Pilot complaint reference legend of TCA chart with floor ceiling example.

Attributes
ACN	199788
Time
Date	199201
Day	Thu
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dca
State Reference	DC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 10000
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dca
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 4000
ASRS Report	199788
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Chart Or Publication
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

It has come to my attention that a number of TCA charts have a potentially misleading feature on the front of the chart. As an example the washington tri-area TCA chart on the front of the chart above the control tower frequency tabulation shows the following examples of TCA altitudes. 70-ceiling of TCA in hundreds of ft MSL, 30-floor of TCA in hundreds of ft MSL. The actual ceiling of this TCA is 100 while this is meant as an example, I consider this to be extremely misleading. A pilot overflying the TCA, after glancing at the front of the chart, might conclude that 7500 is a reasonable, safe, and legal altitude which it is not. These numbers should reflect the actual ceiling for the TCA involved. Washington is not the only one. This may help cut down on TCA incursions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT COMPLAINT REF LEGEND OF TCA CHART WITH FLOOR CEILING EXAMPLE.

Narrative: IT HAS COME TO MY ATTN THAT A NUMBER OF TCA CHARTS HAVE A POTENTIALLY MISLEADING FEATURE ON THE FRONT OF THE CHART. AS AN EXAMPLE THE WASHINGTON TRI-AREA TCA CHART ON THE FRONT OF THE CHART ABOVE THE CTL TWR FREQ TABULATION SHOWS THE FOLLOWING EXAMPLES OF TCA ALTS. 70-CEILING OF TCA IN HUNDREDS OF FT MSL, 30-FLOOR OF TCA IN HUNDREDS OF FT MSL. THE ACTUAL CEILING OF THIS TCA IS 100 WHILE THIS IS MEANT AS AN EXAMPLE, I CONSIDER THIS TO BE EXTREMELY MISLEADING. A PLT OVERFLYING THE TCA, AFTER GLANCING AT THE FRONT OF THE CHART, MIGHT CONCLUDE THAT 7500 IS A REASONABLE, SAFE, AND LEGAL ALT WHICH IT IS NOT. THESE NUMBERS SHOULD REFLECT THE ACTUAL CEILING FOR THE TCA INVOLVED. WASHINGTON IS NOT THE ONLY ONE. THIS MAY HELP CUT DOWN ON TCA INCURSIONS.

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.