Narrative:

After waiting a lengthy time to receive our IFR clearance from morristown, nj, to syracuse, ny, we were encountering a second lengthy wait for our IFR release. The WX was clear, visibility unrestricted, it was near the end of a long, multi-leg day, and I was not feeling well. I elected to cancel our IFR request and requested a VFR departure. We were issued immediate VFR takeoff clearance. We took off on runway 05, made an immediate left turn to approximately 310 degrees. We climbed rapidly to 3000' MSL while the copilot was establishing contact with ny departure control. I leveled off momentarily at 3000' until I idented what I believed to be dover, which is 7 mi northeast of mmu and the limits of the TCA. I began another rapid climb just as departure control radioed that we had not been issued a clearance to climb through the TCA and not to enter TCA airspace. At this point I was approximately 3800' MSL and immediately descended back to 3000', not knowing if I had misread the map or if I had incorrectly idented dover visually. The only other known traffic in the area was a widebody transport southwest of our position approximately 2 mi, northeast bound in a right hand turn to east and approximately 1500' above our altitude. It is possible that I penetrated the edge of the TCA as it was a visibility identify on my part, but in retrospect, I believe that ATC either assumed that I was going to penetrate the TCA because of my initial rapid climb,or that their mode C readout was incorrect due to the rapid climb. Our experience in that aircraft has been that when conducting either a rapid climb or descent, ATC is unable to decipher our altitude readout. The point here is that it was another classic example of get-home-itis. Our policy is that we always fly on an IFR clearance. The pilot's state of mind and fatigue over-ruled policy and judgement. More importantly, it was another manifestation of the frustrations that pilots are experiencing by the excessively long delays experienced by ATC in the high density areas. When the WX is IFR the pilots are generally understanding of the delays, but under ideal WX conditions, they perceive it to be a lack of cooperation between pilots and controllers.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POSSIBLE TCA INCURSION.

Narrative: AFTER WAITING A LENGTHY TIME TO RECEIVE OUR IFR CLRNC FROM MORRISTOWN, NJ, TO SYRACUSE, NY, WE WERE ENCOUNTERING A SECOND LENGTHY WAIT FOR OUR IFR RELEASE. THE WX WAS CLR, VISIBILITY UNRESTRICTED, IT WAS NEAR THE END OF A LONG, MULTI-LEG DAY, AND I WAS NOT FEELING WELL. I ELECTED TO CANCEL OUR IFR REQUEST AND REQUESTED A VFR DEP. WE WERE ISSUED IMMEDIATE VFR TKOF CLRNC. WE TOOK OFF ON RWY 05, MADE AN IMMEDIATE L TURN TO APPROX 310 DEGS. WE CLBED RAPIDLY TO 3000' MSL WHILE THE COPLT WAS ESTABLISHING CONTACT WITH NY DEP CTL. I LEVELED OFF MOMENTARILY AT 3000' UNTIL I IDENTED WHAT I BELIEVED TO BE DOVER, WHICH IS 7 MI NE OF MMU AND THE LIMITS OF THE TCA. I BEGAN ANOTHER RAPID CLB JUST AS DEP CTL RADIOED THAT WE HAD NOT BEEN ISSUED A CLRNC TO CLB THROUGH THE TCA AND NOT TO ENTER TCA AIRSPACE. AT THIS POINT I WAS APPROX 3800' MSL AND IMMEDIATELY DSNDED BACK TO 3000', NOT KNOWING IF I HAD MISREAD THE MAP OR IF I HAD INCORRECTLY IDENTED DOVER VISUALLY. THE ONLY OTHER KNOWN TFC IN THE AREA WAS A WDB SW OF OUR POS APPROX 2 MI, NE BOUND IN A R HAND TURN TO E AND APPROX 1500' ABOVE OUR ALT. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT I PENETRATED THE EDGE OF THE TCA AS IT WAS A VIS IDENT ON MY PART, BUT IN RETROSPECT, I BELIEVE THAT ATC EITHER ASSUMED THAT I WAS GOING TO PENETRATE THE TCA BECAUSE OF MY INITIAL RAPID CLB,OR THAT THEIR MODE C READOUT WAS INCORRECT DUE TO THE RAPID CLB. OUR EXPERIENCE IN THAT ACFT HAS BEEN THAT WHEN CONDUCTING EITHER A RAPID CLB OR DSCNT, ATC IS UNABLE TO DECIPHER OUR ALT READOUT. THE POINT HERE IS THAT IT WAS ANOTHER CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF GET-HOME-ITIS. OUR POLICY IS THAT WE ALWAYS FLY ON AN IFR CLRNC. THE PLT'S STATE OF MIND AND FATIGUE OVER-RULED POLICY AND JUDGEMENT. MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT WAS ANOTHER MANIFESTATION OF THE FRUSTRATIONS THAT PLTS ARE EXPERIENCING BY THE EXCESSIVELY LONG DELAYS EXPERIENCED BY ATC IN THE HIGH DENSITY AREAS. WHEN THE WX IS IFR THE PLTS ARE GENERALLY UNDERSTANDING OF THE DELAYS, BUT UNDER IDEAL WX CONDITIONS, THEY PERCEIVE IT TO BE A LACK OF COOPERATION BTWN PLTS AND CTLRS.

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.