Narrative:

At approximately XA10 I departed addison airport north to weatherford, tx. I was handed off from addison tower to regional departure control. I requested and was approved to maintain VFR and 3000'. I proceeded nnw from addison in a circuitous route north around the south edge of garza-little elm reservoir. When I was at the western edge of the main body of the reservoir (due south of lakeview airport) I was handed off to another sector controller. Immediately after confirming radar contact, I was informed I was inside the TCA and was instructed to immediately descend below 3000'. I complied with the instruction but informed the controller that I had been previously cleared to 3000'. The controller's implication was that I made an unauthorized incursion into TCA airspace when in fact I was authority/authorized by my last received clearance to maintain 3000'. I received no instruction from the first controller to remain clear of TCA airspace. The airspace around dfw is very complex. Most civil aircraft (large and small) do not have navigation systems sophisticated enough to identify each altitude boundary. If ATC wanted to keep me outside of TCA airspace boundaries they could have used their radar to do so. It seems that the FAA might be trying to pad their TCA enforcement stats at my expense. ATC is there to help all of us stay safe. Aircraft, both small and large, have equal rights to fly the arwys. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: although he could not remember being specifically cleared to enter the TCA, reporter insists that he was in contact with one controller and was well within the TCA. He was then handed off to a second controller who told him he was in the TCA and to leave it immediately. He contends that he was cleared into the TCA by the first controller and the second controller must not have been aware of the fact. Reporter seemed to insist that if a pilot tells a controller that he plans to go from one point to another and if the route takes him through a TCA and, if the controller does not tell him to remain clear of the TCA, then he has a clearance. Attempts to counsel failed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ENTERED TCA WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA10 I DEPARTED ADDISON ARPT N TO WEATHERFORD, TX. I WAS HANDED OFF FROM ADDISON TWR TO REGIONAL DEP CTL. I REQUESTED AND WAS APPROVED TO MAINTAIN VFR AND 3000'. I PROCEEDED NNW FROM ADDISON IN A CIRCUITOUS ROUTE N AROUND THE S EDGE OF GARZA-LITTLE ELM RESERVOIR. WHEN I WAS AT THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE MAIN BODY OF THE RESERVOIR (DUE S OF LAKEVIEW ARPT) I WAS HANDED OFF TO ANOTHER SECTOR CTLR. IMMEDIATELY AFTER CONFIRMING RADAR CONTACT, I WAS INFORMED I WAS INSIDE THE TCA AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO IMMEDIATELY DSND BELOW 3000'. I COMPLIED WITH THE INSTRUCTION BUT INFORMED THE CTLR THAT I HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY CLRED TO 3000'. THE CTLR'S IMPLICATION WAS THAT I MADE AN UNAUTH INCURSION INTO TCA AIRSPACE WHEN IN FACT I WAS AUTH BY MY LAST RECEIVED CLRNC TO MAINTAIN 3000'. I RECEIVED NO INSTRUCTION FROM THE FIRST CTLR TO REMAIN CLR OF TCA AIRSPACE. THE AIRSPACE AROUND DFW IS VERY COMPLEX. MOST CIVIL ACFT (LARGE AND SMALL) DO NOT HAVE NAV SYSTEMS SOPHISTICATED ENOUGH TO IDENT EACH ALT BOUNDARY. IF ATC WANTED TO KEEP ME OUTSIDE OF TCA AIRSPACE BOUNDARIES THEY COULD HAVE USED THEIR RADAR TO DO SO. IT SEEMS THAT THE FAA MIGHT BE TRYING TO PAD THEIR TCA ENFORCEMENT STATS AT MY EXPENSE. ATC IS THERE TO HELP ALL OF US STAY SAFE. ACFT, BOTH SMALL AND LARGE, HAVE EQUAL RIGHTS TO FLY THE ARWYS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: ALTHOUGH HE COULD NOT REMEMBER BEING SPECIFICALLY CLRED TO ENTER THE TCA, RPTR INSISTS THAT HE WAS IN CONTACT WITH ONE CTLR AND WAS WELL WITHIN THE TCA. HE WAS THEN HANDED OFF TO A SECOND CTLR WHO TOLD HIM HE WAS IN THE TCA AND TO LEAVE IT IMMEDIATELY. HE CONTENDS THAT HE WAS CLRED INTO THE TCA BY THE FIRST CTLR AND THE SECOND CTLR MUST NOT HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THE FACT. RPTR SEEMED TO INSIST THAT IF A PLT TELLS A CTLR THAT HE PLANS TO GO FROM ONE POINT TO ANOTHER AND IF THE ROUTE TAKES HIM THROUGH A TCA AND, IF THE CTLR DOES NOT TELL HIM TO REMAIN CLR OF THE TCA, THEN HE HAS A CLRNC. ATTEMPTS TO COUNSEL FAILED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.