Narrative:

I departed beverly, ma, municipal airport at XA15 am local on runway 9, climbed to 800 ft MSL then made a right turn out toward the ocean heading 150 degrees. I was about 3 1/2 - 4 mi out of beverly when I called boston approach for flight following from beverly direct to martha's vineyard, (altitude 1300 ft MSL), while awaiting boston's response, I decided to take an inland route versus an overwater route for safety reasons, location at this time was over marblehead harbor, heading toward the salem power plant. At XA25 am, boston responded with a code and informed me that I had penetrated the TCA and to fly a heading of 90 degrees and stay clear of the TCA! Informing me of a target 4 mi to my 3 O'clock at 1700 ft and climbing, I dropped down to 1100 ft MSL. At this time, the controller advised me to telephone boston approach when I reached my destination, I asked for his initials and he refused to volunteer them. At XA28 am (local) he handed me over to another approach frequency, immediately I asked this controller for my distance from the bos VOR, she stated 15 mi east of the bos VOR. She told me to maintain a heading of 15 degrees, I stayed with her until she handed me over to cape approach, I stayed with cape approach to martha's vineyard. At martha's vineyard, I telephoned as requested and gave them all the information that I previously mentioned. The controller claims that I was 6 mi northeast of nahant at the time he said I penetrated the TCA. However, at XA28 am local the female controller stated that I was 15 mi east of the bos VOR. This discrepancy confused me for I know this area very well and at no time did I lose my bearings or penetrate the TCA via altitude or distance. As the telephone conversation continued, the supervisor explained that the controller on duty was trying to cover his 'expletive,' and lead me to believe that the controller in question was a trainee. I suggest that NASA recommend that if TCA controllers do not want GA aircraft in the TCA not to tell them that they have penetrated into it, but to vector them safely, as to allow their heavy commercial traffic ample separation on climb out and approach with safety being paramount.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA REQUESTS FLT FOLLOWING AND ACCUSED OF PENETRATING TCA. SECOND CTLR GIVES RADAR POS OUTSIDE TCA.

Narrative: I DEPARTED BEVERLY, MA, MUNICIPAL ARPT AT XA15 AM LCL ON RWY 9, CLBED TO 800 FT MSL THEN MADE A R TURN OUT TOWARD THE OCEAN HDG 150 DEGS. I WAS ABOUT 3 1/2 - 4 MI OUT OF BEVERLY WHEN I CALLED BOSTON APCH FOR FLT FOLLOWING FROM BEVERLY DIRECT TO MARTHA'S VINEYARD, (ALT 1300 FT MSL), WHILE AWAITING BOSTON'S RESPONSE, I DECIDED TO TAKE AN INLAND RTE VERSUS AN OVERWATER RTE FOR SAFETY REASONS, LOCATION AT THIS TIME WAS OVER MARBLEHEAD HARBOR, HDG TOWARD THE SALEM PWR PLANT. AT XA25 AM, BOSTON RESPONDED WITH A CODE AND INFORMED ME THAT I HAD PENETRATED THE TCA AND TO FLY A HDG OF 90 DEGS AND STAY CLR OF THE TCA! INFORMING ME OF A TARGET 4 MI TO MY 3 O'CLOCK AT 1700 FT AND CLBING, I DROPPED DOWN TO 1100 FT MSL. AT THIS TIME, THE CTLR ADVISED ME TO TELEPHONE BOSTON APCH WHEN I REACHED MY DEST, I ASKED FOR HIS INITIALS AND HE REFUSED TO VOLUNTEER THEM. AT XA28 AM (LCL) HE HANDED ME OVER TO ANOTHER APCH FREQ, IMMEDIATELY I ASKED THIS CTLR FOR MY DISTANCE FROM THE BOS VOR, SHE STATED 15 MI E OF THE BOS VOR. SHE TOLD ME TO MAINTAIN A HDG OF 15 DEGS, I STAYED WITH HER UNTIL SHE HANDED ME OVER TO CAPE APCH, I STAYED WITH CAPE APCH TO MARTHA'S VINEYARD. AT MARTHA'S VINEYARD, I TELEPHONED AS REQUESTED AND GAVE THEM ALL THE INFO THAT I PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED. THE CTLR CLAIMS THAT I WAS 6 MI NE OF NAHANT AT THE TIME HE SAID I PENETRATED THE TCA. HOWEVER, AT XA28 AM LCL THE FEMALE CTLR STATED THAT I WAS 15 MI E OF THE BOS VOR. THIS DISCREPANCY CONFUSED ME FOR I KNOW THIS AREA VERY WELL AND AT NO TIME DID I LOSE MY BEARINGS OR PENETRATE THE TCA VIA ALT OR DISTANCE. AS THE TELEPHONE CONVERSATION CONTINUED, THE SUPVR EXPLAINED THAT THE CTLR ON DUTY WAS TRYING TO COVER HIS 'EXPLETIVE,' AND LEAD ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE CTLR IN QUESTION WAS A TRAINEE. I SUGGEST THAT NASA RECOMMEND THAT IF TCA CTLRS DO NOT WANT GA ACFT IN THE TCA NOT TO TELL THEM THAT THEY HAVE PENETRATED INTO IT, BUT TO VECTOR THEM SAFELY, AS TO ALLOW THEIR HVY COMMERCIAL TFC AMPLE SEPARATION ON CLBOUT AND APCH WITH SAFETY BEING PARAMOUNT.

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.