GA pilot inadvertently penetrates atl TCA.

Attributes
ACN	167995
Time
Date	199101
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rmg
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : atl
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low 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 : 50 flight time total : 2000 flight time type : 25
ASRS Report	167995
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : exit non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Problem arose because of distraction in cockpit from another person becoming airsick and radios that didn't work as expected. Was en route to florida and had preplanned to stay well west of atlanta because of TCA. Followed interstate and VOR to rome, until reaching the stack and power plant northwest of newman and then southeast until I could continue south missing the benning restr areas and MOA on the east side. After reaching rome and heading south couldn't get DME to lock onto atlanta VOR or ADF to pick up carrollton NDB. Was using rome VOR outbnd and pilotage for navigation. Shortly thereafter other person became airsick and with the distraction I depended primarily on the VOR for navigation. Discovered I was off course when I didn't see chkpoint as expected. Evidently the VOR was giving erroneous information as the needle was centered. Determined I must be farther east than planned, turned back southwest and was able to pick up coweta NDB with ADF. Flew direct to coweta and on south to florida. May have unknowingly and unintentionally penetrated floor of TCA. Was really surprised how airsick person in cockpit could cause such distraction and how much more effort it required to focus on flying airplane. Further distraction of radios choosing that same time frame to not work properly really increased the workload and stress factor under the circumstances.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA PLT INADVERTENTLY PENETRATES ATL TCA.

Narrative: PROB AROSE BECAUSE OF DISTR IN COCKPIT FROM ANOTHER PERSON BECOMING AIRSICK AND RADIOS THAT DIDN'T WORK AS EXPECTED. WAS ENRTE TO FLORIDA AND HAD PREPLANNED TO STAY WELL W OF ATLANTA BECAUSE OF TCA. FOLLOWED INTERSTATE AND VOR TO ROME, UNTIL REACHING THE STACK AND PWR PLANT NW OF NEWMAN AND THEN SE UNTIL I COULD CONTINUE S MISSING THE BENNING RESTR AREAS AND MOA ON THE E SIDE. AFTER REACHING ROME AND HDG S COULDN'T GET DME TO LOCK ONTO ATLANTA VOR OR ADF TO PICK UP CARROLLTON NDB. WAS USING ROME VOR OUTBND AND PILOTAGE FOR NAV. SHORTLY THEREAFTER OTHER PERSON BECAME AIRSICK AND WITH THE DISTR I DEPENDED PRIMARILY ON THE VOR FOR NAV. DISCOVERED I WAS OFF COURSE WHEN I DIDN'T SEE CHKPOINT AS EXPECTED. EVIDENTLY THE VOR WAS GIVING ERRONEOUS INFO AS THE NEEDLE WAS CTRED. DETERMINED I MUST BE FARTHER E THAN PLANNED, TURNED BACK SW AND WAS ABLE TO PICK UP COWETA NDB WITH ADF. FLEW DIRECT TO COWETA AND ON S TO FLORIDA. MAY HAVE UNKNOWINGLY AND UNINTENTIONALLY PENETRATED FLOOR OF TCA. WAS REALLY SURPRISED HOW AIRSICK PERSON IN COCKPIT COULD CAUSE SUCH DISTR AND HOW MUCH MORE EFFORT IT REQUIRED TO FOCUS ON FLYING AIRPLANE. FURTHER DISTR OF RADIOS CHOOSING THAT SAME TIME FRAME TO NOT WORK PROPERLY REALLY INCREASED THE WORKLOAD AND STRESS FACTOR UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

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.