Government small transport enters TCA without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	187233
Time
Date	199108
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mci
State Reference	MO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mci
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	187233
Person 2
Affiliation	government other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	186909
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Upon initial contact with downtown clearance delivery/ground control, the PNF indicated that he had received the ATIS and was unfamiliar with the area and any unique procedures. We asked about how to depart VFR northbound. We were given a departure control frequency and a squawk. The absence of a heading and/or an altitude seemed strange but we presumed that departure control would provide that if it were necessary. On at least 2 occasions, we answered questions from ground control as to where we were going. The answers were 'northbound' and 'northbound to sioux city'. Our indications were that we were already in the TCA upon breaking ground and that the squawk and frequency constituted our clearance. Downtown tower cleared us for takeoff. After takeoff and nearing completion of the after takeoff checklist, tower told us to 'switch to departure, if you haven't done so already.' upon checking in with departure, the copilot announced that we were 'climbing to 16500 ft' in the absence of any altitude restriction. There was a hesitation and then the controller demanded that we level at 3000, repeat 3000 ft. There was traffic on our left side at 3500 ft. We had already seen the traffic and although not on a collision course, the proximity was enough to get our attention. Having already passed 3000 ft, we pushed it back down to the required 3000 ft. We never exceeded 3300 ft during that maneuver. We were subsequently cleared to 16500 ft and on our way. Still, a specified TCA clearance was never issued. Again, we were asked where we were going and told to contact the supervisor, when we got there. We made that call when we eventually landed. Supervisor's accusation of entering the TCA without clearance was the first we knew of the specific nature of their problem. As far as we knew, we had been cleared through the TCA upon departure. There was never any indication from ATIS, ground/clearance, or tower at the downtown airport to avoid the TCA. We thought we were already in it. Had any advisory been given concerning that proximity of the TCA, I'm convinced we would have inquired and cleared up the confusion.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GOV SMT ENTERS TCA WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: UPON INITIAL CONTACT WITH DOWNTOWN CLRNC DELIVERY/GND CTL, THE PNF INDICATED THAT HE HAD RECEIVED THE ATIS AND WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AND ANY UNIQUE PROCS. WE ASKED ABOUT HOW TO DEPART VFR NBOUND. WE WERE GIVEN A DEP CTL FREQ AND A SQUAWK. THE ABSENCE OF A HDG AND/OR AN ALT SEEMED STRANGE BUT WE PRESUMED THAT DEP CTL WOULD PROVIDE THAT IF IT WERE NECESSARY. ON AT LEAST 2 OCCASIONS, WE ANSWERED QUESTIONS FROM GND CTL AS TO WHERE WE WERE GOING. THE ANSWERS WERE 'NBOUND' AND 'NBOUND TO SIOUX CITY'. OUR INDICATIONS WERE THAT WE WERE ALREADY IN THE TCA UPON BREAKING GND AND THAT THE SQUAWK AND FREQ CONSTITUTED OUR CLRNC. DOWNTOWN TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF. AFTER TKOF AND NEARING COMPLETION OF THE AFTER TKOF CHKLIST, TWR TOLD US TO 'SWITCH TO DEP, IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE SO ALREADY.' UPON CHKING IN WITH DEP, THE COPLT ANNOUNCED THAT WE WERE 'CLBING TO 16500 FT' IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY ALT RESTRICTION. THERE WAS A HESITATION AND THEN THE CTLR DEMANDED THAT WE LEVEL AT 3000, REPEAT 3000 FT. THERE WAS TFC ON OUR L SIDE AT 3500 FT. WE HAD ALREADY SEEN THE TFC AND ALTHOUGH NOT ON A COLLISION COURSE, THE PROX WAS ENOUGH TO GET OUR ATTN. HAVING ALREADY PASSED 3000 FT, WE PUSHED IT BACK DOWN TO THE REQUIRED 3000 FT. WE NEVER EXCEEDED 3300 FT DURING THAT MANEUVER. WE WERE SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED TO 16500 FT AND ON OUR WAY. STILL, A SPECIFIED TCA CLRNC WAS NEVER ISSUED. AGAIN, WE WERE ASKED WHERE WE WERE GOING AND TOLD TO CONTACT THE SUPVR, WHEN WE GOT THERE. WE MADE THAT CALL WHEN WE EVENTUALLY LANDED. SUPVR'S ACCUSATION OF ENTERING THE TCA WITHOUT CLRNC WAS THE FIRST WE KNEW OF THE SPECIFIC NATURE OF THEIR PROBLEM. AS FAR AS WE KNEW, WE HAD BEEN CLRED THROUGH THE TCA UPON DEP. THERE WAS NEVER ANY INDICATION FROM ATIS, GND/CLRNC, OR TWR AT THE DOWNTOWN ARPT TO AVOID THE TCA. WE THOUGHT WE WERE ALREADY IN IT. HAD ANY ADVISORY BEEN GIVEN CONCERNING THAT PROX OF THE TCA, I'M CONVINCED WE WOULD HAVE INQUIRED AND CLRED UP THE CONFUSION.

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.