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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Unauthorized penetration of airspace. Less than standard separation. Pilot was distraction by aircraft equipment while his fellow pilot flies into a TCA and near air carrier aircraft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 303556 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199505 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : dpa |
| State Reference | IL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 3500 msl bound upper : 3500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : ord tower : dpa |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 4900 flight time type : 300 |
| ASRS Report | 303556 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : exited penetrated airspace other |
| Consequence | faa : investigated faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 6000 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Flying VFR from rockford, il, to elkhart, in, at 3500 ft, we had planned to fly direct to dupage VOR staying below the chicago TCA then to chicago heights VOR then to ekm. I was the PIC, but I was letting another pilot fly the plane while I observed. Sometime before we got to dupage I was trying to get another radio to work (a LORAN) while the other pilot flew and naved, not watching him as close as I should have we soon got off course. By the time I realized how far off course we were, it was too late. We were communicating with ord approach at the time and as we got closer to dupage they switched us to dupage tower assuming we were going to land at dupage. However, we did not tell them we were landing there, we were just transiting through the area. There was some confusion at this point so they switched us back to approach control who told us we were entering the TCA without permission. They then began to vector us and assigned a lower altitude to stay clear of the TCA. The controllers had 2 airliners complain about our close proximity. I did see one which in my estimation was approximately 1-2 mi away. (This was before entering TCA.) I was told to phone their supervisor when we arrived in elkhart which I did. The supervisor told me that normally there would only be a verbal warning, but since the airlines complained. He would have to report me to the local FSDO (south bend). He asked for and received my name, address and certificate number. As you can see by the map we strayed much too far off course. I think there were 3 things that contributed to this situation. 1) intending to fly too close to the TCA just to save time. 2) not watching and communicating with the other pilot as close as I should have. 3) the controller's confusion about our destination and not asking us. I prevent this from happening again I will file an IFR flight plan or fly much, much farther around the TCA.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE. LTSS. PLT WAS DISTR BY ACFT EQUIP WHILE HIS FELLOW PLT FLIES INTO A TCA AND NEAR ACR ACFT.
Narrative: FLYING VFR FROM ROCKFORD, IL, TO ELKHART, IN, AT 3500 FT, WE HAD PLANNED TO FLY DIRECT TO DUPAGE VOR STAYING BELOW THE CHICAGO TCA THEN TO CHICAGO HEIGHTS VOR THEN TO EKM. I WAS THE PIC, BUT I WAS LETTING ANOTHER PLT FLY THE PLANE WHILE I OBSERVED. SOMETIME BEFORE WE GOT TO DUPAGE I WAS TRYING TO GET ANOTHER RADIO TO WORK (A LORAN) WHILE THE OTHER PLT FLEW AND NAVED, NOT WATCHING HIM AS CLOSE AS I SHOULD HAVE WE SOON GOT OFF COURSE. BY THE TIME I REALIZED HOW FAR OFF COURSE WE WERE, IT WAS TOO LATE. WE WERE COMMUNICATING WITH ORD APCH AT THE TIME AND AS WE GOT CLOSER TO DUPAGE THEY SWITCHED US TO DUPAGE TWR ASSUMING WE WERE GOING TO LAND AT DUPAGE. HOWEVER, WE DID NOT TELL THEM WE WERE LNDG THERE, WE WERE JUST TRANSITING THROUGH THE AREA. THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION AT THIS POINT SO THEY SWITCHED US BACK TO APCH CTL WHO TOLD US WE WERE ENTERING THE TCA WITHOUT PERMISSION. THEY THEN BEGAN TO VECTOR US AND ASSIGNED A LOWER ALT TO STAY CLR OF THE TCA. THE CTLRS HAD 2 AIRLINERS COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR CLOSE PROX. I DID SEE ONE WHICH IN MY ESTIMATION WAS APPROX 1-2 MI AWAY. (THIS WAS BEFORE ENTERING TCA.) I WAS TOLD TO PHONE THEIR SUPVR WHEN WE ARRIVED IN ELKHART WHICH I DID. THE SUPVR TOLD ME THAT NORMALLY THERE WOULD ONLY BE A VERBAL WARNING, BUT SINCE THE AIRLINES COMPLAINED. HE WOULD HAVE TO RPT ME TO THE LCL FSDO (SOUTH BEND). HE ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED MY NAME, ADDRESS AND CERTIFICATE NUMBER. AS YOU CAN SEE BY THE MAP WE STRAYED MUCH TOO FAR OFF COURSE. I THINK THERE WERE 3 THINGS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS SIT. 1) INTENDING TO FLY TOO CLOSE TO THE TCA JUST TO SAVE TIME. 2) NOT WATCHING AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE OTHER PLT AS CLOSE AS I SHOULD HAVE. 3) THE CTLR'S CONFUSION ABOUT OUR DEST AND NOT ASKING US. I PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN I WILL FILE AN IFR FLT PLAN OR FLY MUCH, MUCH FARTHER AROUND THE 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.