Narrative:

On 3/fri/88, at approximately XA00 EST, I was captain on an light transport, call sign X. Upon my pretaxi clearance, my copilot informed det ground control of our intention to conduct a VFR relocation to dtw, a distance of approximately 18 NM, for fuel and then on to our final destination of ads. At this time det ground control informed us that departure would provide advisories into dtw. We then asked if we could get tower to tower service, and det again said that departure would provide advisory service. We were then cleared for takeoff on det runway 15 only several mins behind an small aircraft. After my departure, det tower began giving us a series of advisories on the position of the small aircraft. As part of our pretkof briefing we familiarized ourselves with both the vertical and latitude dimensions of the det TCA. Because of our knowledge that we were approaching the latitude boundary where the floor of the TCA dropped to 3000' MSL, we asked det tower on 2 separate occasions for a handoff to departure. Our second request was approved, upon which departure asked us to descend to 3000' MSL and to avoid the TCA. At this point, I executed an immediate 45 degree bank turn to the northwest and descended to 3000' MSL. Next, departure handed us off to dtw tower who in turn instructed us to turn inbound and intercept the localizer and cleared us for a visual approach to dtw 21L. As I was established on the localizer, I was at 3000' MSL and 10 mi out. In summary, I feel that the following points need to be considered: I feel that det tower's failure to allow an expeditious handoff to dtw approach was not proper. My departure profile was flown, as always, textbook perfect in regard to noise abatement takeoff, appropriate altitude selection to avoid penetration of the TCA and maintaining 200 KTS throughout. Our repeated request for a handoff to approach control in order to obtain a clearance into the TCA. Finally, our immediate descent to 3000' MSL, and a steep turn to comply with approach control's request. I am a professional pilot, extensively trained and a pilot that takes great pride in proper radio phraseology and flight profiles. In addition, the second pilot on board was equally professional and very conscientious. I in no way feel I was at fault, and furthermore, I question if indeed the TCA was even entered prior to receiving clearance. If anything, I feel that the det tower personnel were not operating up to speed. Supplemental information from acn 83891: there was some confusion on apches as to our call sign and our exact location. In defense of det tower, they were also trying to give traffic reports to an small aircraft that had departed prior to our aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: has not received any further information from the FAA. Had given a report to local office. Admits probably was just in the edge of TCA during the turn and descent to 3000'. Was using a commercial chart depicting the TCA area. Reporter felt he could be controller'd tower to tower. Advised the airspace is owned by the approach controller and unless there is a special agreement, he would have to go through approach controller for clearance. Is going to hang onto identification slip in case something comes up in future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TCA PENETRATION WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: ON 3/FRI/88, AT APPROX XA00 EST, I WAS CAPT ON AN LTT, CALL SIGN X. UPON MY PRETAXI CLRNC, MY COPLT INFORMED DET GND CTL OF OUR INTENTION TO CONDUCT A VFR RELOCATION TO DTW, A DISTANCE OF APPROX 18 NM, FOR FUEL AND THEN ON TO OUR FINAL DEST OF ADS. AT THIS TIME DET GND CTL INFORMED US THAT DEP WOULD PROVIDE ADVISORIES INTO DTW. WE THEN ASKED IF WE COULD GET TWR TO TWR SVC, AND DET AGAIN SAID THAT DEP WOULD PROVIDE ADVISORY SVC. WE WERE THEN CLRED FOR TKOF ON DET RWY 15 ONLY SEVERAL MINS BEHIND AN SMA. AFTER MY DEP, DET TWR BEGAN GIVING US A SERIES OF ADVISORIES ON THE POS OF THE SMA. AS PART OF OUR PRETKOF BRIEFING WE FAMILIARIZED OURSELVES WITH BOTH THE VERT AND LAT DIMENSIONS OF THE DET TCA. BECAUSE OF OUR KNOWLEDGE THAT WE WERE APCHING THE LAT BOUNDARY WHERE THE FLOOR OF THE TCA DROPPED TO 3000' MSL, WE ASKED DET TWR ON 2 SEPARATE OCCASIONS FOR A HDOF TO DEP. OUR SECOND REQUEST WAS APPROVED, UPON WHICH DEP ASKED US TO DSND TO 3000' MSL AND TO AVOID THE TCA. AT THIS POINT, I EXECUTED AN IMMEDIATE 45 DEG BANK TURN TO THE NW AND DSNDED TO 3000' MSL. NEXT, DEP HANDED US OFF TO DTW TWR WHO IN TURN INSTRUCTED US TO TURN INBND AND INTERCEPT THE LOC AND CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH TO DTW 21L. AS I WAS ESTABLISHED ON THE LOC, I WAS AT 3000' MSL AND 10 MI OUT. IN SUMMARY, I FEEL THAT THE FOLLOWING POINTS NEED TO BE CONSIDERED: I FEEL THAT DET TWR'S FAILURE TO ALLOW AN EXPEDITIOUS HDOF TO DTW APCH WAS NOT PROPER. MY DEP PROFILE WAS FLOWN, AS ALWAYS, TEXTBOOK PERFECT IN REGARD TO NOISE ABATEMENT TKOF, APPROPRIATE ALT SELECTION TO AVOID PENETRATION OF THE TCA AND MAINTAINING 200 KTS THROUGHOUT. OUR REPEATED REQUEST FOR A HDOF TO APCH CTL IN ORDER TO OBTAIN A CLRNC INTO THE TCA. FINALLY, OUR IMMEDIATE DSCNT TO 3000' MSL, AND A STEEP TURN TO COMPLY WITH APCH CTL'S REQUEST. I AM A PROFESSIONAL PLT, EXTENSIVELY TRAINED AND A PLT THAT TAKES GREAT PRIDE IN PROPER RADIO PHRASEOLOGY AND FLT PROFILES. IN ADDITION, THE SECOND PLT ON BOARD WAS EQUALLY PROFESSIONAL AND VERY CONSCIENTIOUS. I IN NO WAY FEEL I WAS AT FAULT, AND FURTHERMORE, I QUESTION IF INDEED THE TCA WAS EVEN ENTERED PRIOR TO RECEIVING CLRNC. IF ANYTHING, I FEEL THAT THE DET TWR PERSONNEL WERE NOT OPERATING UP TO SPEED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 83891: THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION ON APCHES AS TO OUR CALL SIGN AND OUR EXACT LOCATION. IN DEFENSE OF DET TWR, THEY WERE ALSO TRYING TO GIVE TFC RPTS TO AN SMA THAT HAD DEPARTED PRIOR TO OUR ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: HAS NOT RECEIVED ANY FURTHER INFO FROM THE FAA. HAD GIVEN A RPT TO LCL OFFICE. ADMITS PROBABLY WAS JUST IN THE EDGE OF TCA DURING THE TURN AND DSCNT TO 3000'. WAS USING A COMMERCIAL CHART DEPICTING THE TCA AREA. RPTR FELT HE COULD BE CTLR'D TWR TO TWR. ADVISED THE AIRSPACE IS OWNED BY THE APCH CTLR AND UNLESS THERE IS A SPECIAL AGREEMENT, HE WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH APCH CTLR FOR CLRNC. IS GOING TO HANG ONTO ID SLIP IN CASE SOMETHING COMES UP IN FUTURE.

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.