Narrative:

I took off from austin, tx, and asked austin departure to get me flight following to stuart, fl. My route was college station, lake charles, lafayette, new orleans, gulfport, pensacola, panama city, tallahassee, cross city, ocala, orlando, vero, stuart. I was given squawk and turned over to houston 134.5. He turned me over to houston 123.8. She changed my squawk and about 50 mi east of college station on a direct line to lake charles she turned me over to houston 120.05. He immediately told me I was in the houston TCA and had I been cleared through TCA. I told him I was on flight following from takeoff at austin to stuart, fl, at 9500 ft above the clouds. If you draw a straight line from college station VOR 113.3 to lake charles VOR 113.4 you will see that a straight line just catches the outer rim of houston TCA by about 1 mi. On flight following ATC knows your route and gives headings if they don't want you to go through a TCA or other controled airspace. This air traffic controller appeared to want to make a case that I had strayed into a TCA. I had not. I was on flight following continuously and stayed on flight following all the way to stuart at 9500 ft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter states he knows proper procedure but was above clouds and had no way to pinpoint position. Really felt he should have some help from the folks with the radar since no NAVAID to check position. Flies the area quite often and is familiar but feels things are becoming so congested it makes a difficult situation communication with ATC.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT NICKS CORNER OF TCA WHILE FLYING ABOVE CLOUDS WITH NO GND REFS.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF FROM AUSTIN, TX, AND ASKED AUSTIN DEP TO GET ME FLT FOLLOWING TO STUART, FL. MY RTE WAS COLLEGE STATION, LAKE CHARLES, LAFAYETTE, NEW ORLEANS, GULFPORT, PENSACOLA, PANAMA CITY, TALLAHASSEE, CROSS CITY, OCALA, ORLANDO, VERO, STUART. I WAS GIVEN SQUAWK AND TURNED OVER TO HOUSTON 134.5. HE TURNED ME OVER TO HOUSTON 123.8. SHE CHANGED MY SQUAWK AND ABOUT 50 MI E OF COLLEGE STATION ON A DIRECT LINE TO LAKE CHARLES SHE TURNED ME OVER TO HOUSTON 120.05. HE IMMEDIATELY TOLD ME I WAS IN THE HOUSTON TCA AND HAD I BEEN CLRED THROUGH TCA. I TOLD HIM I WAS ON FLT FOLLOWING FROM TKOF AT AUSTIN TO STUART, FL, AT 9500 FT ABOVE THE CLOUDS. IF YOU DRAW A STRAIGHT LINE FROM COLLEGE STATION VOR 113.3 TO LAKE CHARLES VOR 113.4 YOU WILL SEE THAT A STRAIGHT LINE JUST CATCHES THE OUTER RIM OF HOUSTON TCA BY ABOUT 1 MI. ON FLT FOLLOWING ATC KNOWS YOUR RTE AND GIVES HDGS IF THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO GO THROUGH A TCA OR OTHER CTLED AIRSPACE. THIS AIR TFC CTLR APPEARED TO WANT TO MAKE A CASE THAT I HAD STRAYED INTO A TCA. I HAD NOT. I WAS ON FLT FOLLOWING CONTINUOUSLY AND STAYED ON FLT FOLLOWING ALL THE WAY TO STUART AT 9500 FT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATES HE KNOWS PROPER PROC BUT WAS ABOVE CLOUDS AND HAD NO WAY TO PINPOINT POS. REALLY FELT HE SHOULD HAVE SOME HELP FROM THE FOLKS WITH THE RADAR SINCE NO NAVAID TO CHK POS. FLIES THE AREA QUITE OFTEN AND IS FAMILIAR BUT FEELS THINGS ARE BECOMING SO CONGESTED IT MAKES A DIFFICULT SITUATION COM WITH ATC.

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.