Erroneous penetration of airspace. Proximity of TCA.

Attributes
ACN	235541
Time
Date	199303
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mzb airport : san
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3500 msl bound upper : 3700
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : san tower : pvd
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	235541
Person 2
Affiliation	government other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited penetrated airspace
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During a law enforcement flight in pursuit of an aircraft that crossed over the mexican border, we allowed our aircraft to climb into the TCA approximately 100-200 ft. As a law enforcement aircraft we were launched after an aircraft that had crossed from the united states into mexico and back into the united states. Our route of flight took us through the san diego TCA. We received clearance to transition through the TCA. From the north (palomar area) we were handed over to gillespie tower. Our suspect aircraft was on radar approximately 10 mi southeast of gillespie field. We frequency changed and were told to squawk 1200. We were in the vicinity of san miguel mountain. To maintain terrain clearance and to avoid several aircraft that were in a known practice area, it was necessary to climb to approximately 3600-3700 ft MSL. The floor of the ceiling of the TCA in that area is 3500 ft. It was only for a few seconds. At that time also both pilots' attention were diverted to the other aircraft in the area in which the target aircraft was last seen in the area. Learning point for me was that someone must always aviate and navigation, particularly in an area where there is a TCA.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ERRONEOUS PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE. PROX OF TCA.

Narrative: DURING A LAW ENFORCEMENT FLT IN PURSUIT OF AN ACFT THAT CROSSED OVER THE MEXICAN BORDER, WE ALLOWED OUR ACFT TO CLB INTO THE TCA APPROX 100-200 FT. AS A LAW ENFORCEMENT ACFT WE WERE LAUNCHED AFTER AN ACFT THAT HAD CROSSED FROM THE UNITED STATES INTO MEXICO AND BACK INTO THE UNITED STATES. OUR RTE OF FLT TOOK US THROUGH THE SAN DIEGO TCA. WE RECEIVED CLRNC TO TRANSITION THROUGH THE TCA. FROM THE N (PALOMAR AREA) WE WERE HANDED OVER TO GILLESPIE TWR. OUR SUSPECT ACFT WAS ON RADAR APPROX 10 MI SE OF GILLESPIE FIELD. WE FREQ CHANGED AND WERE TOLD TO SQUAWK 1200. WE WERE IN THE VICINITY OF SAN MIGUEL MOUNTAIN. TO MAINTAIN TERRAIN CLRNC AND TO AVOID SEVERAL ACFT THAT WERE IN A KNOWN PRACTICE AREA, IT WAS NECESSARY TO CLB TO APPROX 3600-3700 FT MSL. THE FLOOR OF THE CEILING OF THE TCA IN THAT AREA IS 3500 FT. IT WAS ONLY FOR A FEW SECONDS. AT THAT TIME ALSO BOTH PLTS' ATTN WERE DIVERTED TO THE OTHER ACFT IN THE AREA IN WHICH THE TARGET ACFT WAS LAST SEEN IN THE AREA. LEARNING POINT FOR ME WAS THAT SOMEONE MUST ALWAYS AVIATE AND NAV, PARTICULARLY IN AN AREA WHERE THERE IS A TCA.

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.