Narrative:

I was VFR from charleston, wv, to freeway airport (northeast of dca). The visibility was reported to be 3 mi in haze at dca and 2 mi at andrews AFB. I contacted dulles approach on the published frequency and anticipated a handoff to washington approach. About the time I was looking for important landmarks to identify the beltway and helicopter low-level route 3, I was advised by dulles that radar service was terminated and told to contact washington approach. During the distraction of resetting the transponder and establishing contact with washington I apparently missed my landmark in the haze. Once I had established contact with washington and requested VFR routing through the TCA via the helicopter low-level route, I was told they didn't know what I was talking about. I then immediately contacted washington tower for route authorization, which I received. My situation was exacerbated by the unnoticed fact that my dg had precessed 30 degrees and caused me to follow the wrong highway. By the time I discovered the error I had already entered the TCA. I immediately exited the TCA via low-level route 7 and intercepted my original intended route. My error in this incident was in not discovering earlier the precessed dg. However, approach control's unfamiliarity with long-established helicopter low-level routes and the additional burden or reestablishing contact on additional frequencys in a relatively high density traffic environment in unfamiliar airspace was the primary cause of this incident. A single handoff from dulles to washington approach is all that should have been required. If low-level routes are established in and around a TCA, all ATC facs should be familiar with them.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELICOPTER PLT, VFR, ATTEMPTING TO FIND AND FOLLOW FREEWAY BECAME DISORIENTED, PENETRATED TCA.

Narrative: I WAS VFR FROM CHARLESTON, WV, TO FREEWAY ARPT (NE OF DCA). THE VISIBILITY WAS RPTED TO BE 3 MI IN HAZE AT DCA AND 2 MI AT ANDREWS AFB. I CONTACTED DULLES APCH ON THE PUBLISHED FREQ AND ANTICIPATED A HDOF TO WASHINGTON APCH. ABOUT THE TIME I WAS LOOKING FOR IMPORTANT LANDMARKS TO IDENT THE BELTWAY AND HELI LOW-LEVEL ROUTE 3, I WAS ADVISED BY DULLES THAT RADAR SVC WAS TERMINATED AND TOLD TO CONTACT WASHINGTON APCH. DURING THE DISTR OF RESETTING THE XPONDER AND ESTABLISHING CONTACT WITH WASHINGTON I APPARENTLY MISSED MY LANDMARK IN THE HAZE. ONCE I HAD ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH WASHINGTON AND REQUESTED VFR ROUTING THROUGH THE TCA VIA THE HELI LOW-LEVEL ROUTE, I WAS TOLD THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT. I THEN IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED WASHINGTON TWR FOR ROUTE AUTHORIZATION, WHICH I RECEIVED. MY SITUATION WAS EXACERBATED BY THE UNNOTICED FACT THAT MY DG HAD PRECESSED 30 DEGS AND CAUSED ME TO FOLLOW THE WRONG HWY. BY THE TIME I DISCOVERED THE ERROR I HAD ALREADY ENTERED THE TCA. I IMMEDIATELY EXITED THE TCA VIA LOW-LEVEL ROUTE 7 AND INTERCEPTED MY ORIGINAL INTENDED ROUTE. MY ERROR IN THIS INCIDENT WAS IN NOT DISCOVERING EARLIER THE PRECESSED DG. HOWEVER, APCH CTL'S UNFAMILIARITY WITH LONG-ESTABLISHED HELI LOW-LEVEL ROUTES AND THE ADDITIONAL BURDEN OR REESTABLISHING CONTACT ON ADDITIONAL FREQS IN A RELATIVELY HIGH DENSITY TFC ENVIRONMENT IN UNFAMILIAR AIRSPACE WAS THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT. A SINGLE HDOF FROM DULLES TO WASHINGTON APCH IS ALL THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN REQUIRED. IF LOW-LEVEL ROUTES ARE ESTABLISHED IN AND AROUND A TCA, ALL ATC FACS SHOULD BE FAMILIAR WITH THEM.

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.