Narrative:

Our flight activities were to take cargo in an small transport from ttn to 06G. I was a flight instructor who was in training for an upgrade to sic in the small transport so I went along as cargo handler, and the captain of the flight was an experienced part 135 instructor pilot. After arriving at 06G and delivering our freight, we repositioned to yng to get a briefing. We had an empty leg back to bed (bedford, ma) where we would pick up more freight. We received a complete briefing in person from the yng FSS, then departed because I was in training, I was allowed to fly this leg, and the captain was performing all sic duties (radios, navigation, etc). As we neared bed, we were still tracking outbound from delancey VOR, but we were no longer receiving DME indications due to our distance. The captain instructed me what radial to fly, and we set bos VOR in our #2 navigation, and set the DME to #2. Bedford has no VOR on the field, so we set the locator-OM (bedds) to our ADF. As the LOM began to provide a good signal, we began tracking towards it and descending. We were still waiting for bos DME to appear, feeling this would give adequate warning prior to the TCA border. We both thought we were still about 30 NM from bedford, and were expecting to see the DME any second. As I was watching outside, descending through 4300, I was surprised to see an airport at my 1-2 O'clock, then I quickly realized that it was bed. We were still tracking to the LOM, realizing that we must be either very close or even in bos TCA, I made a turn to a wbound heading and began a descent. We know we were still to the west of bedds when we turned wbound, but the TCA border is about 1 NM west of bedds. Whether we violated the TCA or not, the incident shook both of us to the importance of constantly knowing exactly where you are. Also, there are better ways to know how far you are than just using DME and waiting for a signal. We should have had cross radials set to determine our location, and being a fast airplane, we also should have been talking to bos approach. Later, after landing, we checked with FSS, and learned that bos DME had been notamed OTS at some earlier time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT ENTERS TCA WITHOUT CONTACT.

Narrative: OUR FLT ACTIVITIES WERE TO TAKE CARGO IN AN SMT FROM TTN TO 06G. I WAS A FLT INSTRUCTOR WHO WAS IN TRAINING FOR AN UPGRADE TO SIC IN THE SMT SO I WENT ALONG AS CARGO HANDLER, AND THE CAPT OF THE FLT WAS AN EXPERIENCED PART 135 INSTRUCTOR PLT. AFTER ARRIVING AT 06G AND DELIVERING OUR FREIGHT, WE REPOSITIONED TO YNG TO GET A BRIEFING. WE HAD AN EMPTY LEG BACK TO BED (BEDFORD, MA) WHERE WE WOULD PICK UP MORE FREIGHT. WE RECEIVED A COMPLETE BRIEFING IN PERSON FROM THE YNG FSS, THEN DEPARTED BECAUSE I WAS IN TRAINING, I WAS ALLOWED TO FLY THIS LEG, AND THE CAPT WAS PERFORMING ALL SIC DUTIES (RADIOS, NAV, ETC). AS WE NEARED BED, WE WERE STILL TRACKING OUTBOUND FROM DELANCEY VOR, BUT WE WERE NO LONGER RECEIVING DME INDICATIONS DUE TO OUR DISTANCE. THE CAPT INSTRUCTED ME WHAT RADIAL TO FLY, AND WE SET BOS VOR IN OUR #2 NAV, AND SET THE DME TO #2. BEDFORD HAS NO VOR ON THE FIELD, SO WE SET THE LOCATOR-OM (BEDDS) TO OUR ADF. AS THE LOM BEGAN TO PROVIDE A GOOD SIGNAL, WE BEGAN TRACKING TOWARDS IT AND DSNDING. WE WERE STILL WAITING FOR BOS DME TO APPEAR, FEELING THIS WOULD GIVE ADEQUATE WARNING PRIOR TO THE TCA BORDER. WE BOTH THOUGHT WE WERE STILL ABOUT 30 NM FROM BEDFORD, AND WERE EXPECTING TO SEE THE DME ANY SECOND. AS I WAS WATCHING OUTSIDE, DSNDING THROUGH 4300, I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE AN ARPT AT MY 1-2 O'CLOCK, THEN I QUICKLY REALIZED THAT IT WAS BED. WE WERE STILL TRACKING TO THE LOM, REALIZING THAT WE MUST BE EITHER VERY CLOSE OR EVEN IN BOS TCA, I MADE A TURN TO A WBOUND HDG AND BEGAN A DSCNT. WE KNOW WE WERE STILL TO THE W OF BEDDS WHEN WE TURNED WBOUND, BUT THE TCA BORDER IS ABOUT 1 NM W OF BEDDS. WHETHER WE VIOLATED THE TCA OR NOT, THE INCIDENT SHOOK BOTH OF US TO THE IMPORTANCE OF CONSTANTLY KNOWING EXACTLY WHERE YOU ARE. ALSO, THERE ARE BETTER WAYS TO KNOW HOW FAR YOU ARE THAN JUST USING DME AND WAITING FOR A SIGNAL. WE SHOULD HAVE HAD CROSS RADIALS SET TO DETERMINE OUR LOCATION, AND BEING A FAST AIRPLANE, WE ALSO SHOULD HAVE BEEN TALKING TO BOS APCH. LATER, AFTER LNDG, WE CHKED WITH FSS, AND LEARNED THAT BOS DME HAD BEEN NOTAMED OTS AT SOME EARLIER TIME.

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.