Narrative:

Yesterday I inadvertently penetrated the northeast section of the la TCA. By the time of my departure the several thousand works of arson were being brought under control. The smoke was exiting the basin to the north markedly reducing the visibility below 4000 ft over the entire northern half of the TCA. My flight plan for exiting the basin included staying east of the TCA (where no burning occurred) while proceeding north and climbing to 4500 ft then when clear of the TCA turning west. Because I was unfamiliar with the local topography, I planned to use vors and LORAN to accomplish the above. Specifically I planned to proceed direct to pom on departing sna till intercepting V186 (276 degrees) then V186 to pirro intersection from where I'd proceed direct lhs via LORAN. The plan seemed to be working when the santa ana arsa controller declined further flight following and had me squawk 1200. The uneasiness of being out of positive control was instigated by recognizing disneyland well off the port wing assuring my position relative to the TCA. I was still monitoring the santa ana arsa frequency when I turned west on V186. My #1 radio was tracking pom while #2 radio was dialed to 276 degrees of pdz. My first clue that I had violated the TCA came when I crosschecked my position using the el monte NDB. The needle swung 30 degrees to the right rather then 30 degrees to the left as should have been the case if I was on course. At that time proceeded again north till well over the mountains before again turning west to lhs. Today the avionics shop confirmed my suspicion and found the #2 radio to be unreliable with deviations being over 10 degrees. Effectively this probably had me tracking 265 versus 276 and placed pirro intersection within the TCA. How could all of this been avoided? For openers filing a VFR flight plan may have given me additional insight into the workings of the basins ATC. I did call FSS to confirm WX and the status of appropriate navaids. Suspecting a problem with my radios by the episode at darts should have triggered a ground test at sna but I was lulled by knowing they had been calibrated 40 hours earlier during the arrival inspection. Lastly I think a more receptive attitude on the part of ATC toward VFR traffic would have eliminated this occurrence. The sfo TCA is in my opinion far more user friendly for the VFR pilot. I view the la basin as a loose connection of arsas plus the TCA seemingly acting independently to protect their airspace. To the uninitiated its impossible to tell who you should talk to and when. Clearly a continuity of communication would have avoided the above.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT INST RATED PLT INADVERTENTLY PENETRATED A TCA WHILE MAKING A VFR FLT.

Narrative: YESTERDAY I INADVERTENTLY PENETRATED THE NE SECTION OF THE LA TCA. BY THE TIME OF MY DEP THE SEVERAL THOUSAND WORKS OF ARSON WERE BEING BROUGHT UNDER CTL. THE SMOKE WAS EXITING THE BASIN TO THE N MARKEDLY REDUCING THE VISIBILITY BELOW 4000 FT OVER THE ENTIRE NORTHERN HALF OF THE TCA. MY FLT PLAN FOR EXITING THE BASIN INCLUDED STAYING E OF THE TCA (WHERE NO BURNING OCCURRED) WHILE PROCEEDING N AND CLBING TO 4500 FT THEN WHEN CLR OF THE TCA TURNING W. BECAUSE I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE LCL TOPOGRAPHY, I PLANNED TO USE VORS AND LORAN TO ACCOMPLISH THE ABOVE. SPECIFICALLY I PLANNED TO PROCEED DIRECT TO POM ON DEPARTING SNA TILL INTERCEPTING V186 (276 DEGS) THEN V186 TO PIRRO INTXN FROM WHERE I'D PROCEED DIRECT LHS VIA LORAN. THE PLAN SEEMED TO BE WORKING WHEN THE SANTA ANA ARSA CTLR DECLINED FURTHER FLT FOLLOWING AND HAD ME SQUAWK 1200. THE UNEASINESS OF BEING OUT OF POSITIVE CTL WAS INSTIGATED BY RECOGNIZING DISNEYLAND WELL OFF THE PORT WING ASSURING MY POS RELATIVE TO THE TCA. I WAS STILL MONITORING THE SANTA ANA ARSA FREQ WHEN I TURNED W ON V186. MY #1 RADIO WAS TRACKING POM WHILE #2 RADIO WAS DIALED TO 276 DEGS OF PDZ. MY FIRST CLUE THAT I HAD VIOLATED THE TCA CAME WHEN I XCHKED MY POS USING THE EL MONTE NDB. THE NEEDLE SWUNG 30 DEGS TO THE R RATHER THEN 30 DEGS TO THE L AS SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE CASE IF I WAS ON COURSE. AT THAT TIME PROCEEDED AGAIN N TILL WELL OVER THE MOUNTAINS BEFORE AGAIN TURNING W TO LHS. TODAY THE AVIONICS SHOP CONFIRMED MY SUSPICION AND FOUND THE #2 RADIO TO BE UNRELIABLE WITH DEVS BEING OVER 10 DEGS. EFFECTIVELY THIS PROBABLY HAD ME TRACKING 265 VERSUS 276 AND PLACED PIRRO INTXN WITHIN THE TCA. HOW COULD ALL OF THIS BEEN AVOIDED? FOR OPENERS FILING A VFR FLT PLAN MAY HAVE GIVEN ME ADDITIONAL INSIGHT INTO THE WORKINGS OF THE BASINS ATC. I DID CALL FSS TO CONFIRM WX AND THE STATUS OF APPROPRIATE NAVAIDS. SUSPECTING A PROBLEM WITH MY RADIOS BY THE EPISODE AT DARTS SHOULD HAVE TRIGGERED A GND TEST AT SNA BUT I WAS LULLED BY KNOWING THEY HAD BEEN CALIBRATED 40 HRS EARLIER DURING THE ARR INSPECTION. LASTLY I THINK A MORE RECEPTIVE ATTITUDE ON THE PART OF ATC TOWARD VFR TFC WOULD HAVE ELIMINATED THIS OCCURRENCE. THE SFO TCA IS IN MY OPINION FAR MORE USER FRIENDLY FOR THE VFR PLT. I VIEW THE LA BASIN AS A LOOSE CONNECTION OF ARSAS PLUS THE TCA SEEMINGLY ACTING INDEPENDENTLY TO PROTECT THEIR AIRSPACE. TO THE UNINITIATED ITS IMPOSSIBLE TO TELL WHO YOU SHOULD TALK TO AND WHEN. CLRLY A CONTINUITY OF COM WOULD HAVE AVOIDED THE ABOVE.

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.