Narrative:

Penetrated sfo TCA west/O permission, then flew 3 mi into oak arsa before establishing radio contact. I've traced my error back to my preflight planning, where I incorrectly wrote down a heading that I correctly computed. The new departure procedures from pao encourage this accidental airspace violation. Reinstating 2 items from the old procedures would tend to discourage it. I intended to depart pao using the new departure procedures, which call for a straight ahead climb out until reaching the dumbarton bridge. The heading from runway 30 is about 304 degrees. At the bridge, I was to turn to 324 degrees. I had incorrectly written down 224 degrees both on my chart (as I usually do when I expect high pilot workload), and my navigation log. From the dumbarton bridge, I intended to climb to 1800 or 1900' MSL (under sectors F and G of the TCA), contact bay approach at the sunken ship, follow their directions for a transition through oak airspace to scd VOR, and continue to my destination, healdsburg, some 20 NM beyond scd. But, at the bridge, my notes told me to make a sharp left turn when I knew I should make a shallow right turn. I flew straight ahead for a minute or so while I checked for 2 possible errors: course heading is 180 degrees off and incorrect setting on the dg. Neither turned out to be the problem. Meanwhile, the sunken ship chkpoint passed behind west/O my noticing it. I abandoned my navigation log and turned toward the mid span of the san mateo bridge. Landmarks are few near san carlos airport, and I was unable to determine whether I had entered sfo TCA sector B. I believe I probably did enter it. I was confused by now and thought that the sunken ship must be beyond the san mateo bridge, because I hadn't seen it and I usually spot it easily. I flew on, unaware that I was entering oak arsa. I reached the san mateo bridge, could not see the ship and contacted oak over the bridge (3 mi inside the arsa). They told me to change frequencys, 127.0 MHZ. This added more delay. I was probably 4-5 mi inside the arsa by the time I had dialed in my transponder code. I believe the new departure procedures for pao tend to invite this kind of error, while the old ones tended to prevent it. The new procedures call for a straight ahead climb out to the dumbarton bridge, followed by either a right or left 90 degree turn. The old ones were either right 45 degrees or overhead 270 degrees. The right 45 degree turn brought us over the middle of the dumbarton bridge and put the sunken ship in easy view. Furthermore, if we requested the oak transition, pao controllers used to give permission to change frequency early, while we were still in pao air traffic area. Now they don't give it at all. 1) reinstate the right 45 degree departure from pao runway 30 to avoid TCA sector B. 2) approve frequency change early to give time to contact bay approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT FLEW INTO TCA AND ARSA WITH NO CONTACT.

Narrative: PENETRATED SFO TCA W/O PERMISSION, THEN FLEW 3 MI INTO OAK ARSA BEFORE ESTABLISHING RADIO CONTACT. I'VE TRACED MY ERROR BACK TO MY PREFLT PLANNING, WHERE I INCORRECTLY WROTE DOWN A HDG THAT I CORRECTLY COMPUTED. THE NEW DEP PROCS FROM PAO ENCOURAGE THIS ACCIDENTAL AIRSPACE VIOLATION. REINSTATING 2 ITEMS FROM THE OLD PROCS WOULD TEND TO DISCOURAGE IT. I INTENDED TO DEPART PAO USING THE NEW DEP PROCS, WHICH CALL FOR A STRAIGHT AHEAD CLBOUT UNTIL REACHING THE DUMBARTON BRIDGE. THE HDG FROM RWY 30 IS ABOUT 304 DEGS. AT THE BRIDGE, I WAS TO TURN TO 324 DEGS. I HAD INCORRECTLY WRITTEN DOWN 224 DEGS BOTH ON MY CHART (AS I USUALLY DO WHEN I EXPECT HIGH PLT WORKLOAD), AND MY NAV LOG. FROM THE DUMBARTON BRIDGE, I INTENDED TO CLB TO 1800 OR 1900' MSL (UNDER SECTORS F AND G OF THE TCA), CONTACT BAY APCH AT THE SUNKEN SHIP, FOLLOW THEIR DIRECTIONS FOR A TRANSITION THROUGH OAK AIRSPACE TO SCD VOR, AND CONTINUE TO MY DEST, HEALDSBURG, SOME 20 NM BEYOND SCD. BUT, AT THE BRIDGE, MY NOTES TOLD ME TO MAKE A SHARP LEFT TURN WHEN I KNEW I SHOULD MAKE A SHALLOW RIGHT TURN. I FLEW STRAIGHT AHEAD FOR A MINUTE OR SO WHILE I CHKED FOR 2 POSSIBLE ERRORS: COURSE HDG IS 180 DEGS OFF AND INCORRECT SETTING ON THE DG. NEITHER TURNED OUT TO BE THE PROB. MEANWHILE, THE SUNKEN SHIP CHKPOINT PASSED BEHIND W/O MY NOTICING IT. I ABANDONED MY NAV LOG AND TURNED TOWARD THE MID SPAN OF THE SAN MATEO BRIDGE. LANDMARKS ARE FEW NEAR SAN CARLOS ARPT, AND I WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHETHER I HAD ENTERED SFO TCA SECTOR B. I BELIEVE I PROBABLY DID ENTER IT. I WAS CONFUSED BY NOW AND THOUGHT THAT THE SUNKEN SHIP MUST BE BEYOND THE SAN MATEO BRIDGE, BECAUSE I HADN'T SEEN IT AND I USUALLY SPOT IT EASILY. I FLEW ON, UNAWARE THAT I WAS ENTERING OAK ARSA. I REACHED THE SAN MATEO BRIDGE, COULD NOT SEE THE SHIP AND CONTACTED OAK OVER THE BRIDGE (3 MI INSIDE THE ARSA). THEY TOLD ME TO CHANGE FREQS, 127.0 MHZ. THIS ADDED MORE DELAY. I WAS PROBABLY 4-5 MI INSIDE THE ARSA BY THE TIME I HAD DIALED IN MY XPONDER CODE. I BELIEVE THE NEW DEP PROCS FOR PAO TEND TO INVITE THIS KIND OF ERROR, WHILE THE OLD ONES TENDED TO PREVENT IT. THE NEW PROCS CALL FOR A STRAIGHT AHEAD CLBOUT TO THE DUMBARTON BRIDGE, FOLLOWED BY EITHER A RIGHT OR LEFT 90 DEG TURN. THE OLD ONES WERE EITHER RIGHT 45 DEGS OR OVERHEAD 270 DEGS. THE RIGHT 45 DEG TURN BROUGHT US OVER THE MIDDLE OF THE DUMBARTON BRIDGE AND PUT THE SUNKEN SHIP IN EASY VIEW. FURTHERMORE, IF WE REQUESTED THE OAK TRANSITION, PAO CTLRS USED TO GIVE PERMISSION TO CHANGE FREQ EARLY, WHILE WE WERE STILL IN PAO ATA. NOW THEY DON'T GIVE IT AT ALL. 1) REINSTATE THE RIGHT 45 DEG DEP FROM PAO RWY 30 TO AVOID TCA SECTOR B. 2) APPROVE FREQ CHANGE EARLY TO GIVE TIME TO CONTACT BAY APCH.

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.