GA small aircraft unauthorized penetration of iah TCA.

Attributes
ACN	125508
Time
Date	198910
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : iah
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3500 msl bound upper : 5500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : iah
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 260 flight time type : 215
ASRS Report	125508
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Departure delayed because about 400 other planes were departing the kerrville airport. Broken low-level cloud layer appeared below me, which then formed a solid layer at about 50 NM from airport. My plan was to do a 180 degree back and do an arc northeast if no houston area airports were VFR. Contacted houston int'l at 38 NM, was told field was IFR. I was at 5500' in VFR cloud layer below me, had 2500' MSL tops. I requested alternate VFR field availability. He suggested ellington, gave me discrete squawk code, and instructed 'proceed to ellington, maintain VFR'. I considered this clearance thru the TCA, and thought he was going to control me all the way to ellington. After a period of silence, I asked him if he was going to control me to ellington, and he replied 'yes, if you want me to'. This was confusing to me, because I was of the opinion that I was already cleared to enter. Now I felt he had definitely cleared my entrance. He then gave me vectors to ellington. Several other problems arose. I was unable to raise the VOR's at houston hobby or galveston. The inaccessibility of these navaids made navigation difficult, compounded by the fact that the houston TCA is on 2 sides of the sectional map! Navigating for ellington, I was unable to use my RNAV VOR for houston intercontinental, which was on the other side of the map. The controller suggested that houston hobby was showing marginal VFR, vectored me, told me to maintain VFR, and handed me off to hobby approach. He vectored me towards the field, and at one point, told me not to proceed further east because I was 1 mi from the ATC landing area. Since the cloud layer below me showed solid layer, I knew hobby was nt at all suitable, turned south then west to avoid the area he mentioned, and at his suggestion, proceeded 300 degree to college station, tx, which he said was reporting VFR. After landing at college station, was told to contact houston center. I called, identified myself, and was told 'you have no further problems as far as we are concerned'. I don't know what their gripe was, I do know houston center's deficiencies: tell the approaching pilot either 'you are cleared to enter' or 'you are not cleared to enter'. Don't play mind games.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA UNAUTH PENETRATION OF IAH TCA.

Narrative: DEP DELAYED BECAUSE ABOUT 400 OTHER PLANES WERE DEPARTING THE KERRVILLE ARPT. BROKEN LOW-LEVEL CLOUD LAYER APPEARED BELOW ME, WHICH THEN FORMED A SOLID LAYER AT ABOUT 50 NM FROM ARPT. MY PLAN WAS TO DO A 180 DEG BACK AND DO AN ARC NE IF NO HOUSTON AREA ARPTS WERE VFR. CONTACTED HOUSTON INT'L AT 38 NM, WAS TOLD FIELD WAS IFR. I WAS AT 5500' IN VFR CLOUD LAYER BELOW ME, HAD 2500' MSL TOPS. I REQUESTED ALTERNATE VFR FIELD AVAILABILITY. HE SUGGESTED ELLINGTON, GAVE ME DISCRETE SQUAWK CODE, AND INSTRUCTED 'PROCEED TO ELLINGTON, MAINTAIN VFR'. I CONSIDERED THIS CLRNC THRU THE TCA, AND THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO CTL ME ALL THE WAY TO ELLINGTON. AFTER A PERIOD OF SILENCE, I ASKED HIM IF HE WAS GOING TO CTL ME TO ELLINGTON, AND HE REPLIED 'YES, IF YOU WANT ME TO'. THIS WAS CONFUSING TO ME, BECAUSE I WAS OF THE OPINION THAT I WAS ALREADY CLRED TO ENTER. NOW I FELT HE HAD DEFINITELY CLRED MY ENTRANCE. HE THEN GAVE ME VECTORS TO ELLINGTON. SEVERAL OTHER PROBLEMS AROSE. I WAS UNABLE TO RAISE THE VOR'S AT HOUSTON HOBBY OR GALVESTON. THE INACCESSIBILITY OF THESE NAVAIDS MADE NAVIGATION DIFFICULT, COMPOUNDED BY THE FACT THAT THE HOUSTON TCA IS ON 2 SIDES OF THE SECTIONAL MAP! NAVIGATING FOR ELLINGTON, I WAS UNABLE TO USE MY RNAV VOR FOR HOUSTON INTERCONTINENTAL, WHICH WAS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MAP. THE CTLR SUGGESTED THAT HOUSTON HOBBY WAS SHOWING MARGINAL VFR, VECTORED ME, TOLD ME TO MAINTAIN VFR, AND HANDED ME OFF TO HOBBY APCH. HE VECTORED ME TOWARDS THE FIELD, AND AT ONE POINT, TOLD ME NOT TO PROCEED FURTHER E BECAUSE I WAS 1 MI FROM THE ATC LNDG AREA. SINCE THE CLOUD LAYER BELOW ME SHOWED SOLID LAYER, I KNEW HOBBY WAS NT AT ALL SUITABLE, TURNED S THEN W TO AVOID THE AREA HE MENTIONED, AND AT HIS SUGGESTION, PROCEEDED 300 DEG TO COLLEGE STATION, TX, WHICH HE SAID WAS REPORTING VFR. AFTER LNDG AT COLLEGE STATION, WAS TOLD TO CONTACT HOUSTON CENTER. I CALLED, IDENTIFIED MYSELF, AND WAS TOLD 'YOU HAVE NO FURTHER PROBLEMS AS FAR AS WE ARE CONCERNED'. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEIR GRIPE WAS, I DO KNOW HOUSTON CENTER'S DEFICIENCIES: TELL THE APCHING PLT EITHER 'YOU ARE CLRED TO ENTER' OR 'YOU ARE NOT CLRED TO ENTER'. DON'T PLAY MIND GAMES.

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.