Narrative:

While on a flight from montgomery field, san diego to oceano, ca, cruising at 4500', I feel I inadvertently violated TCA boundaries. I had studied the VFR terminal area chart for los angeles before and during the flight in order to enter the los angeles VFR corridor northbound. Upon approaching west of the queen mary in long beach, approach asked what were my intentions. I stated that I wanted to go through the la VFR corridor and requested assistance with this procedure. I also asked if 4500' was the correct altitude. Approximately one min later, approach transmitted 'fly the santa monica 132 degree right, squawk 1201, frequency change approved.' in looking over the chart, I could not locate the 132 degree right nor the santa monica VOR. Mistakenly, I thought he had cleared me on the van nuys 140 degree right, also known as the hollywood park route and the shoreline route. I continued to the van nuys VOR right, making announcements on the pilot frequency as to where I was located and altitudes, until I was about 1 mi south of the burbank arsa. I turned westbound and squawked 1200. I had no further communication with an ATC facility the rest of the flight. The problems I see are as follows. The chart omits certain relevant information that I feel would have been useful. For instance, the smo VFR frequency, being a local VOR, does not show clearly on the chart. ATC was not responsive to my direct question. The special flight rules should be more clearly marked on the chart rather than put in an insert. The la VFR terminal chart only shows the shoreline route and the hollywood route, but not the los angeles special flight rules area except in a separate box elsewhere. One box, among numerous boxes, directs one to look for this insert. The chart shows two of the three rtes, leaving confusion. Subsequently, I sat down with a flight instrument and reviewed the correct procedures to my and the instrs satisfaction.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER WAS CLEARED VFR CORRIDOR AT LAX VIA THE SMO 132 RADIAL. PLT FLEW 140 VNY RADIAL. CONCERNED THAT HE VIOLATED THE TCA.

Narrative: WHILE ON A FLT FROM MONTGOMERY FIELD, SAN DIEGO TO OCEANO, CA, CRUISING AT 4500', I FEEL I INADVERTENTLY VIOLATED TCA BOUNDARIES. I HAD STUDIED THE VFR TERMINAL AREA CHART FOR LOS ANGELES BEFORE AND DURING THE FLT IN ORDER TO ENTER THE LOS ANGELES VFR CORRIDOR NBND. UPON APCHING W OF THE QUEEN MARY IN LONG BEACH, APCH ASKED WHAT WERE MY INTENTIONS. I STATED THAT I WANTED TO GO THROUGH THE LA VFR CORRIDOR AND REQUESTED ASSISTANCE WITH THIS PROC. I ALSO ASKED IF 4500' WAS THE CORRECT ALT. APPROX ONE MIN LATER, APCH XMITTED 'FLY THE SANTA MONICA 132 DEG R, SQUAWK 1201, FREQ CHANGE APPROVED.' IN LOOKING OVER THE CHART, I COULD NOT LOCATE THE 132 DEG R NOR THE SANTA MONICA VOR. MISTAKENLY, I THOUGHT HE HAD CLRED ME ON THE VAN NUYS 140 DEG R, ALSO KNOWN AS THE HOLLYWOOD PARK RTE AND THE SHORELINE RTE. I CONTINUED TO THE VAN NUYS VOR R, MAKING ANNOUNCEMENTS ON THE PLT FREQ AS TO WHERE I WAS LOCATED AND ALTS, UNTIL I WAS ABOUT 1 MI S OF THE BURBANK ARSA. I TURNED WBND AND SQUAWKED 1200. I HAD NO FURTHER COM WITH AN ATC FAC THE REST OF THE FLT. THE PROBS I SEE ARE AS FOLLOWS. THE CHART OMITS CERTAIN RELEVANT INFO THAT I FEEL WOULD HAVE BEEN USEFUL. FOR INSTANCE, THE SMO VFR FREQ, BEING A LCL VOR, DOES NOT SHOW CLRLY ON THE CHART. ATC WAS NOT RESPONSIVE TO MY DIRECT QUESTION. THE SPECIAL FLT RULES SHOULD BE MORE CLRLY MARKED ON THE CHART RATHER THAN PUT IN AN INSERT. THE LA VFR TERMINAL CHART ONLY SHOWS THE SHORELINE RTE AND THE HOLLYWOOD RTE, BUT NOT THE LOS ANGELES SPECIAL FLT RULES AREA EXCEPT IN A SEPARATE BOX ELSEWHERE. ONE BOX, AMONG NUMEROUS BOXES, DIRECTS ONE TO LOOK FOR THIS INSERT. THE CHART SHOWS TWO OF THE THREE RTES, LEAVING CONFUSION. SUBSEQUENTLY, I SAT DOWN WITH A FLT INSTR AND REVIEWED THE CORRECT PROCS TO MY AND THE INSTRS SATISFACTION.

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.