Narrative:

I was sbound from fresno at cruise altitude of 9500 ft, and was using flight following from fresno, bakersfield, los angeles, and burbank approachs. I intended to land at long beach. There was a fairly heavy cloud cover, tops 3500 ft over the area. I wanted to go across lax via the special flight rules area and misread my TCA chart as showing vny 140 degree radial. I asked ZLA or approach to confirm squawk XXXX and air-to-air frequency, which they did. I was at about 3500 ft and somewhere east of lax, ARTCC asked me to turn right 180 degrees and get out of the TCA. I complied immediately. It was clear that I had used the hollywood park route without the requisite clearance when I thought I was going over lax sbound at 3500 ft. A look (again!) at the TCA chart shows the arrows of vny 140 and the shoreline route in large letters and arrows but not the airport route. Since it was overcast I could not see the airport to confirm that I was over it. Center told me by phone later that they had to divert traffic, but I only saw 1 aircraft the entire time (a commuter twin) and it was below the cloud deck, while I was on top. Suggest that the TCA chart show that the special flight rules area over lax be clarified as a different radial than the hollywood park route, or 'expect altitudes of 7500 ft (or whatever) on vny 140 degree radial. I had also mistaken the 91 freeway (north 4 mi from long beach) as the san diego freeway (just slightly south of long beach), due to clouds and some disorientation and began my descent into long beach on that freeway, heading east. That probably also put me into the TCA, but center did not correct me on that heading.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ENTERS TCA WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: I WAS SBOUND FROM FRESNO AT CRUISE ALT OF 9500 FT, AND WAS USING FLT FOLLOWING FROM FRESNO, BAKERSFIELD, LOS ANGELES, AND BURBANK APCHS. I INTENDED TO LAND AT LONG BEACH. THERE WAS A FAIRLY HVY CLOUD COVER, TOPS 3500 FT OVER THE AREA. I WANTED TO GO ACROSS LAX VIA THE SPECIAL FLT RULES AREA AND MISREAD MY TCA CHART AS SHOWING VNY 140 DEG RADIAL. I ASKED ZLA OR APCH TO CONFIRM SQUAWK XXXX AND AIR-TO-AIR FREQ, WHICH THEY DID. I WAS AT ABOUT 3500 FT AND SOMEWHERE E OF LAX, ARTCC ASKED ME TO TURN R 180 DEGS AND GET OUT OF THE TCA. I COMPLIED IMMEDIATELY. IT WAS CLR THAT I HAD USED THE HOLLYWOOD PARK RTE WITHOUT THE REQUISITE CLRNC WHEN I THOUGHT I WAS GOING OVER LAX SBOUND AT 3500 FT. A LOOK (AGAIN!) AT THE TCA CHART SHOWS THE ARROWS OF VNY 140 AND THE SHORELINE RTE IN LARGE LETTERS AND ARROWS BUT NOT THE ARPT RTE. SINCE IT WAS OVCST I COULD NOT SEE THE ARPT TO CONFIRM THAT I WAS OVER IT. CTR TOLD ME BY PHONE LATER THAT THEY HAD TO DIVERT TFC, BUT I ONLY SAW 1 ACFT THE ENTIRE TIME (A COMMUTER TWIN) AND IT WAS BELOW THE CLOUD DECK, WHILE I WAS ON TOP. SUGGEST THAT THE TCA CHART SHOW THAT THE SPECIAL FLT RULES AREA OVER LAX BE CLARIFIED AS A DIFFERENT RADIAL THAN THE HOLLYWOOD PARK RTE, OR 'EXPECT ALTS OF 7500 FT (OR WHATEVER) ON VNY 140 DEG RADIAL. I HAD ALSO MISTAKEN THE 91 FREEWAY (N 4 MI FROM LONG BEACH) AS THE SAN DIEGO FREEWAY (JUST SLIGHTLY S OF LONG BEACH), DUE TO CLOUDS AND SOME DISORIENTATION AND BEGAN MY DSCNT INTO LONG BEACH ON THAT FREEWAY, HDG E. THAT PROBABLY ALSO PUT ME INTO THE TCA, BUT CTR DID NOT CORRECT ME ON THAT HDG.

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.