Pilot of small aircraft in climb inadvertently entered mco TCA.

Attributes
ACN	198395
Time
Date	199201
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mco
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mco
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 57 flight time total : 1196 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	198395
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I took off VFR instead of IFR as planned. I had a current sectional. I noted the segment 100/30 north of mco but failed to note the segment east that is 100/60. Transponder was on squawking 1200. I planned to climb so as to be above 10000 MSL upon reaching the sector 100/30. The area is not familiar to me and when I looked at the chart again as I was climbing I saw my error but was already passing through 10000 ft. There is no excuse for failing to correctly read a chart -- it was careless. In assessing how I could have misread it I took out one of my california charts and immediately noticed how much darker the lines delineating the TCA and its segments were. My husband, a printer, explained that the TCA markings on the jax chart were printed using a 40 percent screen and those on the sfo chart, a 70 percent screen. Because the difference is so marked, I'm enclosing parts of both charts.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA IN CLB INADVERTENTLY ENTERED MCO TCA.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF VFR INSTEAD OF IFR AS PLANNED. I HAD A CURRENT SECTIONAL. I NOTED THE SEGMENT 100/30 N OF MCO BUT FAILED TO NOTE THE SEGMENT E THAT IS 100/60. TRANSPONDER WAS ON SQUAWKING 1200. I PLANNED TO CLB SO AS TO BE ABOVE 10000 MSL UPON REACHING THE SECTOR 100/30. THE AREA IS NOT FAMILIAR TO ME AND WHEN I LOOKED AT THE CHART AGAIN AS I WAS CLBING I SAW MY ERROR BUT WAS ALREADY PASSING THROUGH 10000 FT. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR FAILING TO CORRECTLY READ A CHART -- IT WAS CARELESS. IN ASSESSING HOW I COULD HAVE MISREAD IT I TOOK OUT ONE OF MY CALIFORNIA CHARTS AND IMMEDIATELY NOTICED HOW MUCH DARKER THE LINES DELINEATING THE TCA AND ITS SEGMENTS WERE. MY HUSBAND, A PRINTER, EXPLAINED THAT THE TCA MARKINGS ON THE JAX CHART WERE PRINTED USING A 40 PERCENT SCREEN AND THOSE ON THE SFO CHART, A 70 PERCENT SCREEN. BECAUSE THE DIFFERENCE IS SO MARKED, I'M ENCLOSING PARTS OF BOTH CHARTS.

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.