Narrative:

I phoned FSS to file an IFR flight plan plan for the last leg into sba. 30 mins later we departed runway 9 and I established a cruise climb to the southwest toward hector VOR. I was equipped with DME but was unable to get a steady transmission from the las VOR to confirm the TCA boundaries due to the mountains between las and boulder city. The TCA chart indicated that a departure off of runway 9 would put me comfortably in between the 15 NM and 20 NM distance form las. This allowed a climb to 7999' MSL before entering the TCA. After departure and establishment of climb, I called las departure to pick up my clearance. The controller didn't have me in his computer and asked a # of questions as to when, where and what was filed with FSS. At this pint I was on a southwest heading toward the gap in the mountains toward hector VOR and climbing. The controller and I talked some more about my expected clearance and what altitude I had filed for (1000' MSL). I was concerned with refiling the flight plan with departure and knew they didn't like pop-up clearance deliveries. I was also busy getting out my flight plan so I could refile. The signal from las was still intermittent, so I had no DME distance for boundary sep. I thought that being over a dry lake bed on the TCA chart still had me to the southeast and more than 15 NM from the station. As I was climbing through 7000' MSL the controller finally gave me a squawk code and I dialed it in and hit identify. At this point the controller informed me that I was in the TCA and shouldn't be there west/O a clearance. I looked at my altimeter which read 7500' MSL and told him that I would descend to 5000' MSL. I still thought that I was outside the 15 NM range but didn't confirm it on the DME because it had been unreliable previously. If I had been closer than 15 NM the floor of the TCA would have been 6000' MSL. The controller declined the descent and issued an immediate clearance through the TCA. I dropped the IFR flight and continued VFR to sba. Contributing factors were: 1) the confusion of a missing IFR flight plan, which didn't allow an immediate climb to filed altitude as anticipated. Also anticipation of an IFR clearance put the worry of TCA boundaries aside. 2) an intermittent DME readout on the initial climb out due to terrain gave me no clear TCA position. It also made me leave it out of my scan due to its unreliability. Apparent discrepancies in the TCA chart as to boundary placement over ground reference aids. 3) distrs from within the cockpit in a crying baby. In conclusion things that I would do differently would be: 1) fly well away from, not along, TCA boundaries before picking up a clearance. 2) never assume an altitude with an IFR flight plan as with a VFR flight plan as it is up to the controller not your direction of flight. 3) be ready for a lost flight plan at all times and circumstances. 4) beware of the last leg of long flts with distrs and fatigue.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT DEPARTING ARPT BENEATH TCA FLOOR ATTEMPTING TO RECEIVE IFR CLRNC. FLT PLAN LOST, PENETRATES TCA FLOOR.

Narrative: I PHONED FSS TO FILE AN IFR FLT PLAN PLAN FOR THE LAST LEG INTO SBA. 30 MINS LATER WE DEPARTED RWY 9 AND I ESTABLISHED A CRUISE CLB TO THE SW TOWARD HECTOR VOR. I WAS EQUIPPED WITH DME BUT WAS UNABLE TO GET A STEADY XMISSION FROM THE LAS VOR TO CONFIRM THE TCA BOUNDARIES DUE TO THE MOUNTAINS BTWN LAS AND BOULDER CITY. THE TCA CHART INDICATED THAT A DEP OFF OF RWY 9 WOULD PUT ME COMFORTABLY IN BTWN THE 15 NM AND 20 NM DISTANCE FORM LAS. THIS ALLOWED A CLB TO 7999' MSL BEFORE ENTERING THE TCA. AFTER DEP AND ESTABLISHMENT OF CLB, I CALLED LAS DEP TO PICK UP MY CLRNC. THE CTLR DIDN'T HAVE ME IN HIS COMPUTER AND ASKED A # OF QUESTIONS AS TO WHEN, WHERE AND WHAT WAS FILED WITH FSS. AT THIS PINT I WAS ON A SW HDG TOWARD THE GAP IN THE MOUNTAINS TOWARD HECTOR VOR AND CLBING. THE CTLR AND I TALKED SOME MORE ABOUT MY EXPECTED CLRNC AND WHAT ALT I HAD FILED FOR (1000' MSL). I WAS CONCERNED WITH REFILING THE FLT PLAN WITH DEP AND KNEW THEY DIDN'T LIKE POP-UP CLRNC DELIVERIES. I WAS ALSO BUSY GETTING OUT MY FLT PLAN SO I COULD REFILE. THE SIGNAL FROM LAS WAS STILL INTERMITTENT, SO I HAD NO DME DISTANCE FOR BOUNDARY SEP. I THOUGHT THAT BEING OVER A DRY LAKE BED ON THE TCA CHART STILL HAD ME TO THE SE AND MORE THAN 15 NM FROM THE STATION. AS I WAS CLBING THROUGH 7000' MSL THE CTLR FINALLY GAVE ME A SQUAWK CODE AND I DIALED IT IN AND HIT IDENT. AT THIS POINT THE CTLR INFORMED ME THAT I WAS IN THE TCA AND SHOULDN'T BE THERE W/O A CLRNC. I LOOKED AT MY ALTIMETER WHICH READ 7500' MSL AND TOLD HIM THAT I WOULD DSND TO 5000' MSL. I STILL THOUGHT THAT I WAS OUTSIDE THE 15 NM RANGE BUT DIDN'T CONFIRM IT ON THE DME BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN UNRELIABLE PREVIOUSLY. IF I HAD BEEN CLOSER THAN 15 NM THE FLOOR OF THE TCA WOULD HAVE BEEN 6000' MSL. THE CTLR DECLINED THE DSNT AND ISSUED AN IMMEDIATE CLRNC THROUGH THE TCA. I DROPPED THE IFR FLT AND CONTINUED VFR TO SBA. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: 1) THE CONFUSION OF A MISSING IFR FLT PLAN, WHICH DIDN'T ALLOW AN IMMEDIATE CLB TO FILED ALT AS ANTICIPATED. ALSO ANTICIPATION OF AN IFR CLRNC PUT THE WORRY OF TCA BOUNDARIES ASIDE. 2) AN INTERMITTENT DME READOUT ON THE INITIAL CLBOUT DUE TO TERRAIN GAVE ME NO CLR TCA POS. IT ALSO MADE ME LEAVE IT OUT OF MY SCAN DUE TO ITS UNRELIABILITY. APPARENT DISCREPANCIES IN THE TCA CHART AS TO BOUNDARY PLACEMENT OVER GND REF AIDS. 3) DISTRS FROM WITHIN THE COCKPIT IN A CRYING BABY. IN CONCLUSION THINGS THAT I WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY WOULD BE: 1) FLY WELL AWAY FROM, NOT ALONG, TCA BOUNDARIES BEFORE PICKING UP A CLRNC. 2) NEVER ASSUME AN ALT WITH AN IFR FLT PLAN AS WITH A VFR FLT PLAN AS IT IS UP TO THE CTLR NOT YOUR DIRECTION OF FLT. 3) BE READY FOR A LOST FLT PLAN AT ALL TIMES AND CIRCUMSTANCES. 4) BEWARE OF THE LAST LEG OF LONG FLTS WITH DISTRS AND FATIGUE.

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.