Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 1 Eng; Retractable Gear
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Flight Engineer; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 35; Flight Crew Total 21000; Flight Crew Type 2000
Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Airspace Violation All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Environment - Non Weather Related; Airport; Human Factors; Procedure
VFR flight following to HIO; after handoff from Portland Approach; was told to contact Hillsboro Tower. Numerous calls to Tower went unanswered. I could clearly hear Tower Controller talking to other pilots and became exasperated being ignored. I finally got the Controller's attention by stating; 'Hillsboro Tower XXX; this is my fourth (or fifth) call; how do you hear me!!'?? The Controller told me to call the Tower after landing for a possible deviation. Called Tower and explained that I was a VFR radar handoff from Portland Approach. He said he could see where there would be a problem in this case but the rules state you must have clearance before entered their airspace. I felt we were cleared in by Portland Radar Approach.Lesson learned: What I thought was a handoff from Portland Approach to Hillsboro Tower was apparently not a handoff. I was on my own and didn't realize it. I penetrated Hillsboro Class D without receiving prior approval. This will not happen again.
Pilot advised that he was told to squawk 1200 prior to entering the HIO airspace.
A VFR pilot with flight following was handed off from PDX TRACON to HIO Tower but was unable to establish communications and; thinking he had clearance entered HIO airspace; but was later advised he had violated Class D.