Narrative:

Local pleasure flight departed chandler municipal airport solo at approximately am:00 hours (local). Route of flight was north from chandler; flying east of scottsdale municipal air traffic area below phoenix TCA floor but within mode C veil. Aircraft was mode C equipped and squawking 1200. Route of flight continued north of scottsdale municipal but passing well to the east, then flying westbound before turning south for return to chandler. At this point in the flight a current VFR terminal area chart for phoenix was consulted for direct routing options back to chandler. The reverse side of the VFR terminal area chart idents suggested VFR flyways and altitude 'which may be used as alternates to flight within the established TCA.' during the flight a brief review of this chart showed a VFR flyway transversing the scottsdale municipal air traffic area from the northwest to southeast with an altitude label of 'above 3500'.' I interpreted the situation on the chart to mean that I could essentially fly north to south through the scottsdale air traffic area 'above 3500' west/O entering the air traffic area. I proceeded to fly south, crossing over midfield of scottsdale municipal at 3800' MSL en route to chandler. I was monitoring scottsdale tower but did not establish communication with them. To compound my error as I passed over the airport was a wwii training base. As I passed over the airport, I turned 180 degrees to north again and did a left 360 turn just south of this airport before continuing southbound to chandler where I landed. Elevation of scottsdale airport is 1508' MSL. Minimum air traffic area over-fly altitude west/O tower permission would be 4508' MSL; not 3800' or 3500' MSL. Confusing altitude labels on VFR flyways through TCA give the impression that 'above 3500' and below TCA floor would be legal on route of flight depicted on chart TCA floor in air traffic area goes from 6000' to 4000' MSL. Factors: misinterp of chart information. Unfamiliar with FARS pertaining to air traffic area operations. Inadequate flight planning. Did not realize error until after landing.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH UNCOORD PENETRATION OF AIRSPACES.

Narrative: LCL PLEASURE FLT DEPARTED CHANDLER MUNICIPAL ARPT SOLO AT APPROX AM:00 HRS (LCL). RTE OF FLT WAS N FROM CHANDLER; FLYING E OF SCOTTSDALE MUNI ATA BELOW PHOENIX TCA FLOOR BUT WITHIN MODE C VEIL. ACFT WAS MODE C EQUIPPED AND SQUAWKING 1200. RTE OF FLT CONTINUED N OF SCOTTSDALE MUNI BUT PASSING WELL TO THE E, THEN FLYING WBND BEFORE TURNING S FOR RETURN TO CHANDLER. AT THIS POINT IN THE FLT A CURRENT VFR TERMINAL AREA CHART FOR PHOENIX WAS CONSULTED FOR DIRECT RTING OPTIONS BACK TO CHANDLER. THE REVERSE SIDE OF THE VFR TERMINAL AREA CHART IDENTS SUGGESTED VFR FLYWAYS AND ALT 'WHICH MAY BE USED AS ALTERNATES TO FLT WITHIN THE ESTABLISHED TCA.' DURING THE FLT A BRIEF REVIEW OF THIS CHART SHOWED A VFR FLYWAY TRANSVERSING THE SCOTTSDALE MUNI ATA FROM THE NW TO SE WITH AN ALT LABEL OF 'ABOVE 3500'.' I INTERPRETED THE SITUATION ON THE CHART TO MEAN THAT I COULD ESSENTIALLY FLY N TO S THROUGH THE SCOTTSDALE ATA 'ABOVE 3500' W/O ENTERING THE ATA. I PROCEEDED TO FLY S, XING OVER MIDFIELD OF SCOTTSDALE MUNI AT 3800' MSL ENRTE TO CHANDLER. I WAS MONITORING SCOTTSDALE TWR BUT DID NOT ESTABLISH COM WITH THEM. TO COMPOUND MY ERROR AS I PASSED OVER THE ARPT WAS A WWII TRNING BASE. AS I PASSED OVER THE ARPT, I TURNED 180 DEGS TO N AGAIN AND DID A L 360 TURN JUST S OF THIS ARPT BEFORE CONTINUING SBND TO CHANDLER WHERE I LANDED. ELEVATION OF SCOTTSDALE ARPT IS 1508' MSL. MINIMUM ATA OVER-FLY ALT W/O TWR PERMISSION WOULD BE 4508' MSL; NOT 3800' OR 3500' MSL. CONFUSING ALT LABELS ON VFR FLYWAYS THROUGH TCA GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT 'ABOVE 3500' AND BELOW TCA FLOOR WOULD BE LEGAL ON RTE OF FLT DEPICTED ON CHART TCA FLOOR IN ATA GOES FROM 6000' TO 4000' MSL. FACTORS: MISINTERP OF CHART INFO. UNFAMILIAR WITH FARS PERTAINING TO ATA OPS. INADEQUATE FLT PLANNING. DID NOT REALIZE ERROR UNTIL AFTER LNDG.

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.