Narrative:

I departed bwi, VFR, and departure control cleared me on course at 2000'. My course was 190 degrees and I was heading toward patuxent river to the south. I then contacted patuxent approach for clearance and advisories in their area. They cleared me at 2000' and present heading. Although it looked to me like my heading would put me clear of the dca TCA, I asked them if I should contact dca control. They then gave me the frequency for dca control and I contacted them. They first said I was already in their TCA, whereas I believed I was below the TCA altitude of 2500' for the sector I was in. They then said I was not in their airspace but in andrews AFB airspace and indeed in their traffic pattern. I checked my terminal chart and DME and was 12 mi from andrews AFB. The chart shows their traffic areas as 5 mi from the airport. Normally, when departing bwi, if your heading and altitude lead you into the dca TCA, bwi clears you to contact dca radar. They did not do this on this flight. I believe I was clear of the TCA (below it) at my altitude and heading and that dca radar was confused, first saying I was in their airspace, then saying I wasn't, but was in andrews airspace and traffic pattern. I don't believe I was in either. Bwi's lack of clearing me to dca approach further substantiates this, in my view. Most confusing communication.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POSSIBLE PENETRATION OF TCA OR ATA AT DCA DUE TO CONFUSING COM BY BWI APCH CTLR.

Narrative: I DEPARTED BWI, VFR, AND DEP CTL CLRED ME ON COURSE AT 2000'. MY COURSE WAS 190 DEGS AND I WAS HDG TOWARD PATUXENT RIVER TO THE S. I THEN CONTACTED PATUXENT APCH FOR CLRNC AND ADVISORIES IN THEIR AREA. THEY CLRED ME AT 2000' AND PRESENT HDG. ALTHOUGH IT LOOKED TO ME LIKE MY HDG WOULD PUT ME CLR OF THE DCA TCA, I ASKED THEM IF I SHOULD CONTACT DCA CTL. THEY THEN GAVE ME THE FREQ FOR DCA CTL AND I CONTACTED THEM. THEY FIRST SAID I WAS ALREADY IN THEIR TCA, WHEREAS I BELIEVED I WAS BELOW THE TCA ALT OF 2500' FOR THE SECTOR I WAS IN. THEY THEN SAID I WAS NOT IN THEIR AIRSPACE BUT IN ANDREWS AFB AIRSPACE AND INDEED IN THEIR TFC PATTERN. I CHKED MY TERMINAL CHART AND DME AND WAS 12 MI FROM ANDREWS AFB. THE CHART SHOWS THEIR TFC AREAS AS 5 MI FROM THE ARPT. NORMALLY, WHEN DEPARTING BWI, IF YOUR HDG AND ALT LEAD YOU INTO THE DCA TCA, BWI CLRS YOU TO CONTACT DCA RADAR. THEY DID NOT DO THIS ON THIS FLT. I BELIEVE I WAS CLR OF THE TCA (BELOW IT) AT MY ALT AND HDG AND THAT DCA RADAR WAS CONFUSED, FIRST SAYING I WAS IN THEIR AIRSPACE, THEN SAYING I WASN'T, BUT WAS IN ANDREWS AIRSPACE AND TFC PATTERN. I DON'T BELIEVE I WAS IN EITHER. BWI'S LACK OF CLRING ME TO DCA APCH FURTHER SUBSTANTIATES THIS, IN MY VIEW. MOST CONFUSING COM.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.