Unauthorized penetration of TCA in foreign airspace.

Attributes
ACN	302470
Time
Date	199504
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : tij airport : sdm
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5500 msl bound upper : 5500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : tij
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 1675
ASRS Report	302470
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was told, after contacting tijuana approach control, that I had entered a TCA without clearance. I don't know if that is true or not. I had 2 supposedly current charts on board -- neither showed a TCA. I had obtained the san diego FSS border information and no mention was made of a TCA in tijuana. I had also spoken at length with pilot group flight operations about the border crossing procedure and no mention was made of a TCA. I had transited the area from north to south across the border on apr/xx/95, with all appropriate flight plans and no mention of a TCA. I was returning, also on a flight plan. When I had departed ensenada and contacted san FSS with a border- crossing flight plan, I was told to contact tij at least 5 mi south of tijuana airport -- again no mention of a TCA. There was only 1 other aircraft talking to approach at the time. From my first contact 15 mi south until I changed frequency after crossing tijuana airport, I only heard 3 aircraft talk to approach beside myself. There was never any reference to 'cleared into the TCA' or 'cleared into class B airspace' or 'cleared into' anything -- either to me or any other aircraft on the air. Since the united states has changed its airspace designations to supposedly conform with international airspace designations, I'm not even sure if the alleged 'TCA' at tijuana was what we now know as class B airspace. If in fact the airspace exists, then that fact should be mentioned on all FSS information that provides border-crossing information, and pilot group should be made aware that the airspace restrs are not readily available, since the charts did not show it. At no time was there any danger to persons or aircraft, in the air or on the ground. There was, in fact, hardly anyone in the air in that vicinity south of the border. I might note that, although I tried to explain to the controller that I had no information about anything other than an airport traffic area and control zone around the airport, and though I had complied with all requirements, he was rude, discourteous, and threatening -- something other pilots might like to know.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH PENETRATION OF TCA IN FOREIGN AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I WAS TOLD, AFTER CONTACTING TIJUANA APCH CTL, THAT I HAD ENTERED A TCA WITHOUT CLRNC. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT IS TRUE OR NOT. I HAD 2 SUPPOSEDLY CURRENT CHARTS ON BOARD -- NEITHER SHOWED A TCA. I HAD OBTAINED THE SAN DIEGO FSS BORDER INFO AND NO MENTION WAS MADE OF A TCA IN TIJUANA. I HAD ALSO SPOKEN AT LENGTH WITH PLT GROUP FLT OPS ABOUT THE BORDER XING PROC AND NO MENTION WAS MADE OF A TCA. I HAD TRANSITED THE AREA FROM N TO S ACROSS THE BORDER ON APR/XX/95, WITH ALL APPROPRIATE FLT PLANS AND NO MENTION OF A TCA. I WAS RETURNING, ALSO ON A FLT PLAN. WHEN I HAD DEPARTED ENSENADA AND CONTACTED SAN FSS WITH A BORDER- XING FLT PLAN, I WAS TOLD TO CONTACT TIJ AT LEAST 5 MI S OF TIJUANA ARPT -- AGAIN NO MENTION OF A TCA. THERE WAS ONLY 1 OTHER ACFT TALKING TO APCH AT THE TIME. FROM MY FIRST CONTACT 15 MI S UNTIL I CHANGED FREQ AFTER XING TIJUANA ARPT, I ONLY HEARD 3 ACFT TALK TO APCH BESIDE MYSELF. THERE WAS NEVER ANY REF TO 'CLRED INTO THE TCA' OR 'CLRED INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE' OR 'CLRED INTO' ANYTHING -- EITHER TO ME OR ANY OTHER ACFT ON THE AIR. SINCE THE UNITED STATES HAS CHANGED ITS AIRSPACE DESIGNATIONS TO SUPPOSEDLY CONFORM WITH INTL AIRSPACE DESIGNATIONS, I'M NOT EVEN SURE IF THE ALLEGED 'TCA' AT TIJUANA WAS WHAT WE NOW KNOW AS CLASS B AIRSPACE. IF IN FACT THE AIRSPACE EXISTS, THEN THAT FACT SHOULD BE MENTIONED ON ALL FSS INFO THAT PROVIDES BORDER-XING INFO, AND PLT GROUP SHOULD BE MADE AWARE THAT THE AIRSPACE RESTRS ARE NOT READILY AVAILABLE, SINCE THE CHARTS DID NOT SHOW IT. AT NO TIME WAS THERE ANY DANGER TO PERSONS OR ACFT, IN THE AIR OR ON THE GND. THERE WAS, IN FACT, HARDLY ANYONE IN THE AIR IN THAT VICINITY S OF THE BORDER. I MIGHT NOTE THAT, ALTHOUGH I TRIED TO EXPLAIN TO THE CTLR THAT I HAD NO INFO ABOUT ANYTHING OTHER THAN AN ARPT TFC AREA AND CTL ZONE AROUND THE ARPT, AND THOUGH I HAD COMPLIED WITH ALL REQUIREMENTS, HE WAS RUDE, DISCOURTEOUS, AND THREATENING -- SOMETHING OTHER PLTS MIGHT LIKE TO KNOW.

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.