Narrative:

I departed opa locka airport (opf) with a left downwind departure en route to mia VOR then 15 mi northwest of the VOR before continued climb. Upon my return opf tower requested for me to call mia approach control, who in turn informed me that I had reached an altitude of 3400' somewhere between opf airport and mia VOR, then descended below 3000' until clear of the TCA. (As I understand it, I momentarily popped up through the TCA floor then descended below it.) the man at approach control (I didn't get his name) also mentioned that there was a conflict with an airliner, but did not elaborate. I saw the airliner in question and pointed it out to my friend who was with me. The airliner was descending into ft lauderdale int'l (fll), approximately 8-10 mi northwest of me at an altitude I would put at around 6000'. He was on a routine approach to fll and I was on a routine departure from opf. There was no conflict. I told the man in approach that I was not aware of breaking the TCA altitude restrictions. He said that I did and asked if I would admit to it. I said that I would not admit to it because I did not believe I had reached the altitude he claimed. At this point he took my full call sign, name, address, phone #, and pilot's license #. My comments as follows: prior to takeoff I received ATIS information reporting cloud bases of 3000' scattered (which was accurate). Reaching an altitude of approximately 2500' I asked my friend (a former student pilot who has soloed) and who has at least 200 hours (non logable) flying with me to hold the yoke for a couple of minutes while I looked at the chart. He is perfectly capable of holding a course and altitude. I looked at the chart and scanned for traffic for about 3 minutes. Later when I talked with approach I asked my friend if it was possible that he might have climbed to 3400' and then back down while I was looking at the chart and scanning for traffic. He said definitely not. Also, if this would have happened, I would have felt the climb and descent. Additionally we would have entered the clouds if we had been at 3400', and I can assure you this did not happen. Inasmuch as the alleged 'pop up' occurred in or very close to the air traffic area and I was on the tower's frequency, why didn't the tower say something to me? They have radar and can read altitude. All pilots that I know are eager to cooperate with the FAA. Nobody wants to violate any regulations and a simple call from the tower as to being above the TCA floor would be all that is necessary in a case such as I was accused of. With the large decline in general aviation and more and more regulation, we greatly need a spirit of cooperation and a sense of working together between the FAA and the general aviation community, not a feeling of 'us' against 'them' which seems to be the prevailing attitude as of late. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states he has heard nothing further from FAA at this point. He called to ask that the tapes be held. Double-check the cloud base was 3000'. Given as scattered, but almost broken and he was never in IFR conditions, never into the clouds. Was very aware of the air carrier mentioned and probably 9 mi separation. Air carrier making normal approach into fll. Never a factor. Reporter felt there was a very adversarial attitude from controller.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALLEGED TCA PENETRATION ON CLIMB OUT.

Narrative: I DEPARTED OPA LOCKA ARPT (OPF) WITH A LEFT DOWNWIND DEP ENRTE TO MIA VOR THEN 15 MI NW OF THE VOR BEFORE CONTINUED CLIMB. UPON MY RETURN OPF TWR REQUESTED FOR ME TO CALL MIA APCH CTL, WHO IN TURN INFORMED ME THAT I HAD REACHED AN ALT OF 3400' SOMEWHERE BETWEEN OPF ARPT AND MIA VOR, THEN DESCENDED BELOW 3000' UNTIL CLEAR OF THE TCA. (AS I UNDERSTAND IT, I MOMENTARILY POPPED UP THROUGH THE TCA FLOOR THEN DESCENDED BELOW IT.) THE MAN AT APCH CTL (I DIDN'T GET HIS NAME) ALSO MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS A CONFLICT WITH AN AIRLINER, BUT DID NOT ELABORATE. I SAW THE AIRLINER IN QUESTION AND POINTED IT OUT TO MY FRIEND WHO WAS WITH ME. THE AIRLINER WAS DESCENDING INTO FT LAUDERDALE INT'L (FLL), APPROX 8-10 MI NW OF ME AT AN ALT I WOULD PUT AT AROUND 6000'. HE WAS ON A ROUTINE APCH TO FLL AND I WAS ON A ROUTINE DEP FROM OPF. THERE WAS NO CONFLICT. I TOLD THE MAN IN APCH THAT I WAS NOT AWARE OF BREAKING THE TCA ALT RESTRICTIONS. HE SAID THAT I DID AND ASKED IF I WOULD ADMIT TO IT. I SAID THAT I WOULD NOT ADMIT TO IT BECAUSE I DID NOT BELIEVE I HAD REACHED THE ALT HE CLAIMED. AT THIS POINT HE TOOK MY FULL CALL SIGN, NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE #, AND PLT'S LICENSE #. MY COMMENTS AS FOLLOWS: PRIOR TO TKOF I RECEIVED ATIS INFO REPORTING CLOUD BASES OF 3000' SCATTERED (WHICH WAS ACCURATE). REACHING AN ALT OF APPROX 2500' I ASKED MY FRIEND (A FORMER STUDENT PLT WHO HAS SOLOED) AND WHO HAS AT LEAST 200 HRS (NON LOGABLE) FLYING WITH ME TO HOLD THE YOKE FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES WHILE I LOOKED AT THE CHART. HE IS PERFECTLY CAPABLE OF HOLDING A COURSE AND ALT. I LOOKED AT THE CHART AND SCANNED FOR TFC FOR ABOUT 3 MINUTES. LATER WHEN I TALKED WITH APCH I ASKED MY FRIEND IF IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT HE MIGHT HAVE CLIMBED TO 3400' AND THEN BACK DOWN WHILE I WAS LOOKING AT THE CHART AND SCANNING FOR TFC. HE SAID DEFINITELY NOT. ALSO, IF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED, I WOULD HAVE FELT THE CLIMB AND DSCNT. ADDITIONALLY WE WOULD HAVE ENTERED THE CLOUDS IF WE HAD BEEN AT 3400', AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THIS DID NOT HAPPEN. INASMUCH AS THE ALLEGED 'POP UP' OCCURRED IN OR VERY CLOSE TO THE ATA AND I WAS ON THE TWR'S FREQ, WHY DIDN'T THE TWR SAY SOMETHING TO ME? THEY HAVE RADAR AND CAN READ ALT. ALL PLTS THAT I KNOW ARE EAGER TO COOPERATE WITH THE FAA. NOBODY WANTS TO VIOLATE ANY REGS AND A SIMPLE CALL FROM THE TWR AS TO BEING ABOVE THE TCA FLOOR WOULD BE ALL THAT IS NECESSARY IN A CASE SUCH AS I WAS ACCUSED OF. WITH THE LARGE DECLINE IN GENERAL AVIATION AND MORE AND MORE REG, WE GREATLY NEED A SPIRIT OF COOPERATION AND A SENSE OF WORKING TOGETHER BETWEEN THE FAA AND THE GENERAL AVIATION COMMUNITY, NOT A FEELING OF 'US' AGAINST 'THEM' WHICH SEEMS TO BE THE PREVAILING ATTITUDE AS OF LATE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: REPORTER STATES HE HAS HEARD NOTHING FURTHER FROM FAA AT THIS POINT. HE CALLED TO ASK THAT THE TAPES BE HELD. DOUBLE-CHECK THE CLOUD BASE WAS 3000'. GIVEN AS SCATTERED, BUT ALMOST BROKEN AND HE WAS NEVER IN IFR CONDITIONS, NEVER INTO THE CLOUDS. WAS VERY AWARE OF THE ACR MENTIONED AND PROBABLY 9 MI SEPARATION. ACR MAKING NORMAL APCH INTO FLL. NEVER A FACTOR. REPORTER FELT THERE WAS A VERY ADVERSARIAL ATTITUDE FROM CTLR.

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.