Entered TCA without appropriate ATC clearance.

Attributes
ACN	114326
Time
Date	198906
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : n07
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 950 flight time type : 77
ASRS Report	114326
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Departed lincoln park airport en route to frederick, md. While climbing over airport of departure, in order to avoid essex county airport control zone, I attempted to contact ny approach control on 127.6 as I climbed through 2500'. Communication traffic was no intense that no response was heard. I continued to climb and intercepted V3 airway. I attempted to contact approach control as the aircraft passed through 3500'. Approach control responded as the aircraft was climbing through 4000' with a discrete transponder code and question regarding final cruise altitude. Radar contact was established and the aircraft was leveled at 4500' cruise altitude. Approximately 10 mins after establishing radar contact the controller asked me if I knew what the penalty was for entering a TCA without proper clearance. I responded by stating that I had attempted initial contact before entering the 3000' TCA floor and had received no acknowledgement from approach control. I am of the opinion that a primary contributing factor to this situation was the extremely intense communication workload that the controller was experiencing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ENTERED TCA WITHOUT APPROPRIATE ATC CLRNC.

Narrative: DEPARTED LINCOLN PARK ARPT ENRTE TO FREDERICK, MD. WHILE CLIMBING OVER ARPT OF DEP, IN ORDER TO AVOID ESSEX COUNTY ARPT CTL ZONE, I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT NY APCH CTL ON 127.6 AS I CLIMBED THROUGH 2500'. COM TFC WAS NO INTENSE THAT NO RESPONSE WAS HEARD. I CONTINUED TO CLIMB AND INTERCEPTED V3 AIRWAY. I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT APCH CTL AS THE ACFT PASSED THROUGH 3500'. APCH CTL RESPONDED AS THE ACFT WAS CLIMBING THROUGH 4000' WITH A DISCRETE XPONDER CODE AND QUESTION REGARDING FINAL CRUISE ALT. RADAR CONTACT WAS ESTABLISHED AND THE ACFT WAS LEVELED AT 4500' CRUISE ALT. APPROX 10 MINS AFTER ESTABLISHING RADAR CONTACT THE CTLR ASKED ME IF I KNEW WHAT THE PENALTY WAS FOR ENTERING A TCA WITHOUT PROPER CLRNC. I RESPONDED BY STATING THAT I HAD ATTEMPTED INITIAL CONTACT BEFORE ENTERING THE 3000' TCA FLOOR AND HAD RECEIVED NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM APCH CTL. I AM OF THE OPINION THAT A PRIMARY CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THIS SITUATION WAS THE EXTREMELY INTENSE COM WORKLOAD THAT THE CTLR WAS EXPERIENCING.

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.