Narrative:

I was flying from carbondale, il, to spirit of st louis airport. When I got near the TCA I decided to navigation with the terminal area chart instead of the sectional. This was the first time I had ever used a TCA for navigation purposes, so I was not very experienced with it. When I first entered the TCA vicinity, I called st louis approach and got flight following. When I was about 10 NM southeast of spirit, I terminated radar service and called spirit tower after listening to the ATIS. I told tower that 'I was 10 mi southeast, inbound to land with the information.' a few mins later, the tower called me and asked my position. I thought I was about 6 mi southeast, but actually I was about 5 or 6 mi northeast, and flying through the TCA. Since I was unfamiliar with the area and I was inexperienced with the terminal area chart I somehow got somewhat lost. The reason that I thought I was southeast of spirit has to do with the 2 different scales of the TCA and the sectional. I was so accustomed to referencing landmarks with a sectional that I was self-consciously doing the same with the TCA. There is a small bend in a river which is 9 NM, 143 degrees from spirit -- southeast of the airport -- that is where I thought I was. Actually, I was over the larger river bend about 5 NM, 77 degrees from spirit, at 2500 ft MSL, in the TCA. When spirit tower told me where I was, they suggested that I descend to 1900 ft and that the airport was behind me and to the left. So, I turned around and tried looking for the airport, but I could not find it. It was so difficult to see that I didn't find it until I was about 3 mi away. I think something should be done to make the airport more visible from the air, it was very difficult to find.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PRIVATE PLT OF SMA TRAINING ACFT INADVERTENTLY PENETRATED A TCA WHILE APCHING AN ARPT INSIDE AND UNDERNEATH THE TCA.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING FROM CARBONDALE, IL, TO SPIRIT OF ST LOUIS ARPT. WHEN I GOT NEAR THE TCA I DECIDED TO NAV WITH THE TERMINAL AREA CHART INSTEAD OF THE SECTIONAL. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD EVER USED A TCA FOR NAV PURPOSES, SO I WAS NOT VERY EXPERIENCED WITH IT. WHEN I FIRST ENTERED THE TCA VICINITY, I CALLED ST LOUIS APCH AND GOT FLT FOLLOWING. WHEN I WAS ABOUT 10 NM SE OF SPIRIT, I TERMINATED RADAR SVC AND CALLED SPIRIT TWR AFTER LISTENING TO THE ATIS. I TOLD TWR THAT 'I WAS 10 MI SE, INBOUND TO LAND WITH THE INFO.' A FEW MINS LATER, THE TWR CALLED ME AND ASKED MY POS. I THOUGHT I WAS ABOUT 6 MI SE, BUT ACTUALLY I WAS ABOUT 5 OR 6 MI NE, AND FLYING THROUGH THE TCA. SINCE I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AND I WAS INEXPERIENCED WITH THE TERMINAL AREA CHART I SOMEHOW GOT SOMEWHAT LOST. THE REASON THAT I THOUGHT I WAS SE OF SPIRIT HAS TO DO WITH THE 2 DIFFERENT SCALES OF THE TCA AND THE SECTIONAL. I WAS SO ACCUSTOMED TO REFING LANDMARKS WITH A SECTIONAL THAT I WAS SELF-CONSCIOUSLY DOING THE SAME WITH THE TCA. THERE IS A SMALL BEND IN A RIVER WHICH IS 9 NM, 143 DEGS FROM SPIRIT -- SE OF THE ARPT -- THAT IS WHERE I THOUGHT I WAS. ACTUALLY, I WAS OVER THE LARGER RIVER BEND ABOUT 5 NM, 77 DEGS FROM SPIRIT, AT 2500 FT MSL, IN THE TCA. WHEN SPIRIT TWR TOLD ME WHERE I WAS, THEY SUGGESTED THAT I DSND TO 1900 FT AND THAT THE ARPT WAS BEHIND ME AND TO THE L. SO, I TURNED AROUND AND TRIED LOOKING FOR THE ARPT, BUT I COULD NOT FIND IT. IT WAS SO DIFFICULT TO SEE THAT I DIDN'T FIND IT UNTIL I WAS ABOUT 3 MI AWAY. I THINK SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE TO MAKE THE ARPT MORE VISIBLE FROM THE AIR, IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND.

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.