Small aircraft entered sea TCA.

Attributes
ACN	80811
Time
Date	198801
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sea airport : rnt
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3200 msl bound upper : 3200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sea
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 300 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	80811
Person 2
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited penetrated airspace
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

PIC failed to pay attention as passenger flew into bottom of TCA on initial climb out of renton airport. PIC daydreaming and looking at view. No light in altimeter on panel. PIC suddenly realized plane was still climbing and suspected TCA incursion; tuned VOR to sea 116.8 and determined aircraft was on 007 radial at 3200 MSL. By the time incursion was confirmed the aircraft had exited the TCA. We then turned east to avoid further incursion. PIC got very nervous about TCA incursion and being worried about possible certificate action, turned off mode C hoping that ATC would not notice the incursion. This was simply bad judgement. The PIC also decided to fly amongst the hills hoping to lost ATC if ATC was aware of the incursion; more bad judgement. The altimeter in the aircraft was unlighted and uncertified as the aircraft's regular altimeter was being serviced. The altimeter installed in the aircraft was a loner and being unlighted was not easy to see in the dark cockpit. The PIC should have checked all of this before the flight rather than after the flight. Technically, the aircraft was probably not airworthy due to noncertification of the altimeter. The flight should have been made in an airworthy craft or postponed. The PIC is a CFI working towards a career in commercial aviation. The specter of possible suspension or revocation of license due to the TCA incursion was fearsome. PIC was very nervous about the reputed 'mandatory' 60 day suspension of license. Had the suspension not been 'mandatory' the PIC would have called ATC, reported position and exited TCA according to ATC instructions (had he still been it it).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ENTERED SEA TCA.

Narrative: PIC FAILED TO PAY ATTN AS PAX FLEW INTO BOTTOM OF TCA ON INITIAL CLB OUT OF RENTON ARPT. PIC DAYDREAMING AND LOOKING AT VIEW. NO LIGHT IN ALTIMETER ON PANEL. PIC SUDDENLY REALIZED PLANE WAS STILL CLBING AND SUSPECTED TCA INCURSION; TUNED VOR TO SEA 116.8 AND DETERMINED ACFT WAS ON 007 RADIAL AT 3200 MSL. BY THE TIME INCURSION WAS CONFIRMED THE ACFT HAD EXITED THE TCA. WE THEN TURNED E TO AVOID FURTHER INCURSION. PIC GOT VERY NERVOUS ABOUT TCA INCURSION AND BEING WORRIED ABOUT POSSIBLE CERTIFICATE ACTION, TURNED OFF MODE C HOPING THAT ATC WOULD NOT NOTICE THE INCURSION. THIS WAS SIMPLY BAD JUDGEMENT. THE PIC ALSO DECIDED TO FLY AMONGST THE HILLS HOPING TO LOST ATC IF ATC WAS AWARE OF THE INCURSION; MORE BAD JUDGEMENT. THE ALTIMETER IN THE ACFT WAS UNLIGHTED AND UNCERTIFIED AS THE ACFT'S REGULAR ALTIMETER WAS BEING SERVICED. THE ALTIMETER INSTALLED IN THE ACFT WAS A LONER AND BEING UNLIGHTED WAS NOT EASY TO SEE IN THE DARK COCKPIT. THE PIC SHOULD HAVE CHKED ALL OF THIS BEFORE THE FLT RATHER THAN AFTER THE FLT. TECHNICALLY, THE ACFT WAS PROBABLY NOT AIRWORTHY DUE TO NONCERTIFICATION OF THE ALTIMETER. THE FLT SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE IN AN AIRWORTHY CRAFT OR POSTPONED. THE PIC IS A CFI WORKING TOWARDS A CAREER IN COMMERCIAL AVIATION. THE SPECTER OF POSSIBLE SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION OF LICENSE DUE TO THE TCA INCURSION WAS FEARSOME. PIC WAS VERY NERVOUS ABOUT THE REPUTED 'MANDATORY' 60 DAY SUSPENSION OF LICENSE. HAD THE SUSPENSION NOT BEEN 'MANDATORY' THE PIC WOULD HAVE CALLED ATC, RPTED POSITION AND EXITED TCA ACCORDING TO ATC INSTRUCTIONS (HAD HE STILL BEEN IT IT).

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.