Narrative:

Filed IFR flight plan via phone from las vegas -- henderson sky harbor airport (L15) to santa paula (szp). Sky harbor is a VFR-only airport. Initial routing was to takeoff VFR and proceed to oasis intersection, then join V-394 swbound. WX was hot and takeoff performance was much reduced. We took off on runway 18 and maintained runway heading while aircraft climbed at a very slow rate. Then, started a very shallow climbing turn to the right toward oasis. We immediately became concerned about clearing the small mountain ridge (elevation 5695 ft MSL) at oasis as shown on the las vegas sectional chart. We contacted las departure control to check in on our IFR flight plan. A controller came back saying radar showed us at 5400 ft and inside the TCA without a clearance (above the 5000 ft floor in the TCA sector immediately northeast of oasis). Her revelation, incidently, did not come forth until after she had given us a squawk code. We had dialed in the code, and then she had found us on the radar. We had erroneously assumed that the floor of the TCA would be above terrain obstructions such as near the 5695 ft mountain ridge at oasis in the 5000 ft floor TCA sector. Not so! The las vegas TCA is designed to ensnare and crash an unwary or unfamiliar pilot aircraft into mountain terrain given the following situation: 1. Depart sky harbor sbound in IMC or dark night, 2. Remain below the TCA until approved by control to enter TCA, 3. Proceed to oasis intersection, 4. Join V-394 swbound. Given the congested las radio frequencys, this is an accident waiting to happen because the pilot unfamiliar with the area (like us) oft times cannot get through to las departure in time to gain entry into the TCA in time to avoid the terrain at oasis. Fortunately, we were VFR in daylight and sought to avoid the terrain first -- earning us a tongue lashing from the controller instead of a crash. It was a very strong lesson to us on TCA design. TCA's are not designed to allow an aircraft near or under the TCA to safely avoid terrain obstructions. Perhaps TCA's are designed to take advantage of terrain and obstructions so as to effectively increase the TCA controled airspace beyond that shown on sectional and TCA charts. Interesting FAA technique!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA DEPARTED L15 ARPT AND INADVERTENTLY CLBED INTO TCA WHILE WAITING TO PICK UP AN IFR CLRNC.

Narrative: FILED IFR FLT PLAN VIA PHONE FROM LAS VEGAS -- HENDERSON SKY HARBOR ARPT (L15) TO SANTA PAULA (SZP). SKY HARBOR IS A VFR-ONLY ARPT. INITIAL ROUTING WAS TO TKOF VFR AND PROCEED TO OASIS INTXN, THEN JOIN V-394 SWBOUND. WX WAS HOT AND TKOF PERFORMANCE WAS MUCH REDUCED. WE TOOK OFF ON RWY 18 AND MAINTAINED RWY HDG WHILE ACFT CLBED AT A VERY SLOW RATE. THEN, STARTED A VERY SHALLOW CLBING TURN TO THE R TOWARD OASIS. WE IMMEDIATELY BECAME CONCERNED ABOUT CLRING THE SMALL MOUNTAIN RIDGE (ELEVATION 5695 FT MSL) AT OASIS AS SHOWN ON THE LAS VEGAS SECTIONAL CHART. WE CONTACTED LAS DEP CTL TO CHK IN ON OUR IFR FLT PLAN. A CTLR CAME BACK SAYING RADAR SHOWED US AT 5400 FT AND INSIDE THE TCA WITHOUT A CLRNC (ABOVE THE 5000 FT FLOOR IN THE TCA SECTOR IMMEDIATELY NE OF OASIS). HER REVELATION, INCIDENTLY, DID NOT COME FORTH UNTIL AFTER SHE HAD GIVEN US A SQUAWK CODE. WE HAD DIALED IN THE CODE, AND THEN SHE HAD FOUND US ON THE RADAR. WE HAD ERRONEOUSLY ASSUMED THAT THE FLOOR OF THE TCA WOULD BE ABOVE TERRAIN OBSTRUCTIONS SUCH AS NEAR THE 5695 FT MOUNTAIN RIDGE AT OASIS IN THE 5000 FT FLOOR TCA SECTOR. NOT SO! THE LAS VEGAS TCA IS DESIGNED TO ENSNARE AND CRASH AN UNWARY OR UNFAMILIAR PLT ACFT INTO MOUNTAIN TERRAIN GIVEN THE FOLLOWING SITUATION: 1. DEPART SKY HARBOR SBOUND IN IMC OR DARK NIGHT, 2. REMAIN BELOW THE TCA UNTIL APPROVED BY CTL TO ENTER TCA, 3. PROCEED TO OASIS INTXN, 4. JOIN V-394 SWBOUND. GIVEN THE CONGESTED LAS RADIO FREQS, THIS IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN BECAUSE THE PLT UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA (LIKE US) OFT TIMES CANNOT GET THROUGH TO LAS DEP IN TIME TO GAIN ENTRY INTO THE TCA IN TIME TO AVOID THE TERRAIN AT OASIS. FORTUNATELY, WE WERE VFR IN DAYLIGHT AND SOUGHT TO AVOID THE TERRAIN FIRST -- EARNING US A TONGUE LASHING FROM THE CTLR INSTEAD OF A CRASH. IT WAS A VERY STRONG LESSON TO US ON TCA DESIGN. TCA'S ARE NOT DESIGNED TO ALLOW AN ACFT NEAR OR UNDER THE TCA TO SAFELY AVOID TERRAIN OBSTRUCTIONS. PERHAPS TCA'S ARE DESIGNED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TERRAIN AND OBSTRUCTIONS SO AS TO EFFECTIVELY INCREASE THE TCA CTLED AIRSPACE BEYOND THAT SHOWN ON SECTIONAL AND TCA CHARTS. INTERESTING FAA TECHNIQUE!

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.