Unauthorized penetration of airspace.

Attributes
ACN	185925
Time
Date	199108
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : iah airport : hpy
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1300 msl bound upper : 9500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : iah
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 1700 flight time type : 290
ASRS Report	185925
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I left laredo, tx, flying to baton rouge, la. I had planned on getting gas at baytown houston airport. A front kept on shoving me further north of my flight line. I was at 9500 ft MSL. I contacted houston approach 50 mi west. They said check back at 30 mi. I called back at 35 mi to tell him that I was VFR at 9500 ft. He told me to squawk a code. I did. Then he came back and asked me if I was mode C equipped. I said no. He asked me 3 times. He told me to exit the TCA which I did. I stayed on the outer ring. I told him I needed to land baytown for fuel. He told me to stay out of the TCA. I was getting very low on fuel so I declared an emergency. He asked me if I saw hobby airport, I told him yes. He said I could land there. I told him I had enough to make it to baytown. He said if it's an emergency why don't I land at hobby. I told him that I use lower octane gas and I was low on cash. He turned me over to another frequency and told me to go ahead to baytown. I arrived at baytown and there was a message for me to call the supervisor. (Also when I was south of houston I told him I would like to descend from 9500 ft to a surface altitude which was 1300 ft and he said ok.) my mistake was I was thinking since I was 2500 ft above the top of the TCA I didn't think I had to have mode C.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTHORIZED PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I LEFT LAREDO, TX, FLYING TO BATON ROUGE, LA. I HAD PLANNED ON GETTING GAS AT BAYTOWN HOUSTON ARPT. A FRONT KEPT ON SHOVING ME FURTHER N OF MY FLT LINE. I WAS AT 9500 FT MSL. I CONTACTED HOUSTON APCH 50 MI W. THEY SAID CHK BACK AT 30 MI. I CALLED BACK AT 35 MI TO TELL HIM THAT I WAS VFR AT 9500 FT. HE TOLD ME TO SQUAWK A CODE. I DID. THEN HE CAME BACK AND ASKED ME IF I WAS MODE C EQUIPPED. I SAID NO. HE ASKED ME 3 TIMES. HE TOLD ME TO EXIT THE TCA WHICH I DID. I STAYED ON THE OUTER RING. I TOLD HIM I NEEDED TO LAND BAYTOWN FOR FUEL. HE TOLD ME TO STAY OUT OF THE TCA. I WAS GETTING VERY LOW ON FUEL SO I DECLARED AN EMER. HE ASKED ME IF I SAW HOBBY ARPT, I TOLD HIM YES. HE SAID I COULD LAND THERE. I TOLD HIM I HAD ENOUGH TO MAKE IT TO BAYTOWN. HE SAID IF IT'S AN EMER WHY DON'T I LAND AT HOBBY. I TOLD HIM THAT I USE LOWER OCTANE GAS AND I WAS LOW ON CASH. HE TURNED ME OVER TO ANOTHER FREQ AND TOLD ME TO GO AHEAD TO BAYTOWN. I ARRIVED AT BAYTOWN AND THERE WAS A MESSAGE FOR ME TO CALL THE SUPVR. (ALSO WHEN I WAS S OF HOUSTON I TOLD HIM I WOULD LIKE TO DSND FROM 9500 FT TO A SURFACE ALT WHICH WAS 1300 FT AND HE SAID OK.) MY MISTAKE WAS I WAS THINKING SINCE I WAS 2500 FT ABOVE THE TOP OF THE TCA I DIDN'T THINK I HAD TO HAVE MODE C.

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.