GA small aircraft unauthorized penetration of cle TCA.

Attributes
ACN	154684
Time
Date	199008
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : cle airport : bkl
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cle
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 3300 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	154684
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : investigated faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Ended up in cleveland unexpectedly, avoiding low visibility WX en route jamestown, ny, to denver, co. Called FSS 2 or 3 times getting up dates on WX swbnd. Asked FSS to give me a transponder code, as T/O puts you into TCA almost immediately from burke lakefront. FSS said they do not do that, tower would take care of me. Called tower at taxi time, asked for code. 'We do not do that, ATC will take care of you after departure.' tower released us, and shortly thereafter said talk to ATC. Raised ATC on radio and asked for code. They said 'identify on 1200. Keep lake shore in sight and stay below 1900' to avoid TCA.' we turned southwest to continue outbnd, though I was concerned about the poor visibility in the haze. Kept lake shore in sight, and maintained 1500'. Shortly thereafter, controller (do not remember whether tower or ATC radar) said that we were in TCA. They then gave me a discrete code, steered us 090 degree, with instructions to call ATC on ground. They said that we were about 2 1/2-3 mi from east end of cleveland hopkins and inside the TCA. I had seen cleveland hopkins, but thought it was at least 5-6 mi away. Slant range visibility from the air at the time was about 7 mi or so, and we were at 1500' all during the episode. ATC person asked for my data (name, pilot, address, phone, etc) which I gave. ATC folks said that radio instruction was 'to fly along shore line and stay below 1900' to avoid TCA.' since we had never intended to be anywhere near cleveland on the denver, washington, connecticut, mass, new york, denver flight, I was using WAC charts for the mid country part of flight. (With sectional for washington and ny). I should have bought a sectional chart for cleveland area the min I landed there the first time, to have detail of the TCA. I would have thus realized that an instruction to 'keep shore line in sight, maintain less than 1900' to avoid TCA' was not a reasonable to useful instruction to someone traveling southwest direction.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA UNAUTH PENETRATION OF CLE TCA.

Narrative: ENDED UP IN CLEVELAND UNEXPECTEDLY, AVOIDING LOW VISIBILITY WX ENRTE JAMESTOWN, NY, TO DENVER, CO. CALLED FSS 2 OR 3 TIMES GETTING UP DATES ON WX SWBND. ASKED FSS TO GIVE ME A XPONDER CODE, AS T/O PUTS YOU INTO TCA ALMOST IMMEDIATELY FROM BURKE LAKEFRONT. FSS SAID THEY DO NOT DO THAT, TWR WOULD TAKE CARE OF ME. CALLED TWR AT TAXI TIME, ASKED FOR CODE. 'WE DO NOT DO THAT, ATC WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU AFTER DEP.' TWR RELEASED US, AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER SAID TALK TO ATC. RAISED ATC ON RADIO AND ASKED FOR CODE. THEY SAID 'IDENT ON 1200. KEEP LAKE SHORE IN SIGHT AND STAY BELOW 1900' TO AVOID TCA.' WE TURNED SW TO CONTINUE OUTBND, THOUGH I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE POOR VISIBILITY IN THE HAZE. KEPT LAKE SHORE IN SIGHT, AND MAINTAINED 1500'. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, CTLR (DO NOT REMEMBER WHETHER TWR OR ATC RADAR) SAID THAT WE WERE IN TCA. THEY THEN GAVE ME A DISCRETE CODE, STEERED US 090 DEG, WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO CALL ATC ON GND. THEY SAID THAT WE WERE ABOUT 2 1/2-3 MI FROM E END OF CLEVELAND HOPKINS AND INSIDE THE TCA. I HAD SEEN CLEVELAND HOPKINS, BUT THOUGHT IT WAS AT LEAST 5-6 MI AWAY. SLANT RANGE VISIBILITY FROM THE AIR AT THE TIME WAS ABOUT 7 MI OR SO, AND WE WERE AT 1500' ALL DURING THE EPISODE. ATC PERSON ASKED FOR MY DATA (NAME, PLT, ADDRESS, PHONE, ETC) WHICH I GAVE. ATC FOLKS SAID THAT RADIO INSTRUCTION WAS 'TO FLY ALONG SHORE LINE AND STAY BELOW 1900' TO AVOID TCA.' SINCE WE HAD NEVER INTENDED TO BE ANYWHERE NEAR CLEVELAND ON THE DENVER, WASHINGTON, CONNECTICUT, MASS, NEW YORK, DENVER FLT, I WAS USING WAC CHARTS FOR THE MID COUNTRY PART OF FLT. (WITH SECTIONAL FOR WASHINGTON AND NY). I SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT A SECTIONAL CHART FOR CLEVELAND AREA THE MIN I LANDED THERE THE FIRST TIME, TO HAVE DETAIL OF THE TCA. I WOULD HAVE THUS REALIZED THAT AN INSTRUCTION TO 'KEEP SHORE LINE IN SIGHT, MAINTAIN LESS THAN 1900' TO AVOID TCA' WAS NOT A REASONABLE TO USEFUL INSTRUCTION TO SOMEONE TRAVELING SW DIRECTION.

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.