Small aircraft entered lax TCA without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	147300
Time
Date	199005
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3500 msl bound upper : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : lax
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 102 flight time type : 87
ASRS Report	147300
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

My flight path brought me through the los angeles TCA along the 'shoreline route' at 3500' MSL. Above pacific palisades I contacted 134.7 for the shoreline route. Due to frequency congestion, I was told to go to 127.3. This frequency also extremely congested. At this point I began circling north of the TCAS shoreline route boundary during which time I was instructed to switch to 134.7. This frequency was still congested. I waited for a break and quickly gave my position, altitude and request at which time instructed to remain clear of the TCA. As congestion cleared, approach came back, called my tail number and assigned a squawk which I entered into the transponder as I came out of the circling pattern and began heading south toward the TCA, while the controller advised other traffic. Approach then came back and notified me that he was not receiving my transponder. I replied I would recycle. I recycled and diverted my attention to trying to make sure that the contacts on the 4096 portion as well as the transponder itself were not grounding by slowly turning each of the knobs a quarter turn in each direction after recycling. The controller came back to me again and again told me he was still not receiving the transponder to which I replied I would again recycle. At this time I was near the southern boundary of the TCA shoreline route. The controller then came back again, told me he was still not receiving my transponder, and asked for my location which, by this time, was 2 mi south of lax at which time he notified me that I had not been cleared through the TCA. I realize my actions may have had serious consequence. I diverted my train of thought to trying to rectify my transponder situation. I had assumed I had been cleared and it was not until I was told that I had not been that I remembered that I did not receive a specific clearance. The requirements of a TCA are foremost in my mind, though I have little experience flying in and around them. But more over I realize how easily attention can be diverted for any number of reasons. This is a situation that will not happen again.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ENTERED LAX TCA WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: MY FLT PATH BROUGHT ME THROUGH THE LOS ANGELES TCA ALONG THE 'SHORELINE RTE' AT 3500' MSL. ABOVE PACIFIC PALISADES I CONTACTED 134.7 FOR THE SHORELINE RTE. DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION, I WAS TOLD TO GO TO 127.3. THIS FREQ ALSO EXTREMELY CONGESTED. AT THIS POINT I BEGAN CIRCLING N OF THE TCAS SHORELINE RTE BOUNDARY DURING WHICH TIME I WAS INSTRUCTED TO SWITCH TO 134.7. THIS FREQ WAS STILL CONGESTED. I WAITED FOR A BREAK AND QUICKLY GAVE MY POS, ALT AND REQUEST AT WHICH TIME INSTRUCTED TO REMAIN CLR OF THE TCA. AS CONGESTION CLRED, APCH CAME BACK, CALLED MY TAIL NUMBER AND ASSIGNED A SQUAWK WHICH I ENTERED INTO THE XPONDER AS I CAME OUT OF THE CIRCLING PATTERN AND BEGAN HDG S TOWARD THE TCA, WHILE THE CTLR ADVISED OTHER TFC. APCH THEN CAME BACK AND NOTIFIED ME THAT HE WAS NOT RECEIVING MY XPONDER. I REPLIED I WOULD RECYCLE. I RECYCLED AND DIVERTED MY ATTN TO TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CONTACTS ON THE 4096 PORTION AS WELL AS THE XPONDER ITSELF WERE NOT GNDING BY SLOWLY TURNING EACH OF THE KNOBS A QUARTER TURN IN EACH DIRECTION AFTER RECYCLING. THE CTLR CAME BACK TO ME AGAIN AND AGAIN TOLD ME HE WAS STILL NOT RECEIVING THE XPONDER TO WHICH I REPLIED I WOULD AGAIN RECYCLE. AT THIS TIME I WAS NEAR THE SOUTHERN BOUNDARY OF THE TCA SHORELINE RTE. THE CTLR THEN CAME BACK AGAIN, TOLD ME HE WAS STILL NOT RECEIVING MY XPONDER, AND ASKED FOR MY LOCATION WHICH, BY THIS TIME, WAS 2 MI S OF LAX AT WHICH TIME HE NOTIFIED ME THAT I HAD NOT BEEN CLRED THROUGH THE TCA. I REALIZE MY ACTIONS MAY HAVE HAD SERIOUS CONSEQUENCE. I DIVERTED MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT TO TRYING TO RECTIFY MY XPONDER SITUATION. I HAD ASSUMED I HAD BEEN CLRED AND IT WAS NOT UNTIL I WAS TOLD THAT I HAD NOT BEEN THAT I REMEMBERED THAT I DID NOT RECEIVE A SPECIFIC CLRNC. THE REQUIREMENTS OF A TCA ARE FOREMOST IN MY MIND, THOUGH I HAVE LITTLE EXPERIENCE FLYING IN AND AROUND THEM. BUT MORE OVER I REALIZE HOW EASILY ATTN CAN BE DIVERTED FOR ANY NUMBER OF REASONS. THIS IS A SITUATION THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.

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.