Narrative:

On a VFR into slc on 1/sat/90, in my small aircraft, I was well aware of the slc TCA. Wbound on V32 I was under overcast skies and very good VFR conditions. I was at approximately 9000' during my descent and about 35 mi out when I attempted to contact slc approach on 124.3. At about 25 mi out still unable to get a response from slc, I observed a snow shower in my 12 O'clock position, so I decided that I could not go direct to slc VFR because of a snow shower. I had very good VFR to the northwest and could see slc on the west side of ogden. At this point in time I knew I was very close to the edge of the TCA, but I was below 9000'. Using my current VFR chart, which does not have the TCA depicted on it, and also my IFR chart, which doesn't have a scale of miles and doesn't depict the distance from the slc VOR to the east or depict the distance on the ibnt dem to the east, it is very confusion on how far the TCA does extend to the east. Due to my speed in a short time, I noticed I'd be entering the hill air traffic area. In essence of time, I called hill tower on 126.2 to notify them of my position and that I would possibly enter his air traffic area. He spoke to me fast and said I was cleared into the air traffic area and to remain east of highway #?. You will note that the mountain which is northeast of hill extends 707' into the TCA. It is very difficult to keep under the TCA and outside of hill's air traffic area. While I was talking to hill I noted that my altimeter read 8000'. Realizing that I'd entered the TCA, I immediately descended 200' to 7800' and told hill I was leaving him and called slc approach on 124.3. Upon contacting slc approach he told me I had violated the TCA and hill's air traffic area. I explained to him that I had been talking to hill and he abruptly told me he would check into it. He told me to continue following highway #? And gave me normal traffic advisories and landed in slc. How could this be avoided? 1) my chart becomes obsolete on 2/8/90. I think with something as important as a TCA, it should be depicted on the current charts. 2) on the IFR TCA chart it is very vague on how far the TCA extends to the east on the map, and this should be corrected by having a scale of mi depicted on the map. I feel that it is unsafe to allow terrain as far as 25 mi out to penetrate the TCA and feel the floor should be hither. This puts VFR traffic that is northeast of slc in serious jeopardy because they are boxed in behind higher terrain and with no way for escape west/O entering the TCA or an air traffic area. I feel approach control frequencys should be listed on VFR charts besides the control tower frequencys. I also feel the use of highway #'south (I-90, I-43, etc) is asinine. They are not depicted on VFR chart and we are not required to carry road maps.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ON A VFR INTO SLC ON 1/SAT/90, IN MY SMA, I WAS WELL AWARE OF THE SLC TCA. WBOUND ON V32 I WAS UNDER OVCST SKIES AND VERY GOOD VFR CONDITIONS. I WAS AT APPROX 9000' DURING MY DSCNT AND ABOUT 35 MI OUT WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT SLC APCH ON 124.3. AT ABOUT 25 MI OUT STILL UNABLE TO GET A RESPONSE FROM SLC, I OBSERVED A SNOW SHOWER IN MY 12 O'CLOCK POS, SO I DECIDED THAT I COULD NOT GO DIRECT TO SLC VFR BECAUSE OF A SNOW SHOWER. I HAD VERY GOOD VFR TO THE NW AND COULD SEE SLC ON THE W SIDE OF OGDEN. AT THIS POINT IN TIME I KNEW I WAS VERY CLOSE TO THE EDGE OF THE TCA, BUT I WAS BELOW 9000'. USING MY CURRENT VFR CHART, WHICH DOES NOT HAVE THE TCA DEPICTED ON IT, AND ALSO MY IFR CHART, WHICH DOESN'T HAVE A SCALE OF MILES AND DOESN'T DEPICT THE DISTANCE FROM THE SLC VOR TO THE E OR DEPICT THE DISTANCE ON THE IBNT DEM TO THE E, IT IS VERY CONFUSION ON HOW FAR THE TCA DOES EXTEND TO THE E. DUE TO MY SPD IN A SHORT TIME, I NOTICED I'D BE ENTERING THE HILL ATA. IN ESSENCE OF TIME, I CALLED HILL TWR ON 126.2 TO NOTIFY THEM OF MY POS AND THAT I WOULD POSSIBLY ENTER HIS ATA. HE SPOKE TO ME FAST AND SAID I WAS CLRED INTO THE ATA AND TO REMAIN E OF HWY #?. YOU WILL NOTE THAT THE MOUNTAIN WHICH IS NE OF HILL EXTENDS 707' INTO THE TCA. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO KEEP UNDER THE TCA AND OUTSIDE OF HILL'S ATA. WHILE I WAS TALKING TO HILL I NOTED THAT MY ALTIMETER READ 8000'. REALIZING THAT I'D ENTERED THE TCA, I IMMEDIATELY DSNDED 200' TO 7800' AND TOLD HILL I WAS LEAVING HIM AND CALLED SLC APCH ON 124.3. UPON CONTACTING SLC APCH HE TOLD ME I HAD VIOLATED THE TCA AND HILL'S ATA. I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT I HAD BEEN TALKING TO HILL AND HE ABRUPTLY TOLD ME HE WOULD CHK INTO IT. HE TOLD ME TO CONTINUE FOLLOWING HWY #? AND GAVE ME NORMAL TFC ADVISORIES AND LANDED IN SLC. HOW COULD THIS BE AVOIDED? 1) MY CHART BECOMES OBSOLETE ON 2/8/90. I THINK WITH SOMETHING AS IMPORTANT AS A TCA, IT SHOULD BE DEPICTED ON THE CURRENT CHARTS. 2) ON THE IFR TCA CHART IT IS VERY VAGUE ON HOW FAR THE TCA EXTENDS TO THE E ON THE MAP, AND THIS SHOULD BE CORRECTED BY HAVING A SCALE OF MI DEPICTED ON THE MAP. I FEEL THAT IT IS UNSAFE TO ALLOW TERRAIN AS FAR AS 25 MI OUT TO PENETRATE THE TCA AND FEEL THE FLOOR SHOULD BE HITHER. THIS PUTS VFR TFC THAT IS NE OF SLC IN SERIOUS JEOPARDY BECAUSE THEY ARE BOXED IN BEHIND HIGHER TERRAIN AND WITH NO WAY FOR ESCAPE W/O ENTERING THE TCA OR AN ATA. I FEEL APCH CTL FREQS SHOULD BE LISTED ON VFR CHARTS BESIDES THE CTL TWR FREQS. I ALSO FEEL THE USE OF HWY #'S (I-90, I-43, ETC) IS ASININE. THEY ARE NOT DEPICTED ON VFR CHART AND WE ARE NOT REQUIRED TO CARRY ROAD MAPS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.