Pilot of an small transport aircraft believes that he had penetrated TCA during encounter with WX an...

Attributes
ACN	253484
Time
Date	199310
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : gif
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3500 msl bound upper : 5500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mco
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 1800 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	253484
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Flight start lantana, fl, direct gainesville, fl, used flight following all way to destination. On return approximately 20 NM south of orlando at 3500 ft entered IMC. Requested climb to 5500 ft to remain VFR. On reaching realized I would be unable to maintain VFR. To the west I saw city lights and requested that heading to escape from IMC. Once clear and over the town I assumed to be kissimmee, radar then terminated my flight following and I stayed circling above kissimmee at 3500 ft still inside the TCA which I had had clearance to enter on the north side when transitioning south. Now I was not talking to mco but still inside their airspace. While I received WX from FSS st. Petersburg and filed IFR in the air. Upon reestablishing radar contact with mco to get my clearance, they idented me over winterhaven. Other factors: leaking compass which was unusable when I entered IMC. Directional gyroscope had precessed, radios intermittent, VOR, navigation and communication, sarcastic controller. I don't understand why the controller terminated flight following in the first place when it's to your final destination. The other factor: I didn't fix my position properly, I assumed the airport underneath was kissimmee because that fit and radar didn't give me a final 'radar service terminated xx NM south of orlando airport.' also, the sarcastic controller who was working with me was, I feel, deliberately delaying his answers to me, plus my radios giving me trouble. I had to ask 'say again' several times so I still didn't trust him when he idented me over winterhaven. So I'm filing NASA assuming I was correct on my position at 3500 ft over kissimmee inside the TCA. One thing I could have recognized when I saw beacon first and no runways. I flicked through all unicom frequencys 122.7, 122.8, 123.0 making 7 clicks to turn lights on which I achieved. I should have watched which frequency turned on the lights and matched that to the airport information for those respective airports on the chart to be sure.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMT ACFT BELIEVES THAT HE HAD PENETRATED TCA DURING ENCOUNTER WITH WX AND ALSO BELIEVED THAT HE HAD CLRNC SINCE HE WAS GETTING FLT FOLLOWING SVC.

Narrative: FLT START LANTANA, FL, DIRECT GAINESVILLE, FL, USED FLT FOLLOWING ALL WAY TO DEST. ON RETURN APPROX 20 NM S OF ORLANDO AT 3500 FT ENTERED IMC. REQUESTED CLB TO 5500 FT TO REMAIN VFR. ON REACHING REALIZED I WOULD BE UNABLE TO MAINTAIN VFR. TO THE W I SAW CITY LIGHTS AND REQUESTED THAT HDG TO ESCAPE FROM IMC. ONCE CLR AND OVER THE TOWN I ASSUMED TO BE KISSIMMEE, RADAR THEN TERMINATED MY FLT FOLLOWING AND I STAYED CIRCLING ABOVE KISSIMMEE AT 3500 FT STILL INSIDE THE TCA WHICH I HAD HAD CLRNC TO ENTER ON THE N SIDE WHEN TRANSITIONING S. NOW I WAS NOT TALKING TO MCO BUT STILL INSIDE THEIR AIRSPACE. WHILE I RECEIVED WX FROM FSS ST. PETERSBURG AND FILED IFR IN THE AIR. UPON REESTABLISHING RADAR CONTACT WITH MCO TO GET MY CLRNC, THEY IDENTED ME OVER WINTERHAVEN. OTHER FACTORS: LEAKING COMPASS WHICH WAS UNUSABLE WHEN I ENTERED IMC. DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE HAD PRECESSED, RADIOS INTERMITTENT, VOR, NAV AND COM, SARCASTIC CTLR. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE CTLR TERMINATED FLT FOLLOWING IN THE FIRST PLACE WHEN IT'S TO YOUR FINAL DEST. THE OTHER FACTOR: I DIDN'T FIX MY POS PROPERLY, I ASSUMED THE ARPT UNDERNEATH WAS KISSIMMEE BECAUSE THAT FIT AND RADAR DIDN'T GIVE ME A FINAL 'RADAR SVC TERMINATED XX NM S OF ORLANDO ARPT.' ALSO, THE SARCASTIC CTLR WHO WAS WORKING WITH ME WAS, I FEEL, DELIBERATELY DELAYING HIS ANSWERS TO ME, PLUS MY RADIOS GIVING ME TROUBLE. I HAD TO ASK 'SAY AGAIN' SEVERAL TIMES SO I STILL DIDN'T TRUST HIM WHEN HE IDENTED ME OVER WINTERHAVEN. SO I'M FILING NASA ASSUMING I WAS CORRECT ON MY POS AT 3500 FT OVER KISSIMMEE INSIDE THE TCA. ONE THING I COULD HAVE RECOGNIZED WHEN I SAW BEACON FIRST AND NO RWYS. I FLICKED THROUGH ALL UNICOM FREQS 122.7, 122.8, 123.0 MAKING 7 CLICKS TO TURN LIGHTS ON WHICH I ACHIEVED. I SHOULD HAVE WATCHED WHICH FREQ TURNED ON THE LIGHTS AND MATCHED THAT TO THE ARPT INFO FOR THOSE RESPECTIVE ARPTS ON THE CHART TO BE SURE.

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.

Pilot of an small transport aircraft believes that he had penetrated TCA during encounter with WX and also believed that he had clearance since he was getting flight following service.