Narrative:

I requested an arsa clearance from ground on 121.9. I stated my aircraft type/right and my route of flight was direct sac, which lies 019 degrees approximately 57 mi from oak. I intended to climb to 5500'. Ground did not ask my requested altitude which surprised me nor did they assign a departure control frequency or direction of flight (initial heading). They merely gave me a transponder code (my aircraft has mode C) and told me to taxi to runway 33. After waiting approximately 5 mins for arrs and departures on runway 27R I was cleared for takeoff and reported the traffic that had departed runway 27 in sight. At no time on my initial climb out did the tower controller, who was quite busy giving radar traffic advisories to numerous arrs and departures, assign me a heading or altitude which I had expected since oak lies in an arsa which lies beneath the sfo TCA. When I was approximately 8 mi northeast of oak crossing the oakland hills and climbing through 4000' MSL, oak tower handed me off to bay approach on 127.0 and said, 'remain clear of the TCA.' I asked what the base of the TCA was at my position and she stated 4500'. I leveled at 4100' and contacted departure. He immediately stated I had violated the TCA several mi back when I had climbed through either 3000 or 3500' (I'm not sure which he said and I do not have access to a map as I write this report). I did have TCA and arsa charts in my plane and I am familiar with the sfo bay area airspace. I had flown this exact profile into and out of oak 2 days prior in the same aircraft. I commuted to sfo from sac over a period of 10 yrs in my small aircraft and as an air carrier pilot I was based in sfo for 10 yrs and continue to fly out of there regularly as an airline pilot. I consider myself familiar with the sfo bay area. What kind of an ATC system do we have that allows a controller (oak tower) to watch you climb into a TCA while under their control and say nothing. All she would have had to say was maintain 3000'! It would appear that oak tower was controling me in airspace they didn't own, ie, 2 controllers handling overlapping airspace (refer to airline san midair). Maybe it was standard, but my arsa clearance was rather vague as it only contained a squawk--no heading, altitude or departure frequency. An earlier handoff to departure while I was at a lower altitude and still in tower airspace would have been more appropriate. My previous flight 2 days prior did have an earlier handoff. I feel as though I was lead down the path by ATC and assumed that there was coordination between tower and departure. I realize you needed a clearance to enter a tc, but assumed this coordination had been affected.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNDER ATC CONTROL FLYING OUT OF ARSA UNDERLYING TCA. PENETRATED TCA WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: I REQUESTED AN ARSA CLRNC FROM GND ON 121.9. I STATED MY ACFT TYPE/R AND MY ROUTE OF FLT WAS DIRECT SAC, WHICH LIES 019 DEGS APPROX 57 MI FROM OAK. I INTENDED TO CLB TO 5500'. GND DID NOT ASK MY REQUESTED ALT WHICH SURPRISED ME NOR DID THEY ASSIGN A DEP CTL FREQ OR DIRECTION OF FLT (INITIAL HDG). THEY MERELY GAVE ME A XPONDER CODE (MY ACFT HAS MODE C) AND TOLD ME TO TAXI TO RWY 33. AFTER WAITING APPROX 5 MINS FOR ARRS AND DEPS ON RWY 27R I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF AND RPTED THE TFC THAT HAD DEPARTED RWY 27 IN SIGHT. AT NO TIME ON MY INITIAL CLB OUT DID THE TWR CTLR, WHO WAS QUITE BUSY GIVING RADAR TFC ADVISORIES TO NUMEROUS ARRS AND DEPS, ASSIGN ME A HDG OR ALT WHICH I HAD EXPECTED SINCE OAK LIES IN AN ARSA WHICH LIES BENEATH THE SFO TCA. WHEN I WAS APPROX 8 MI NE OF OAK XING THE OAKLAND HILLS AND CLBING THROUGH 4000' MSL, OAK TWR HANDED ME OFF TO BAY APCH ON 127.0 AND SAID, 'REMAIN CLR OF THE TCA.' I ASKED WHAT THE BASE OF THE TCA WAS AT MY POS AND SHE STATED 4500'. I LEVELED AT 4100' AND CONTACTED DEP. HE IMMEDIATELY STATED I HAD VIOLATED THE TCA SEVERAL MI BACK WHEN I HAD CLBED THROUGH EITHER 3000 OR 3500' (I'M NOT SURE WHICH HE SAID AND I DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO A MAP AS I WRITE THIS RPT). I DID HAVE TCA AND ARSA CHARTS IN MY PLANE AND I AM FAMILIAR WITH THE SFO BAY AREA AIRSPACE. I HAD FLOWN THIS EXACT PROFILE INTO AND OUT OF OAK 2 DAYS PRIOR IN THE SAME ACFT. I COMMUTED TO SFO FROM SAC OVER A PERIOD OF 10 YRS IN MY SMA AND AS AN ACR PLT I WAS BASED IN SFO FOR 10 YRS AND CONTINUE TO FLY OUT OF THERE REGULARLY AS AN AIRLINE PLT. I CONSIDER MYSELF FAMILIAR WITH THE SFO BAY AREA. WHAT KIND OF AN ATC SYS DO WE HAVE THAT ALLOWS A CTLR (OAK TWR) TO WATCH YOU CLB INTO A TCA WHILE UNDER THEIR CTL AND SAY NOTHING. ALL SHE WOULD HAVE HAD TO SAY WAS MAINTAIN 3000'! IT WOULD APPEAR THAT OAK TWR WAS CTLING ME IN AIRSPACE THEY DIDN'T OWN, IE, 2 CTLRS HANDLING OVERLAPPING AIRSPACE (REFER TO AIRLINE SAN MIDAIR). MAYBE IT WAS STANDARD, BUT MY ARSA CLRNC WAS RATHER VAGUE AS IT ONLY CONTAINED A SQUAWK--NO HDG, ALT OR DEP FREQ. AN EARLIER HDOF TO DEP WHILE I WAS AT A LOWER ALT AND STILL IN TWR AIRSPACE WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE APPROPRIATE. MY PREVIOUS FLT 2 DAYS PRIOR DID HAVE AN EARLIER HDOF. I FEEL AS THOUGH I WAS LEAD DOWN THE PATH BY ATC AND ASSUMED THAT THERE WAS COORD BTWN TWR AND DEP. I REALIZE YOU NEEDED A CLRNC TO ENTER A TC, BUT ASSUMED THIS COORD HAD BEEN AFFECTED.

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.