Narrative:

We had filed a VFR border crossing flight from myf in san to tij, a 20 mi flight if flown direct. We did not request san approach control clearance through TCA as we planned to go around and under TCA beyond the 15 NM radial of mzb VOR. I thought copilot was navigating as he had chart and had flown this route before. He thought I was navigating. As an aside, I always file IFR or contact approach control when flying by myself. The copilot was plane owner and very experienced--an ex-air force fgt pilot. I thought my flight path was to takeoff to the west on 28L, then downwind to 15 NM right, around san miguel mountain, stay under 3500' and then direct to tij. I didn't realize the approach paths to lindbergh field and to montgomery field intersected. We did discover we were approaching and were probably inside the TCA and immediately diverted to the north and from then on stayed outside the TCA. San FSS advised us to contact lindbergh tower when we returned to the us we were communicating with san FSS to activate flight plan. Frankly, as the pilot in the left seat, I was looking outside and concerned about aircraft approaching myf. It turns out that to fly the planned route, I would have to cue across the flight path of aircraft landing at myf. A better procedure in hindsight would be to fly a right downwind departure. It is clear we had the classic pilot/copilot communication and assignment of responsibilities problem. By the way, we saw no aircraft approaching either lindbergh or myf.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT PLT PENETRATES TCA WHILE TRYING TO AVOID.

Narrative: WE HAD FILED A VFR BORDER XING FLT FROM MYF IN SAN TO TIJ, A 20 MI FLT IF FLOWN DIRECT. WE DID NOT REQUEST SAN APCH CTL CLRNC THROUGH TCA AS WE PLANNED TO GO AROUND AND UNDER TCA BEYOND THE 15 NM RADIAL OF MZB VOR. I THOUGHT COPLT WAS NAVIGATING AS HE HAD CHART AND HAD FLOWN THIS RTE BEFORE. HE THOUGHT I WAS NAVIGATING. AS AN ASIDE, I ALWAYS FILE IFR OR CONTACT APCH CTL WHEN FLYING BY MYSELF. THE COPLT WAS PLANE OWNER AND VERY EXPERIENCED--AN EX-AIR FORCE FGT PLT. I THOUGHT MY FLT PATH WAS TO TKOF TO THE W ON 28L, THEN DOWNWIND TO 15 NM R, AROUND SAN MIGUEL MOUNTAIN, STAY UNDER 3500' AND THEN DIRECT TO TIJ. I DIDN'T REALIZE THE APCH PATHS TO LINDBERGH FIELD AND TO MONTGOMERY FIELD INTERSECTED. WE DID DISCOVER WE WERE APCHING AND WERE PROBABLY INSIDE THE TCA AND IMMEDIATELY DIVERTED TO THE N AND FROM THEN ON STAYED OUTSIDE THE TCA. SAN FSS ADVISED US TO CONTACT LINDBERGH TWR WHEN WE RETURNED TO THE U.S. WE WERE COMMUNICATING WITH SAN FSS TO ACTIVATE FLT PLAN. FRANKLY, AS THE PLT IN THE LEFT SEAT, I WAS LOOKING OUTSIDE AND CONCERNED ABOUT ACFT APCHING MYF. IT TURNS OUT THAT TO FLY THE PLANNED RTE, I WOULD HAVE TO CUE ACROSS THE FLT PATH OF ACFT LNDG AT MYF. A BETTER PROC IN HINDSIGHT WOULD BE TO FLY A RIGHT DOWNWIND DEP. IT IS CLR WE HAD THE CLASSIC PLT/COPLT COM AND ASSIGNMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES PROB. BY THE WAY, WE SAW NO ACFT APCHING EITHER LINDBERGH OR MYF.

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.