Narrative:

The following is a sequence of events and radio calls made on 3/89, colorado spring, co. The sequence was preflight-planned and then flown based on VFR requirements and safety of flight considerations (terrain clrncs, etc). The radio calls and times are not transcribed from a tape, as they are from personal recall some 7 days after the occurrence. XY30Z received a departure clearance on 135.45 for departure out of the colorado springs airspace. Takeoff XX35Z from colorado springs airport (frequency 119.9) on a VFR flight plan to rock springs, wy. Route of flight was den-laramie-rock springs. Clearance delivery had given us a clearance for departure from the colorado springs airspace. XX36Z: after takeoff we contacted colorado approach control on frequency 118.5 and acquired radar contact. We asked for a handoff to den. XX40Z: colorado approach control handed us off to ZDV at our request to make sure that in the busy den area we would have flight following. 10 mins or so passed by. Climbed to 7500' MSL (hemispheric plus 500'). XX50Z: since we were close to the denver TCA, we requested den approach frequencys for flight following. 2 frequencys were given to us--denver S-125.8 and denver N-126.9. We informed ZDV we were starting a climb for terrain clearance. 8500' MSL was our goal by I-70. This is a point where we would be changing to a westerly heading (hemispheric plus 500') toward laramie. XX51Z: contacted FSS on 122.2 to activate the VFR flight plan. XX51Z: attempted contact on denver south with no response. XX52Z: attempted contact on denver south with no response. We do know why south did not come up on frequency, but this has some safety of flight implications. XX52Z: contacted denver north (frequency 126.9)--'denver center, identify is squawking 4627 approximately 4 or 5 mi ese of aurora airport, and has an medium large transport at 10:00 O'clock, 4 mi, in sight. Climbing to 8500'.' since we were outside the TCA, I wanted the control agency to know that we were climbing for terrain clearance and, as information for den, to de-conflict with traffic coming out of the TCA. At this time I knew I was close to the edge of the TCA and would probably make 8500' MSL just prior to highway 70. I could visually see aurora airport and stapleton airport and therefore verified we were clear of the TCA. XX52Z: den approach response was: 'what altitude, who authority/authorized you into this airspace?' 52Z: our response-'was under radar control with colorado springs approach and ZDV, who gave me your frequencys, prior to attempting contact with denver south. Unable to contact denver south several times, but finally changed to your frequency for flight following. Climbing to 8500'.' 53Z: denver south response-'don't go above 8000', radar contact.' again, I felt our information to denver had help his airspace monitoring outside the TCA. 53Z: our response, 'roger 8000' and den approach was there a problem with my request and position?' 53Z: denver response-'no, at this time, we are landing runway ?? And have less traffic from the east, but normally that area could be a high traffic area.' 54Z: our response-'roger.' I felt since I had initiated the radar contact with denver approach and had reduced his concerns on our position, that nothing was of any concern. 54Z: den request-'say your complete call sign.' 54Z: our response-complete call sign. After a couple of mins of flight and analyzing this request, I felt that some action from denver could be possible, since they knew most of my call sign already and were maybe documenting data for future use. Consequently, I documented as much as I could remember in this NASA report in the interest of flight safety. The bottom line was: there was no intent on my part to violate any airspace by colorado springs or denver approach controls. I attempted contact with anyone who could possibly give us radar coverage during this entire sequence. I am confident that we were under and laterally outside the TCA for this sequence. Reporter states he knew he was clear of TCA by visibility check points and DME. Surprised when approach challenged him. He was trying to avoid TCA but let everyone know where he was and what he was doing. Felt this was a conscientious effort to assist with air safety.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATTEMPTING TO AVOID TCA BUT IN CONTACT TO LET APCH KNOW WHAT HE WAS DOING AND WHERE HE WAS GOING.

Narrative: THE FOLLOWING IS A SEQUENCE OF EVENTS AND RADIO CALLS MADE ON 3/89, COLORADO SPRING, CO. THE SEQUENCE WAS PREFLT-PLANNED AND THEN FLOWN BASED ON VFR REQUIREMENTS AND SAFETY OF FLT CONSIDERATIONS (TERRAIN CLRNCS, ETC). THE RADIO CALLS AND TIMES ARE NOT TRANSCRIBED FROM A TAPE, AS THEY ARE FROM PERSONAL RECALL SOME 7 DAYS AFTER THE OCCURRENCE. XY30Z RECEIVED A DEP CLRNC ON 135.45 FOR DEP OUT OF THE COLORADO SPRINGS AIRSPACE. TKOF XX35Z FROM COLORADO SPRINGS ARPT (FREQ 119.9) ON A VFR FLT PLAN TO ROCK SPRINGS, WY. ROUTE OF FLT WAS DEN-LARAMIE-ROCK SPRINGS. CLRNC DELIVERY HAD GIVEN US A CLRNC FOR DEP FROM THE COLORADO SPRINGS AIRSPACE. XX36Z: AFTER TKOF WE CONTACTED COLORADO APCH CTL ON FREQ 118.5 AND ACQUIRED RADAR CONTACT. WE ASKED FOR A HDOF TO DEN. XX40Z: COLORADO APCH CTL HANDED US OFF TO ZDV AT OUR REQUEST TO MAKE SURE THAT IN THE BUSY DEN AREA WE WOULD HAVE FLT FOLLOWING. 10 MINS OR SO PASSED BY. CLBED TO 7500' MSL (HEMISPHERIC PLUS 500'). XX50Z: SINCE WE WERE CLOSE TO THE DENVER TCA, WE REQUESTED DEN APCH FREQS FOR FLT FOLLOWING. 2 FREQS WERE GIVEN TO US--DENVER S-125.8 AND DENVER N-126.9. WE INFORMED ZDV WE WERE STARTING A CLB FOR TERRAIN CLRNC. 8500' MSL WAS OUR GOAL BY I-70. THIS IS A POINT WHERE WE WOULD BE CHANGING TO A WESTERLY HDG (HEMISPHERIC PLUS 500') TOWARD LARAMIE. XX51Z: CONTACTED FSS ON 122.2 TO ACTIVATE THE VFR FLT PLAN. XX51Z: ATTEMPTED CONTACT ON DENVER S WITH NO RESPONSE. XX52Z: ATTEMPTED CONTACT ON DENVER S WITH NO RESPONSE. WE DO KNOW WHY S DID NOT COME UP ON FREQ, BUT THIS HAS SOME SAFETY OF FLT IMPLICATIONS. XX52Z: CONTACTED DENVER N (FREQ 126.9)--'DENVER CENTER, IDENT IS SQUAWKING 4627 APPROX 4 OR 5 MI ESE OF AURORA ARPT, AND HAS AN MLG AT 10:00 O'CLOCK, 4 MI, IN SIGHT. CLBING TO 8500'.' SINCE WE WERE OUTSIDE THE TCA, I WANTED THE CTL AGENCY TO KNOW THAT WE WERE CLBING FOR TERRAIN CLRNC AND, AS INFO FOR DEN, TO DE-CONFLICT WITH TFC COMING OUT OF THE TCA. AT THIS TIME I KNEW I WAS CLOSE TO THE EDGE OF THE TCA AND WOULD PROBABLY MAKE 8500' MSL JUST PRIOR TO HWY 70. I COULD VISUALLY SEE AURORA ARPT AND STAPLETON ARPT AND THEREFORE VERIFIED WE WERE CLR OF THE TCA. XX52Z: DEN APCH RESPONSE WAS: 'WHAT ALT, WHO AUTH YOU INTO THIS AIRSPACE?' 52Z: OUR RESPONSE-'WAS UNDER RADAR CTL WITH COLORADO SPRINGS APCH AND ZDV, WHO GAVE ME YOUR FREQS, PRIOR TO ATTEMPTING CONTACT WITH DENVER S. UNABLE TO CONTACT DENVER S SEVERAL TIMES, BUT FINALLY CHANGED TO YOUR FREQ FOR FLT FOLLOWING. CLBING TO 8500'.' 53Z: DENVER S RESPONSE-'DON'T GO ABOVE 8000', RADAR CONTACT.' AGAIN, I FELT OUR INFO TO DENVER HAD HELP HIS AIRSPACE MONITORING OUTSIDE THE TCA. 53Z: OUR RESPONSE, 'ROGER 8000' AND DEN APCH WAS THERE A PROB WITH MY REQUEST AND POS?' 53Z: DENVER RESPONSE-'NO, AT THIS TIME, WE ARE LNDG RWY ?? AND HAVE LESS TFC FROM THE E, BUT NORMALLY THAT AREA COULD BE A HIGH TFC AREA.' 54Z: OUR RESPONSE-'ROGER.' I FELT SINCE I HAD INITIATED THE RADAR CONTACT WITH DENVER APCH AND HAD REDUCED HIS CONCERNS ON OUR POS, THAT NOTHING WAS OF ANY CONCERN. 54Z: DEN REQUEST-'SAY YOUR COMPLETE CALL SIGN.' 54Z: OUR RESPONSE-COMPLETE CALL SIGN. AFTER A COUPLE OF MINS OF FLT AND ANALYZING THIS REQUEST, I FELT THAT SOME ACTION FROM DENVER COULD BE POSSIBLE, SINCE THEY KNEW MOST OF MY CALL SIGN ALREADY AND WERE MAYBE DOCUMENTING DATA FOR FUTURE USE. CONSEQUENTLY, I DOCUMENTED AS MUCH AS I COULD REMEMBER IN THIS NASA RPT IN THE INTEREST OF FLT SAFETY. THE BOTTOM LINE WAS: THERE WAS NO INTENT ON MY PART TO VIOLATE ANY AIRSPACE BY COLORADO SPRINGS OR DENVER APCH CTLS. I ATTEMPTED CONTACT WITH ANYONE WHO COULD POSSIBLY GIVE US RADAR COVERAGE DURING THIS ENTIRE SEQUENCE. I AM CONFIDENT THAT WE WERE UNDER AND LATERALLY OUTSIDE THE TCA FOR THIS SEQUENCE. RPTR STATES HE KNEW HE WAS CLR OF TCA BY VIS CHK POINTS AND DME. SURPRISED WHEN APCH CHALLENGED HIM. HE WAS TRYING TO AVOID TCA BUT LET EVERYONE KNOW WHERE HE WAS AND WHAT HE WAS DOING. FELT THIS WAS A CONSCIENTIOUS EFFORT TO ASSIST WITH AIR SAFETY.

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.