Penetration of TCA while fling to airport below and 15 miles from primary airport.

Attributes
ACN	158337
Time
Date	199009
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : stl
State Reference	MO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : stl tower : sus tower : stl
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 307 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	158337
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After establishing contact with sus tower, visibility contact was made with stl and heading was changed toward atl. The misident was realized when aircraft was approximately 5 NM away from airport, whereupon a 180 degree turn was executed. While safely below the floor of the outlying TCA boundary, I believe entrance was probably made into the 8000-sfc area of the TCA. Causal factors: improper preflight--while obtaining a briefing earlier in the day, sus was not named as an airport of intended landing. Had I done this, I would have found out that the tower frequency had been changed. It was during this initial confusion that heading was allowed to change. Overreliance on ATC--the fact that I was seeing an as well as believing I was in contact with them (I had been asked to identify and at 1 point was given a traffic advisory) overrode the initial feeling that something was not right. It was taking too long to reach the airport. Improper navigation technique--pilotage was being used when conditions (dusk with haze) should have suggested to a cautious pilot to use electronic navigation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PENETRATION OF TCA WHILE FLING TO ARPT BELOW AND 15 MILES FROM PRIMARY ARPT.

Narrative: AFTER ESTABLISHING CONTACT WITH SUS TWR, VIS CONTACT WAS MADE WITH STL AND HDG WAS CHANGED TOWARD ATL. THE MISIDENT WAS REALIZED WHEN ACFT WAS APPROX 5 NM AWAY FROM ARPT, WHEREUPON A 180 DEG TURN WAS EXECUTED. WHILE SAFELY BELOW THE FLOOR OF THE OUTLYING TCA BOUNDARY, I BELIEVE ENTRANCE WAS PROBABLY MADE INTO THE 8000-SFC AREA OF THE TCA. CAUSAL FACTORS: IMPROPER PREFLT--WHILE OBTAINING A BRIEFING EARLIER IN THE DAY, SUS WAS NOT NAMED AS AN ARPT OF INTENDED LNDG. HAD I DONE THIS, I WOULD HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THE TWR FREQ HAD BEEN CHANGED. IT WAS DURING THIS INITIAL CONFUSION THAT HDG WAS ALLOWED TO CHANGE. OVERRELIANCE ON ATC--THE FACT THAT I WAS SEEING AN AS WELL AS BELIEVING I WAS IN CONTACT WITH THEM (I HAD BEEN ASKED TO IDENT AND AT 1 POINT WAS GIVEN A TFC ADVISORY) OVERRODE THE INITIAL FEELING THAT SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT. IT WAS TAKING TOO LONG TO REACH THE ARPT. IMPROPER NAV TECHNIQUE--PILOTAGE WAS BEING USED WHEN CONDITIONS (DUSK WITH HAZE) SHOULD HAVE SUGGESTED TO A CAUTIOUS PLT TO USE ELECTRONIC NAV.

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.