Narrative:

This is being filed by me just to let you know how and why this accidental TCA entry was made and could have been avoided. On june/wed/95, purchased a 'denver' sectional at taos airport in new mexico. This sectional was purported to be current by the FBO and was casually looked at by myself and another pilot. It was not noticed that it was out of date. The use of this old sectional resulted in me flying through the east edge of the new TCA at denver on my route north to cheyenne, wyoming, from taos, NM. My error wasn't noticed until the next day when leaving cheyenne using the current cheyenne sectional. My reason for this report is to say that it would really enhance safety if the expiration date on the sectionals was in at least 1/4 inch letters and the most prominent place on the front of the document. Bright red would help. Example phoenix expires: october.....1986. Not buried in the text, the current way. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter says that he did not notice that the 'new' chart that he purchased from the taos FBO had expired some time ago. He does not think that he flew through the den class 'B' airspace, but it was not because of the assistance received from the chart. He said that the magenta print denoting the proposed expiration dates of sectional charts does not stand out enough in normal indoor lighting conditions and in bright sunlight, in the cockpit, the magenta fades too much to be noticed. Since this event the reporter has been very careful to wear his glasses when reviewing these charts.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PUB DEFICIENCY -- PLT RPTS THAT AN FBO SOLD HIM AN OUT- OF-DATE SECTIONAL CHART. THE CHART'S EXPIRATION DATES ARE DIFFICULT TO SEE HE SAYS.

Narrative: THIS IS BEING FILED BY ME JUST TO LET YOU KNOW HOW AND WHY THIS ACCIDENTAL TCA ENTRY WAS MADE AND COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. ON JUNE/WED/95, PURCHASED A 'DENVER' SECTIONAL AT TAOS ARPT IN NEW MEXICO. THIS SECTIONAL WAS PURPORTED TO BE CURRENT BY THE FBO AND WAS CASUALLY LOOKED AT BY MYSELF AND ANOTHER PLT. IT WAS NOT NOTICED THAT IT WAS OUT OF DATE. THE USE OF THIS OLD SECTIONAL RESULTED IN ME FLYING THROUGH THE E EDGE OF THE NEW TCA AT DENVER ON MY RTE N TO CHEYENNE, WYOMING, FROM TAOS, NM. MY ERROR WASN'T NOTICED UNTIL THE NEXT DAY WHEN LEAVING CHEYENNE USING THE CURRENT CHEYENNE SECTIONAL. MY REASON FOR THIS RPT IS TO SAY THAT IT WOULD REALLY ENHANCE SAFETY IF THE EXPIRATION DATE ON THE SECTIONALS WAS IN AT LEAST 1/4 INCH LETTERS AND THE MOST PROMINENT PLACE ON THE FRONT OF THE DOCUMENT. BRIGHT RED WOULD HELP. EXAMPLE PHOENIX EXPIRES: OCTOBER.....1986. NOT BURIED IN THE TEXT, THE CURRENT WAY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAYS THAT HE DID NOT NOTICE THAT THE 'NEW' CHART THAT HE PURCHASED FROM THE TAOS FBO HAD EXPIRED SOME TIME AGO. HE DOES NOT THINK THAT HE FLEW THROUGH THE DEN CLASS 'B' AIRSPACE, BUT IT WAS NOT BECAUSE OF THE ASSISTANCE RECEIVED FROM THE CHART. HE SAID THAT THE MAGENTA PRINT DENOTING THE PROPOSED EXPIRATION DATES OF SECTIONAL CHARTS DOES NOT STAND OUT ENOUGH IN NORMAL INDOOR LIGHTING CONDITIONS AND IN BRIGHT SUNLIGHT, IN THE COCKPIT, THE MAGENTA FADES TOO MUCH TO BE NOTICED. SINCE THIS EVENT THE RPTR HAS BEEN VERY CAREFUL TO WEAR HIS GLASSES WHEN REVIEWING THESE CHARTS.

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.