to contact Center on various frequencies including Approach. After sometime at FL175; I climbed to FL250 believing I should follow my 'as filed' route and profile. Was finally able to contact Approach and explain my situation. They asked me to take a northerly heading and descend to FL130 then recommended I land; fix the comm and check my Oxygen System as he felt I was exhibiting hypoxia. I realized I was experiencing hypoxia.Factor I consider contributed to this situation:1. Aircraft is relatively new to me.2. New oxygen masks with internal mic.3. Communications equipment problems.4. Inadvertently transposed [digits in] N number on filed flight plan.Factor Notes:1. Only 40 hours in type and performance level.2. May not have properly adjusted the mask to ensure proper O2 was being delivered and a flawed built in mic may have led to some of the comm issues.3. Aircraft is equipped with dated avionics that I plan to replace with an entirely new panel this winter.4. Center did locate the transposed flight plan and linked it to me.
Pilot of a single engine turbine powered aircraft reported climbing into Class A airspace without being able to pick up a filed IFR clearance before hand due to communications problems. Once communication was established the Controller issued a heading and a clearance to 13;000 FT and suggested that the reporter was exhibiting symptoms of hypoxia and should land. The reporter agreed and proceeded to land.