Narrative:

I'm IFR qualified and current. When flying VFR cross country, I almost always get advisories, not to supplant see and avoid, but to support me. As an instructor, I also impress on students the value (the near necessity), of using and being part of 'the system.' a business associate and I are out of princeton airport, northeast of ttn, altitude 2500. I asked for and got transition clearance through the trenton air traffic area. No problem. Upon clearing, I called ATC (phl approach), and asked for advisories, en route dca at 2500. The friendly voice suggested I contact pne tower for transition clearance through the air traffic area, and get back to them for advisories after clearing. I complied. Pne tower approved transition. This was a trap. Take a look at the phl TCA. Emerging at that altitude, southwest out of the pne air traffic area, would put you into the TCA in a fingersnap. As instructed, we quickly called phl approach with the request we knew he was expecting. He said, remain clear of the TCA! In effect, he was saying, now that we've got you at the edge of the TCA, pointed at the heart of the TCA, making 145 KIAS, wham, slam the door, go around, we don't want to deal with you. A safety conscious, system participating pilot, is suddenly told to a) descend to a lower altitude with smaller safety margins, B) crowd with any others at the fringers of the TCA -- instead of taking the safest course, squawking, watching and involved in a system supposedly designed for safety. I immediately turned west to flee the edge of the ring, and did so. A few mins later, a polite controller asked that I give her 'boss' a call after landing -- and as I have not yet done so, I don't know specifically what's on his mind. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states he called the telephone number given and 'boss' was not there. Left message and has heard nothing further. He is sure he avoided the TCA. He was 1500 ft below the floor of first area and 500 ft below the next area at the time clearance refused, and turned immediately.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT TOLD CONTACT TWR OF SECONDARY ARPT WHEN REQUESTING PERMISSION TO TRANSIT TCA. COMPLIES, THEN SWITCHED BACK FOR CLRNC AND IS TOLD TO REMAIN CLR OF TCA.

Narrative: I'M IFR QUALIFIED AND CURRENT. WHEN FLYING VFR XCOUNTRY, I ALMOST ALWAYS GET ADVISORIES, NOT TO SUPPLANT SEE AND AVOID, BUT TO SUPPORT ME. AS AN INSTRUCTOR, I ALSO IMPRESS ON STUDENTS THE VALUE (THE NEAR NECESSITY), OF USING AND BEING PART OF 'THE SYS.' A BUSINESS ASSOCIATE AND I ARE OUT OF PRINCETON ARPT, NE OF TTN, ALT 2500. I ASKED FOR AND GOT TRANSITION CLRNC THROUGH THE TRENTON ATA. NO PROBLEM. UPON CLRING, I CALLED ATC (PHL APCH), AND ASKED FOR ADVISORIES, ENRTE DCA AT 2500. THE FRIENDLY VOICE SUGGESTED I CONTACT PNE TWR FOR TRANSITION CLRNC THROUGH THE ATA, AND GET BACK TO THEM FOR ADVISORIES AFTER CLRING. I COMPLIED. PNE TWR APPROVED TRANSITION. THIS WAS A TRAP. TAKE A LOOK AT THE PHL TCA. EMERGING AT THAT ALT, SW OUT OF THE PNE ATA, WOULD PUT YOU INTO THE TCA IN A FINGERSNAP. AS INSTRUCTED, WE QUICKLY CALLED PHL APCH WITH THE REQUEST WE KNEW HE WAS EXPECTING. HE SAID, REMAIN CLR OF THE TCA! IN EFFECT, HE WAS SAYING, NOW THAT WE'VE GOT YOU AT THE EDGE OF THE TCA, POINTED AT THE HEART OF THE TCA, MAKING 145 KIAS, WHAM, SLAM THE DOOR, GAR, WE DON'T WANT TO DEAL WITH YOU. A SAFETY CONSCIOUS, SYS PARTICIPATING PLT, IS SUDDENLY TOLD TO A) DSND TO A LOWER ALT WITH SMALLER SAFETY MARGINS, B) CROWD WITH ANY OTHERS AT THE FRINGERS OF THE TCA -- INSTEAD OF TAKING THE SAFEST COURSE, SQUAWKING, WATCHING AND INVOLVED IN A SYS SUPPOSEDLY DESIGNED FOR SAFETY. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED W TO FLEE THE EDGE OF THE RING, AND DID SO. A FEW MINS LATER, A POLITE CTLR ASKED THAT I GIVE HER 'BOSS' A CALL AFTER LNDG -- AND AS I HAVE NOT YET DONE SO, I DON'T KNOW SPECIFICALLY WHAT'S ON HIS MIND. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES HE CALLED THE TELEPHONE NUMBER GIVEN AND 'BOSS' WAS NOT THERE. LEFT MESSAGE AND HAS HEARD NOTHING FURTHER. HE IS SURE HE AVOIDED THE TCA. HE WAS 1500 FT BELOW THE FLOOR OF FIRST AREA AND 500 FT BELOW THE NEXT AREA AT THE TIME CLRNC REFUSED, AND TURNED IMMEDIATELY.

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.