Narrative:

I departed gillespie field at approximately XA30Z then turned to about 360 degrees to intercept the 154 degree right of homeland VOR. At this time I was not getting reception from homeland VOR. I then attempted to contact san approach/departure control on 124.35. The controller replied by telling me to change frequencys and contact san approach/departure control on 125.3. I was still climbing and at this time I saw out of the left door window an airplane passing in front of me from right to left and at a lower altitude. No evasive action was taken. I then attempted to contact san approach/departure control on 125.3. After I made contact with the controller he gave me a squawk #, then asked me if I had seen an airplane about 3 mins earlier. I replied, 'yes, that is affirmative.' he then asked me if I was familiar with the TCA and I replied, 'negative.' the controller informed me that I had already entered the TCA at that point where I saw the aircraft. He also gave me a phone # and told me that he would like me to give him a call after I landed. Soon after that I began to receive the homeland VOR and found that I was a little east of course. After landing back at prescott I called san approach/departure control and he informed me that I had entered the TCA in a sector where the floor was 1800'. He also said that I may not have been in the TCA after that where I was passing through a section of the TCA where the floor was 3800' and then 4800'. He told me that the plane I passed was approximately 1/2 mi away and 300' below me. Factors that contributed to the situation: my unfamiliarity with the area (it being my first time flying to san). The confusing boundaries of the TCA with many different altitudes at which it begins. If unfamiliar with the area it is hard to determine where the different altitude boundaries begin. My being a low time inexperienced pilot. It being my first time departing from under a TCA and not being aware of the severe consequences of accidentally entering the TCA before establishing communication with the controller. Not being able to receive signals from the homeland VOR contributed to my disorientation. San approach/departure controller telling me to use a different frequency than what was published in the airport/facility directory for gillespie. I feel the main factors that caused this situation were my unfamiliarity with the area and the many confusing TCA boundaries with different altitudes. One suggestion on how to prevent a recurrence would be to make the TCA boundaries more easily determined. Another possibility would be to allow VFR departures to get a squawk #, altitude and headings from clearance delivery before taking off from an airport below a TCA. This would reduce the workload of the pilot once airborne.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA UNAUTH PENETRATION OF TCA CAUSES POTENTIAL WITH MIL SPC.

Narrative: I DEPARTED GILLESPIE FIELD AT APPROX XA30Z THEN TURNED TO ABOUT 360 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE 154 DEG R OF HOMELAND VOR. AT THIS TIME I WAS NOT GETTING RECEPTION FROM HOMELAND VOR. I THEN ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT SAN APCH/DEP CTL ON 124.35. THE CTLR REPLIED BY TELLING ME TO CHANGE FREQS AND CONTACT SAN APCH/DEP CTL ON 125.3. I WAS STILL CLBING AND AT THIS TIME I SAW OUT OF THE LEFT DOOR WINDOW AN AIRPLANE PASSING IN FRONT OF ME FROM RIGHT TO LEFT AND AT A LOWER ALT. NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN. I THEN ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT SAN APCH/DEP CTL ON 125.3. AFTER I MADE CONTACT WITH THE CTLR HE GAVE ME A SQUAWK #, THEN ASKED ME IF I HAD SEEN AN AIRPLANE ABOUT 3 MINS EARLIER. I REPLIED, 'YES, THAT IS AFFIRMATIVE.' HE THEN ASKED ME IF I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE TCA AND I REPLIED, 'NEGATIVE.' THE CTLR INFORMED ME THAT I HAD ALREADY ENTERED THE TCA AT THAT POINT WHERE I SAW THE ACFT. HE ALSO GAVE ME A PHONE # AND TOLD ME THAT HE WOULD LIKE ME TO GIVE HIM A CALL AFTER I LANDED. SOON AFTER THAT I BEGAN TO RECEIVE THE HOMELAND VOR AND FOUND THAT I WAS A LITTLE E OF COURSE. AFTER LNDG BACK AT PRESCOTT I CALLED SAN APCH/DEP CTL AND HE INFORMED ME THAT I HAD ENTERED THE TCA IN A SECTOR WHERE THE FLOOR WAS 1800'. HE ALSO SAID THAT I MAY NOT HAVE BEEN IN THE TCA AFTER THAT WHERE I WAS PASSING THROUGH A SECTION OF THE TCA WHERE THE FLOOR WAS 3800' AND THEN 4800'. HE TOLD ME THAT THE PLANE I PASSED WAS APPROX 1/2 MI AWAY AND 300' BELOW ME. FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE SITUATION: MY UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE AREA (IT BEING MY FIRST TIME FLYING TO SAN). THE CONFUSING BOUNDARIES OF THE TCA WITH MANY DIFFERENT ALTS AT WHICH IT BEGINS. IF UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA IT IS HARD TO DETERMINE WHERE THE DIFFERENT ALT BOUNDARIES BEGIN. MY BEING A LOW TIME INEXPERIENCED PLT. IT BEING MY FIRST TIME DEPARTING FROM UNDER A TCA AND NOT BEING AWARE OF THE SEVERE CONSEQUENCES OF ACCIDENTALLY ENTERING THE TCA BEFORE ESTABLISHING COM WITH THE CTLR. NOT BEING ABLE TO RECEIVE SIGNALS FROM THE HOMELAND VOR CONTRIBUTED TO MY DISORIENTATION. SAN APCH/DEP CTLR TELLING ME TO USE A DIFFERENT FREQ THAN WHAT WAS PUBLISHED IN THE ARPT/FAC DIRECTORY FOR GILLESPIE. I FEEL THE MAIN FACTORS THAT CAUSED THIS SITUATION WERE MY UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE AREA AND THE MANY CONFUSING TCA BOUNDARIES WITH DIFFERENT ALTS. ONE SUGGESTION ON HOW TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE WOULD BE TO MAKE THE TCA BOUNDARIES MORE EASILY DETERMINED. ANOTHER POSSIBILITY WOULD BE TO ALLOW VFR DEPS TO GET A SQUAWK #, ALT AND HDGS FROM CLRNC DELIVERY BEFORE TAKING OFF FROM AN ARPT BELOW A TCA. THIS WOULD REDUCE THE WORKLOAD OF THE PLT ONCE AIRBORNE.

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.