Narrative:

We departed boston logan with 3 people on board, a student pilot in the left pilot seat, my wife in the rear and myself in the right pilot seat. Student wished to fly by his mother's house in hull (bos 149 degree/7 NM) before going north to 8b2 via mht. This was discussed with tower personnel during a visit to the tower. We took off from logan runway 15R and flew by hull as planned, at an assigned altitude of 500' MSL, then turned north 360 degree to depart the area. At approximately the bos 045 degree 6.5 NM point, still inside the TCA at 500' MSL, boston tower advised service was terminated, squawk 1200, frequency change approved. We determined by visibility reference that we were still inside the TCA, and asked boston what was the highest altitude we could use in the area ahead. They replied 'maintain VFR'. We continued straight ahead and initiated a climb to 1800' MSL to remain below the ceiling of the TCA (at approximately bos 030 degree/9 NM). We then turned to the northwest on a heading of 320 degree to avoid the beverly air traffic area. After about 8 mi we started climbing again and turned toward mht VOR, remaining below the floors of the TCA until clear of the TCA. It seems likely we penetrated the beverly air traffic area at about 1800' MSL near the bos 030 degree/10 NM point. I had expected boston to assign a heading toward mht VOR prior to terminating service. I also believe that boston expected us to continue on the last assigned heading to the TCA boundary (8 NM at 500' MSL). I had not anticipated being placed in a position where it would be necessary to locate and follow a 2 mi wide corridor with no prior advice that this would be necessary. Likewise boston's failure to provide the requested advice as to the maximum allowable altitude ahead, delayed my ascertaining the horizontal limits of navigation ahead. If ATC had provided the frequency of the air traffic area in the flight path, this would have eliminated much of the problem which I faced in this instance. Note that the assigned altitude of 500' MSL, becomes illegal when out of the TCA and no longer under ATC's direction, thus the concentration on determining a suitable altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CFI AND STUDENT DEPARTED BOS ON A TRAINING FLT, HEADING NORTH FROM THE ARPT. ATC DROPPED THEM WHILE STILL IN THE TCA, AND THAT SUBSEQUENTLY LED TO AN INCURSION OF THE BVY ATA DUE TO EFFORTS AT REMAINING BELOW THE TCA ONCE RADAR SERVICE WAS TERMINATED.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED BOSTON LOGAN WITH 3 PEOPLE ON BOARD, A STUDENT PLT IN THE L PLT SEAT, MY WIFE IN THE REAR AND MYSELF IN THE R PLT SEAT. STUDENT WISHED TO FLY BY HIS MOTHER'S HOUSE IN HULL (BOS 149 DEG/7 NM) BEFORE GOING N TO 8B2 VIA MHT. THIS WAS DISCUSSED WITH TWR PERSONNEL DURING A VISIT TO THE TWR. WE TOOK OFF FROM LOGAN RWY 15R AND FLEW BY HULL AS PLANNED, AT AN ASSIGNED ALT OF 500' MSL, THEN TURNED N 360 DEG TO DEPART THE AREA. AT APPROX THE BOS 045 DEG 6.5 NM POINT, STILL INSIDE THE TCA AT 500' MSL, BOSTON TWR ADVISED SVC WAS TERMINATED, SQUAWK 1200, FREQ CHANGE APPROVED. WE DETERMINED BY VIS REFERENCE THAT WE WERE STILL INSIDE THE TCA, AND ASKED BOSTON WHAT WAS THE HIGHEST ALT WE COULD USE IN THE AREA AHEAD. THEY REPLIED 'MAINTAIN VFR'. WE CONTINUED STRAIGHT AHEAD AND INITIATED A CLB TO 1800' MSL TO REMAIN BELOW THE CEILING OF THE TCA (AT APPROX BOS 030 DEG/9 NM). WE THEN TURNED TO THE NW ON A HDG OF 320 DEG TO AVOID THE BEVERLY ATA. AFTER ABOUT 8 MI WE STARTED CLBING AGAIN AND TURNED TOWARD MHT VOR, REMAINING BELOW THE FLOORS OF THE TCA UNTIL CLR OF THE TCA. IT SEEMS LIKELY WE PENETRATED THE BEVERLY ATA AT ABOUT 1800' MSL NEAR THE BOS 030 DEG/10 NM POINT. I HAD EXPECTED BOSTON TO ASSIGN A HDG TOWARD MHT VOR PRIOR TO TERMINATING SVC. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT BOSTON EXPECTED US TO CONTINUE ON THE LAST ASSIGNED HDG TO THE TCA BOUNDARY (8 NM AT 500' MSL). I HAD NOT ANTICIPATED BEING PLACED IN A POS WHERE IT WOULD BE NECESSARY TO LOCATE AND FOLLOW A 2 MI WIDE CORRIDOR WITH NO PRIOR ADVICE THAT THIS WOULD BE NECESSARY. LIKEWISE BOSTON'S FAILURE TO PROVIDE THE REQUESTED ADVICE AS TO THE MAX ALLOWABLE ALT AHEAD, DELAYED MY ASCERTAINING THE HORIZ LIMITS OF NAV AHEAD. IF ATC HAD PROVIDED THE FREQ OF THE ATA IN THE FLT PATH, THIS WOULD HAVE ELIMINATED MUCH OF THE PROB WHICH I FACED IN THIS INSTANCE. NOTE THAT THE ASSIGNED ALT OF 500' MSL, BECOMES ILLEGAL WHEN OUT OF THE TCA AND NO LONGER UNDER ATC'S DIRECTION, THUS THE CONCENTRATION ON DETERMINING A SUITABLE ALT.

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.