Narrative:

On scenic flight to view fall colors. Traveled wbound from mountain ridge down canyon to salt lake valley. At mouth of canyon turned northbound hugging foothills (1000 ft AGL or less) and contacted approach for landing clearance with ATIS. In so doing, descended through TCA hich overlies mountains and canyon from 9000-10000 ft MSL along eastern edge of salt lake valley (see slc TCA chart). Primary cause was my failure to recognize that TCA extended as far east as it does, thus my failure to realize my imminent entry into TCA inappropriately. An additional, secondary factor may be location of this edge of TCA. TRACON supervisor advised me that many similar incursions occur this location. Apparently many pilots fail to recognize TCA extends to this area because it closely overlies mountains and is only 1000 ft thick at this location. It is unclr to me why TCA extends over this area, which is lower and closer to mountains than IFR mins and MVA in vicinity of mountains. If purpose of TCA is to aid in separation of controled IFR aircraft and other aircraft, former should not be at altitude covered by TCA, but higher. Though pilot should refer to chart and be aware of airspace boundaries, it's easy to assume cr of TCA low and along foothills (similar area along west side of valley especially excluded from TCA boundaries to accommodate VFR traffic of similar nature). Means of prevention is greater awareness of TCA boundaries and altitudes to permit compliance with requirement not to enter without clearance. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter states his flight was south to provo then southeast, east and north. At the aerial tram he turned wbound down the canyon and thus entered TCA. On his contact with approach they told him of the penetration. Called when landed and had a very good session with supervisor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT PENETRATES TCA. ADMITS BUT COMPLAINS FLOOR IS BELOW SAFE IFR MINS AND MVA IN THESE MOUNTAINS.

Narrative: ON SCENIC FLT TO VIEW FALL COLORS. TRAVELED WBOUND FROM MOUNTAIN RIDGE DOWN CANYON TO SALT LAKE VALLEY. AT MOUTH OF CANYON TURNED NBOUND HUGGING FOOTHILLS (1000 FT AGL OR LESS) AND CONTACTED APCH FOR LNDG CLRNC WITH ATIS. IN SO DOING, DSNDED THROUGH TCA HICH OVERLIES MOUNTAINS AND CANYON FROM 9000-10000 FT MSL ALONG EASTERN EDGE OF SALT LAKE VALLEY (SEE SLC TCA CHART). PRIMARY CAUSE WAS MY FAILURE TO RECOGNIZE THAT TCA EXTENDED AS FAR E AS IT DOES, THUS MY FAILURE TO REALIZE MY IMMINENT ENTRY INTO TCA INAPPROPRIATELY. AN ADDITIONAL, SECONDARY FACTOR MAY BE LOCATION OF THIS EDGE OF TCA. TRACON SUPVR ADVISED ME THAT MANY SIMILAR INCURSIONS OCCUR THIS LOCATION. APPARENTLY MANY PLTS FAIL TO RECOGNIZE TCA EXTENDS TO THIS AREA BECAUSE IT CLOSELY OVERLIES MOUNTAINS AND IS ONLY 1000 FT THICK AT THIS LOCATION. IT IS UNCLR TO ME WHY TCA EXTENDS OVER THIS AREA, WHICH IS LOWER AND CLOSER TO MOUNTAINS THAN IFR MINS AND MVA IN VICINITY OF MOUNTAINS. IF PURPOSE OF TCA IS TO AID IN SEPARATION OF CTLED IFR ACFT AND OTHER ACFT, FORMER SHOULD NOT BE AT ALT COVERED BY TCA, BUT HIGHER. THOUGH PLT SHOULD REFER TO CHART AND BE AWARE OF AIRSPACE BOUNDARIES, IT'S EASY TO ASSUME CR OF TCA LOW AND ALONG FOOTHILLS (SIMILAR AREA ALONG W SIDE OF VALLEY ESPECIALLY EXCLUDED FROM TCA BOUNDARIES TO ACCOMMODATE VFR TFC OF SIMILAR NATURE). MEANS OF PREVENTION IS GREATER AWARENESS OF TCA BOUNDARIES AND ALTS TO PERMIT COMPLIANCE WITH REQUIREMENT NOT TO ENTER WITHOUT CLRNC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATES HIS FLT WAS S TO PROVO THEN SE, E AND N. AT THE AERIAL TRAM HE TURNED WBOUND DOWN THE CANYON AND THUS ENTERED TCA. ON HIS CONTACT WITH APCH THEY TOLD HIM OF THE PENETRATION. CALLED WHEN LANDED AND HAD A VERY GOOD SESSION WITH SUPVR.

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.