Small aircraft pilot may have penetrated TCA on climb out.

Attributes
ACN	82890
Time
Date	198802
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sea
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sea
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 110 flight time type : 70
ASRS Report	82890
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The far northwest corner of the sea TCA may have been clipped while climbing to VFR cruise altitude of 5500' MSL. Navigation was by pilotage from current sea terminal area chart. This corner of the TCA is not well idented by ground references (an area of unremarkable wooded low hills and valleys) and on this day the area was more poorly differentiated by a layer of ground smoke and pollution haze. It is not known whether an actual incursion of the TCA occurred, but that corner may have been misidented at the initial reference check prior to climb through 5000' MSL. An addition ground reference check 1 min or so later indicated we were not as far beyond the TCA as expected, leading us to speculate on whether we had been clear when we initiated our climb. I believe the cause of this possible incursion was the lack of easily idented TCA boundaries in this corner. The aircraft is not equipped with DME, but I could have used the sea VOR and the pae VOR to identify the corner if I had realized that the ground reference identify was ambiguous. Next time I won't rely on pilotage, but for others flying VFR in this area, a TCA boundary adjusted to a more positive ground reference would be helpful. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: pilot now not sure he entered TCA. No FAA indication they were aware of any incursion.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT MAY HAVE PENETRATED TCA ON CLIMB OUT.

Narrative: THE FAR NW CORNER OF THE SEA TCA MAY HAVE BEEN CLIPPED WHILE CLBING TO VFR CRUISE ALT OF 5500' MSL. NAV WAS BY PILOTAGE FROM CURRENT SEA TERMINAL AREA CHART. THIS CORNER OF THE TCA IS NOT WELL IDENTED BY GND REFS (AN AREA OF UNREMARKABLE WOODED LOW HILLS AND VALLEYS) AND ON THIS DAY THE AREA WAS MORE POORLY DIFFERENTIATED BY A LAYER OF GND SMOKE AND POLLUTION HAZE. IT IS NOT KNOWN WHETHER AN ACTUAL INCURSION OF THE TCA OCCURRED, BUT THAT CORNER MAY HAVE BEEN MISIDENTED AT THE INITIAL REF CHK PRIOR TO CLB THROUGH 5000' MSL. AN ADDITION GND REF CHK 1 MIN OR SO LATER INDICATED WE WERE NOT AS FAR BEYOND THE TCA AS EXPECTED, LEADING US TO SPECULATE ON WHETHER WE HAD BEEN CLR WHEN WE INITIATED OUR CLB. I BELIEVE THE CAUSE OF THIS POSSIBLE INCURSION WAS THE LACK OF EASILY IDENTED TCA BOUNDARIES IN THIS CORNER. THE ACFT IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH DME, BUT I COULD HAVE USED THE SEA VOR AND THE PAE VOR TO IDENT THE CORNER IF I HAD REALIZED THAT THE GND REF IDENT WAS AMBIGUOUS. NEXT TIME I WON'T RELY ON PILOTAGE, BUT FOR OTHERS FLYING VFR IN THIS AREA, A TCA BOUNDARY ADJUSTED TO A MORE POSITIVE GND REF WOULD BE HELPFUL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: PLT NOW NOT SURE HE ENTERED TCA. NO FAA INDICATION THEY WERE AWARE OF ANY INCURSION.

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.