Narrative:

This was a charter part 135 atx las vegas (mc carran) to lgb, returning empty part 91 to lgb to las. The first leg was uneventful. When preparing to depart lgb, I again checked my lax terminal chart and flight plan. In my call to lgb clearance, I stated my destination and cruising altitude, and requested radar services to avoid any problems with TCA's, arsa's, TRSA's and such. Clearance responded with instructions to maintain VFR, departure control frequency 127.2, squawk 5204...my call to ground control requested, and I received, runway 25R. My call to lgb tower requested, and I received, clearance for a right downwind departure. Flying under lax TCA and over all arsa's, my flight plan called for intercepting and flying the pdz 250 degree right inbound to where it intersected the sli 025 degree right, then climbing outbnd, basically direct, to the cajon pass, then direct daggett direct las vegas. In my call to coast departure, I gave, I believe, location, altitude leaving, destination and cruising altitude, and requested direct cajon pss. When coast departure responded, I heard him identify my call and I believed he also provided clearance direct, because I thought he responded with, 'radar contact, that's approved.' however, I could not do a readback, due to his being so busy he was calling aircraft one after the other west/O pause, but thinking I was appropriately cleared I turned left toward cajon pass prior to reaching the sli 025 degree right, and continued climbing. The controller was constantly busy, and I was listening up. I was very surprised then, when I heard him call and ask if I was on frequency. He then said that he had terminated service 5 mi back and asked if I was familiar with the lax TCA. I responded that I had not heard nor acknowledged such a call (I was still squawking 5204), and got very concerned and flustered, and blubbered something about not being very familiar. He then said, 'well, it's no problem,' and gave me a vector of 110 degrees. After a couple of mins he gave another clearance to proceed on course and squawk 1200 and another frequency for further radar service. Except for my now somewhat agitated and concerned state, the rest of the flight continued uneventfully. It appears an incursion into the TCA occurred in the southeast corner area of the northeast sector, where the TCA limits are 125/4 degrees. I deeply regret this, and believe I and the controller should have been more language aware. I should have been certain of clrncs, and he perhaps, more certain his instructions elicit appropriate response. (This is not a criticism--those people do a fantastic job, considering all the system imposes). Still, it would have obviated a problem for me had I had warning I was heading for a situation. In short, I believe we both may have failed to communicate adequately. Other factors in my case: company pressure to get back to las vegas for another flight, murphy at work, anxiety level due to all relative to TCA's and lax in particular, not enough recent flying in such an environment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ON CLIMBOUT PLT PENETRATED TCA, WHEN CTLR'S CONFIRMATION OF HIS DESTINATION CAUSED HIM TO CHANGE HEADING EARLY.

Narrative: THIS WAS A CHARTER PART 135 ATX LAS VEGAS (MC CARRAN) TO LGB, RETURNING EMPTY PART 91 TO LGB TO LAS. THE FIRST LEG WAS UNEVENTFUL. WHEN PREPARING TO DEPART LGB, I AGAIN CHKED MY LAX TERMINAL CHART AND FLT PLAN. IN MY CALL TO LGB CLRNC, I STATED MY DEST AND CRUISING ALT, AND REQUESTED RADAR SVCS TO AVOID ANY PROBS WITH TCA'S, ARSA'S, TRSA'S AND SUCH. CLRNC RESPONDED WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO MAINTAIN VFR, DEP CTL FREQ 127.2, SQUAWK 5204...MY CALL TO GND CTL REQUESTED, AND I RECEIVED, RWY 25R. MY CALL TO LGB TWR REQUESTED, AND I RECEIVED, CLRNC FOR A RIGHT DOWNWIND DEP. FLYING UNDER LAX TCA AND OVER ALL ARSA'S, MY FLT PLAN CALLED FOR INTERCEPTING AND FLYING THE PDZ 250 DEG R INBND TO WHERE IT INTERSECTED THE SLI 025 DEG R, THEN CLBING OUTBND, BASICALLY DIRECT, TO THE CAJON PASS, THEN DIRECT DAGGETT DIRECT LAS VEGAS. IN MY CALL TO COAST DEP, I GAVE, I BELIEVE, LOCATION, ALT LEAVING, DEST AND CRUISING ALT, AND REQUESTED DIRECT CAJON PSS. WHEN COAST DEP RESPONDED, I HEARD HIM IDENT MY CALL AND I BELIEVED HE ALSO PROVIDED CLRNC DIRECT, BECAUSE I THOUGHT HE RESPONDED WITH, 'RADAR CONTACT, THAT'S APPROVED.' HOWEVER, I COULD NOT DO A READBACK, DUE TO HIS BEING SO BUSY HE WAS CALLING ACFT ONE AFTER THE OTHER W/O PAUSE, BUT THINKING I WAS APPROPRIATELY CLRED I TURNED LEFT TOWARD CAJON PASS PRIOR TO REACHING THE SLI 025 DEG R, AND CONTINUED CLBING. THE CTLR WAS CONSTANTLY BUSY, AND I WAS LISTENING UP. I WAS VERY SURPRISED THEN, WHEN I HEARD HIM CALL AND ASK IF I WAS ON FREQ. HE THEN SAID THAT HE HAD TERMINATED SVC 5 MI BACK AND ASKED IF I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE LAX TCA. I RESPONDED THAT I HAD NOT HEARD NOR ACKNOWLEDGED SUCH A CALL (I WAS STILL SQUAWKING 5204), AND GOT VERY CONCERNED AND FLUSTERED, AND BLUBBERED SOMETHING ABOUT NOT BEING VERY FAMILIAR. HE THEN SAID, 'WELL, IT'S NO PROB,' AND GAVE ME A VECTOR OF 110 DEGS. AFTER A COUPLE OF MINS HE GAVE ANOTHER CLRNC TO PROCEED ON COURSE AND SQUAWK 1200 AND ANOTHER FREQ FOR FURTHER RADAR SVC. EXCEPT FOR MY NOW SOMEWHAT AGITATED AND CONCERNED STATE, THE REST OF THE FLT CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY. IT APPEARS AN INCURSION INTO THE TCA OCCURRED IN THE SE CORNER AREA OF THE NE SECTOR, WHERE THE TCA LIMITS ARE 125/4 DEGS. I DEEPLY REGRET THIS, AND BELIEVE I AND THE CTLR SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE LANGUAGE AWARE. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN CERTAIN OF CLRNCS, AND HE PERHAPS, MORE CERTAIN HIS INSTRUCTIONS ELICIT APPROPRIATE RESPONSE. (THIS IS NOT A CRITICISM--THOSE PEOPLE DO A FANTASTIC JOB, CONSIDERING ALL THE SYS IMPOSES). STILL, IT WOULD HAVE OBVIATED A PROB FOR ME HAD I HAD WARNING I WAS HDG FOR A SITUATION. IN SHORT, I BELIEVE WE BOTH MAY HAVE FAILED TO COMMUNICATE ADEQUATELY. OTHER FACTORS IN MY CASE: COMPANY PRESSURE TO GET BACK TO LAS VEGAS FOR ANOTHER FLT, MURPHY AT WORK, ANXIETY LEVEL DUE TO ALL RELATIVE TO TCA'S AND LAX IN PARTICULAR, NOT ENOUGH RECENT FLYING IN SUCH AN ENVIRONMENT.

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.