Narrative:

We departed form yng for a night VFR flight to mzz. The plan was to navigate via aco and mfd vors to stay clear of the cle TCA. After takeoff we were issued a 280 degree heading and 2500' for traffic. At 20 mi west of yng to climb to 4500' and navigation on course; 265 degree heading displayed by LORAN. After being handed over to aco approach we continued at 265 degree and 4500'. 5 mi north of kent state airport radar service was terminated and a frequency was offered by the aco approach control to talk to cle approach, but I decided not to make use of it because I thought I was well south of the TCA (I was navigating off a L-23 chart) and became preoccupied with contacting my company in detroit for flight following purposes. In order to have enough radio range I decided to climb up to 8500', not really paying attention to navigating...after having contacted them I looked out of the right window and suddenly realized that cle was a lot closer then it should have been. By that time it was obvious that during the climb I had entered the TCA by 10 NM but at 8500' I was well above it. I was extremely embarrassed that this had happened to me. Being afraid for actions from the side of the FAA I decided not to contact anybody. Later I decided to descend to 1800' to get below radar coverage so they would not be able to track me. Not that it would help much because I had already left a whole track of evidence with yng and aco approach as I realized later. Contributing factors. I had only recently been checked out as captain, after having flown more than a yr as copilot. It was more than a yr ago that I had navigated by pilotage and using a low altitude en route chart for it was definitely not a good idea. The LORAN had become a too easy way to navigation. So convenient that I did not really bother to back it up with the pilotage. In my case I should have known better and at least used the right VFR charts. Always use as many possible sources to navigation by. In this case I should have contacted cle approach controller also paid attention to a basic rule: fly, navigation, and then communication. Watch better what I'm doing especially when I'm tired.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMT UNAUTH PENETRATION OF CLR TCA.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED FORM YNG FOR A NIGHT VFR FLT TO MZZ. THE PLAN WAS TO NAVIGATE VIA ACO AND MFD VORS TO STAY CLR OF THE CLE TCA. AFTER TKOF WE WERE ISSUED A 280 DEG HDG AND 2500' FOR TFC. AT 20 MI W OF YNG TO CLB TO 4500' AND NAV ON COURSE; 265 DEG HDG DISPLAYED BY LORAN. AFTER BEING HANDED OVER TO ACO APCH WE CONTINUED AT 265 DEG AND 4500'. 5 MI N OF KENT STATE ARPT RADAR SVC WAS TERMINATED AND A FREQ WAS OFFERED BY THE ACO APCH CTL TO TALK TO CLE APCH, BUT I DECIDED NOT TO MAKE USE OF IT BECAUSE I THOUGHT I WAS WELL S OF THE TCA (I WAS NAVING OFF A L-23 CHART) AND BECAME PREOCCUPIED WITH CONTACTING MY COMPANY IN DETROIT FOR FLT FOLLOWING PURPOSES. IN ORDER TO HAVE ENOUGH RADIO RANGE I DECIDED TO CLB UP TO 8500', NOT REALLY PAYING ATTN TO NAVING...AFTER HAVING CONTACTED THEM I LOOKED OUT OF THE R WINDOW AND SUDDENLY REALIZED THAT CLE WAS A LOT CLOSER THEN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN. BY THAT TIME IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT DURING THE CLB I HAD ENTERED THE TCA BY 10 NM BUT AT 8500' I WAS WELL ABOVE IT. I WAS EXTREMELY EMBARRASSED THAT THIS HAD HAPPENED TO ME. BEING AFRAID FOR ACTIONS FROM THE SIDE OF THE FAA I DECIDED NOT TO CONTACT ANYBODY. LATER I DECIDED TO DSND TO 1800' TO GET BELOW RADAR COVERAGE SO THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TRACK ME. NOT THAT IT WOULD HELP MUCH BECAUSE I HAD ALREADY L A WHOLE TRACK OF EVIDENCE WITH YNG AND ACO APCH AS I REALIZED LATER. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS. I HAD ONLY RECENTLY BEEN CHKED OUT AS CAPT, AFTER HAVING FLOWN MORE THAN A YR AS COPLT. IT WAS MORE THAN A YR AGO THAT I HAD NAVIGATED BY PILOTAGE AND USING A LOW ALT ENRTE CHART FOR IT WAS DEFINITELY NOT A GOOD IDEA. THE LORAN HAD BECOME A TOO EASY WAY TO NAV. SO CONVENIENT THAT I DID NOT REALLY BOTHER TO BACK IT UP WITH THE PILOTAGE. IN MY CASE I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER AND AT LEAST USED THE RIGHT VFR CHARTS. ALWAYS USE AS MANY POSSIBLE SOURCES TO NAV BY. IN THIS CASE I SHOULD HAVE CONTACTED CLE APCH CTLR ALSO PAID ATTN TO A BASIC RULE: FLY, NAV, AND THEN COM. WATCH BETTER WHAT I'M DOING ESPECIALLY WHEN I'M TIRED.

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.