Small aircraft comes close to TCA boundary. Possible TCA penetration.

Attributes
ACN	115298
Time
Date	198906
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : phl
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7100 msl bound upper : 7500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : phl
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger other personnel other
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 85 flight time total : 2180 flight time type : 215
ASRS Report	115298
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 1215 flight time type : 30
ASRS Report	115016
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Aircraft was flying from allaire airport, nj (blm) to lancaster airport, PA *lns( at 7500 MSL above the philadelphia TCA in VFR conditions. The route of flight was direct robbinsville (rbv), direct yardley (ard), then along the northern boundary of the TCA. There was a broken to overcast layer below the flight extending from eastern PA to the pottstown, PA VOR vicinity. West of pottstown the layer lowered and became scattered the philadelphia frequency was relatively busy, therefore no contact was attempted with phl center. Abeam the pottstown VOR a descent was started in preparation for arrival into lancaster. At an altitude of 7100 MSL the descent was halted to confirm the flight would clear the northwestern edge of the philadelphia TCA (7000 MSL). The right seat pilot who was handling the navigation and communication work for this flight checked the DME distance from lns and using a plotter on the VFR sectional chart gave a verbal 'all clear'. A slow descent was then begun. Due to the broken/scattered layer between pottstown and lancaster it was decided to ask for a practice ILS approach into lns rather than run at low altitude under the bases. A call was made to reading approach whereby we were given a squawk code. After providing a heading and altitude the controller advised that 'philadelphia would appreciate a call. During your descent you came close to the TCA.' since the word 'close' does not constitute a violation (we knew we were close) we deemed that the call would not be necessary and therefore it was not made. The ILS approach which followed was not one of the pilot's 'better' apches, he was obviously influenced by the thought of a TCA violation. The lancaster WX was VFR, so the approach was not necessary other than for practice. The point of submitting this NASA report is that if the lns WX had been IFR, the mental attitude of the pilot may not have been conducive to a safe approach as a result of the announcement. Perhaps a better time to give out such notice would be by the ground controller.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA COMES CLOSE TO TCA BOUNDARY. POSSIBLE TCA PENETRATION.

Narrative: ACFT WAS FLYING FROM ALLAIRE ARPT, NJ (BLM) TO LANCASTER ARPT, PA *LNS( AT 7500 MSL ABOVE THE PHILADELPHIA TCA IN VFR CONDITIONS. THE ROUTE OF FLT WAS DIRECT ROBBINSVILLE (RBV), DIRECT YARDLEY (ARD), THEN ALONG THE NORTHERN BOUNDARY OF THE TCA. THERE WAS A BROKEN TO OVERCAST LAYER BELOW THE FLT EXTENDING FROM EASTERN PA TO THE POTTSTOWN, PA VOR VICINITY. WEST OF POTTSTOWN THE LAYER LOWERED AND BECAME SCATTERED THE PHILADELPHIA FREQ WAS RELATIVELY BUSY, THEREFORE NO CONTACT WAS ATTEMPTED WITH PHL CENTER. ABEAM THE POTTSTOWN VOR A DESCENT WAS STARTED IN PREPARATION FOR ARRIVAL INTO LANCASTER. AT AN ALT OF 7100 MSL THE DESCENT WAS HALTED TO CONFIRM THE FLT WOULD CLEAR THE NORTHWESTERN EDGE OF THE PHILADELPHIA TCA (7000 MSL). THE RIGHT SEAT PLT WHO WAS HANDLING THE NAVIGATION AND COM WORK FOR THIS FLT CHECKED THE DME DISTANCE FROM LNS AND USING A PLOTTER ON THE VFR SECTIONAL CHART GAVE A VERBAL 'ALL CLEAR'. A SLOW DESCENT WAS THEN BEGUN. DUE TO THE BROKEN/SCATTERED LAYER BETWEEN POTTSTOWN AND LANCASTER IT WAS DECIDED TO ASK FOR A PRACTICE ILS APCH INTO LNS RATHER THAN RUN AT LOW ALT UNDER THE BASES. A CALL WAS MADE TO READING APCH WHEREBY WE WERE GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE. AFTER PROVIDING A HDG AND ALT THE CTLR ADVISED THAT 'PHILADELPHIA WOULD APPRECIATE A CALL. DURING YOUR DESCENT YOU CAME CLOSE TO THE TCA.' SINCE THE WORD 'CLOSE' DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION (WE KNEW WE WERE CLOSE) WE DEEMED THAT THE CALL WOULD NOT BE NECESSARY AND THEREFORE IT WAS NOT MADE. THE ILS APCH WHICH FOLLOWED WAS NOT ONE OF THE PLT'S 'BETTER' APCHES, HE WAS OBVIOUSLY INFLUENCED BY THE THOUGHT OF A TCA VIOLATION. THE LANCASTER WX WAS VFR, SO THE APCH WAS NOT NECESSARY OTHER THAN FOR PRACTICE. THE POINT OF SUBMITTING THIS NASA REPORT IS THAT IF THE LNS WX HAD BEEN IFR, THE MENTAL ATTITUDE OF THE PLT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN CONDUCIVE TO A SAFE APCH AS A RESULT OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT. PERHAPS A BETTER TIME TO GIVE OUT SUCH NOTICE WOULD BE BY THE GND 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.