Narrative:

I called spirit tower with a request to taxi with the current information. I informed them that I would be departing to the northeast and would like a squawk for the TCA. The ground controller told me I would have to contact departure for radar service. Accustomed to flying in and out of airports that lie inside or underneath the dfw and houston TCA's, it is customary to arrange for a squawk and TCA clrncs with ground or clearance delivery. When I was told to contact departure I was a bit confused as this was not the method I was expecting but I didn't think it was a problem. Shortly after takeoff I requested a frequency change with no response from the tower. This happened several times before I received a response from the tower 'frequency change approved'. I immediately called departure at approximately 1800' with no response. I didn't have the st louis TCA chart on board, only a WAC chart. Believing the floor of the TCA was at 2500' I continued to climb. After many attempts to reach departure, I finally got a response saying I was in the TCA. At that point I was at 2400'. I immediately descended to 1900'. The controller told me that I should have a TCA chart if I was going to fly in the area. He is correct. I feel the lack of coordination between the tower and TCA controllers like I am accustomed to in dal, contributed to the incident. Ultimately, I was improperly prepared for this flight and any time in the future I am flying VFR within the airspace of, or below a TCA that I'm unfamiliar with, I will have a current TCA chart.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA FLYING WITHOUT CHARTS FOR THE STL TCA DEPARTS SUS AFTER BEING DENIED TCA CLRNC ON GND AND ENCOUNTERS DELAYS IN OBTAINING CLRNC WHEN AIRBORNE THUS PENETRATING THE TCA ILLEGALLY.

Narrative: I CALLED SPIRIT TWR WITH A REQUEST TO TAXI WITH THE CURRENT INFO. I INFORMED THEM THAT I WOULD BE DEPARTING TO THE NE AND WOULD LIKE A SQUAWK FOR THE TCA. THE GND CTLR TOLD ME I WOULD HAVE TO CONTACT DEP FOR RADAR SERVICE. ACCUSTOMED TO FLYING IN AND OUT OF ARPTS THAT LIE INSIDE OR UNDERNEATH THE DFW AND HOUSTON TCA'S, IT IS CUSTOMARY TO ARRANGE FOR A SQUAWK AND TCA CLRNCS WITH GND OR CLRNC DELIVERY. WHEN I WAS TOLD TO CONTACT DEP I WAS A BIT CONFUSED AS THIS WAS NOT THE METHOD I WAS EXPECTING BUT I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS A PROBLEM. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF I REQUESTED A FREQ CHANGE WITH NO RESPONSE FROM THE TWR. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE I RECEIVED A RESPONSE FROM THE TWR 'FREQ CHANGE APPROVED'. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED DEP AT APPROX 1800' WITH NO RESPONSE. I DIDN'T HAVE THE ST LOUIS TCA CHART ON BOARD, ONLY A WAC CHART. BELIEVING THE FLOOR OF THE TCA WAS AT 2500' I CONTINUED TO CLIMB. AFTER MANY ATTEMPTS TO REACH DEP, I FINALLY GOT A RESPONSE SAYING I WAS IN THE TCA. AT THAT POINT I WAS AT 2400'. I IMMEDIATELY DESCENDED TO 1900'. THE CTLR TOLD ME THAT I SHOULD HAVE A TCA CHART IF I WAS GOING TO FLY IN THE AREA. HE IS CORRECT. I FEEL THE LACK OF COORD BETWEEN THE TWR AND TCA CTLRS LIKE I AM ACCUSTOMED TO IN DAL, CONTRIBUTED TO THE INCIDENT. ULTIMATELY, I WAS IMPROPERLY PREPARED FOR THIS FLT AND ANY TIME IN THE FUTURE I AM FLYING VFR WITHIN THE AIRSPACE OF, OR BELOW A TCA THAT I'M UNFAMILIAR WITH, I WILL HAVE A CURRENT TCA CHART.

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.