Narrative:

It is well known that it is the pilot's responsibility to read all published NOTAMS. However, from a practical standpoint, it is difficult and rarely done. Most pilots believe they can rely on the information in current sectionals or WAC's. Pilots flying x-country well above the TCA's do not typically consult a TCA chart unless they plan to descend into the TCA area. Pilots typically use WAC charts for en route travel and are not likely to go to the expense of maintaining current TCA charts for TCA's they do not plan to enter. The current WAC chart should give them all the information they need to go over the top. A major change was recently made to the washington TCA. The cg-21 WAC chart includes the washington TCA. Current ct-21 charts being sold even as this is written do not reflect the change. The current cg-21 shows the top of the washington TCA to be 7000'. The TCA top is now 10000' and much larger in area than depicted on cg-21. Vendors give no notice to purchasers that the chart is prematurely out of date. Flight briefers make no mention of the situation. 4/91 I departed greenville, sc on a VFR flight to wings field, north of philadelphia. En route altitude was 13500'. For navigation I was using a WAC that I had just purchased for the trip. It is current. I obtained an in-flight briefing from flight watch. At the request of spartanburg approach and ZTL, I idented washington as an en route chkpoint. Neither facility was very busy. No one mentioned any changes to the washington TCA. According to washington approach, on my descent into wings, I 'grazed' the new top corner of the washington TCA. A change as major as the washington TCA change should trigger a special issue of all affected charts. Also, it would be a considerable assist to safety if, so long as all current charts do not reflect current major TCA changes, FAA briefers included a mention of the change to aircraft operating through the area. Secondly, I would request that the FAA consider special markings on charts for restr areas such as P56, which protrude through the top of a TCA. A restr area protruding through the top of a TCA is unusual, unexpected. It is easy to miss the area markings in the clutter of the TCA detail. I did. Perhaps those restr areas which are included in TCA's could be delineated in red as well as blue. It would sure help them stand out better. Note also that this night flight had extremely good visibility. Such conditions require intense vigilance because so many other aircraft are visible. West/O intervening haze, it is difficult at first glance to estimate how far away traffic is, thus the importance of clear charts, even at a time when one might think the pilot workload should be lighter.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMT UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE.

Narrative: IT IS WELL KNOWN THAT IT IS THE PLT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO READ ALL PUBLISHED NOTAMS. HOWEVER, FROM A PRACTICAL STANDPOINT, IT IS DIFFICULT AND RARELY DONE. MOST PLTS BELIEVE THEY CAN RELY ON THE INFO IN CURRENT SECTIONALS OR WAC'S. PLTS FLYING X-COUNTRY WELL ABOVE THE TCA'S DO NOT TYPICALLY CONSULT A TCA CHART UNLESS THEY PLAN TO DSND INTO THE TCA AREA. PLTS TYPICALLY USE WAC CHARTS FOR ENRTE TRAVEL AND ARE NOT LIKELY TO GO TO THE EXPENSE OF MAINTAINING CURRENT TCA CHARTS FOR TCA'S THEY DO NOT PLAN TO ENTER. THE CURRENT WAC CHART SHOULD GIVE THEM ALL THE INFO THEY NEED TO GO OVER THE TOP. A MAJOR CHANGE WAS RECENTLY MADE TO THE WASHINGTON TCA. THE CG-21 WAC CHART INCLUDES THE WASHINGTON TCA. CURRENT CT-21 CHARTS BEING SOLD EVEN AS THIS IS WRITTEN DO NOT REFLECT THE CHANGE. THE CURRENT CG-21 SHOWS THE TOP OF THE WASHINGTON TCA TO BE 7000'. THE TCA TOP IS NOW 10000' AND MUCH LARGER IN AREA THAN DEPICTED ON CG-21. VENDORS GIVE NO NOTICE TO PURCHASERS THAT THE CHART IS PREMATURELY OUT OF DATE. FLT BRIEFERS MAKE NO MENTION OF THE SITUATION. 4/91 I DEPARTED GREENVILLE, SC ON A VFR FLT TO WINGS FIELD, N OF PHILADELPHIA. ENRTE ALT WAS 13500'. FOR NAV I WAS USING A WAC THAT I HAD JUST PURCHASED FOR THE TRIP. IT IS CURRENT. I OBTAINED AN IN-FLT BRIEFING FROM FLT WATCH. AT THE REQUEST OF SPARTANBURG APCH AND ZTL, I IDENTED WASHINGTON AS AN ENRTE CHKPOINT. NEITHER FAC WAS VERY BUSY. NO ONE MENTIONED ANY CHANGES TO THE WASHINGTON TCA. ACCORDING TO WASHINGTON APCH, ON MY DSNT INTO WINGS, I 'GRAZED' THE NEW TOP CORNER OF THE WASHINGTON TCA. A CHANGE AS MAJOR AS THE WASHINGTON TCA CHANGE SHOULD TRIGGER A SPECIAL ISSUE OF ALL AFFECTED CHARTS. ALSO, IT WOULD BE A CONSIDERABLE ASSIST TO SAFETY IF, SO LONG AS ALL CURRENT CHARTS DO NOT REFLECT CURRENT MAJOR TCA CHANGES, FAA BRIEFERS INCLUDED A MENTION OF THE CHANGE TO ACFT OPERATING THROUGH THE AREA. SECONDLY, I WOULD REQUEST THAT THE FAA CONSIDER SPECIAL MARKINGS ON CHARTS FOR RESTR AREAS SUCH AS P56, WHICH PROTRUDE THROUGH THE TOP OF A TCA. A RESTR AREA PROTRUDING THROUGH THE TOP OF A TCA IS UNUSUAL, UNEXPECTED. IT IS EASY TO MISS THE AREA MARKINGS IN THE CLUTTER OF THE TCA DETAIL. I DID. PERHAPS THOSE RESTR AREAS WHICH ARE INCLUDED IN TCA'S COULD BE DELINEATED IN RED AS WELL AS BLUE. IT WOULD SURE HELP THEM STAND OUT BETTER. NOTE ALSO THAT THIS NIGHT FLT HAD EXTREMELY GOOD VISIBILITY. SUCH CONDITIONS REQUIRE INTENSE VIGILANCE BECAUSE SO MANY OTHER ACFT ARE VISIBLE. W/O INTERVENING HAZE, IT IS DIFFICULT AT FIRST GLANCE TO ESTIMATE HOW FAR AWAY TFC IS, THUS THE IMPORTANCE OF CLR CHARTS, EVEN AT A TIME WHEN ONE MIGHT THINK THE PLT WORKLOAD SHOULD BE LIGHTER.

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.