Narrative:

Pilot flying was flying south from boeing field via east side of vashon island for olympia VOR. Had been requesting flight following a squawk code. Was told to remain below the TCA and wait for code. Increased elevation from 1100' just west of the 320 right off seatac near fauntleroy ferry dock. Proceeded to east side of vashon island and south along clovis passage waiting at 2800' to either get TCA clearance or to reach the 3000' limit which is abeam of gig harbor. Proceeded up to flight level 2800' and held at altitude while squawking mode C and in radar contact with VFR flight following with sea departure. From lefthand pilot's position, I was pointing out to a new VFR pilot where the TCA limit of 3000' was, which is gig harbor. However, from the position I was sitting in, there is another harbor just north of gig harbor, called olalla, which is visibly similar in appearance to gig harbor,but is immediately north and inside the TCA. From my pilot's position on the left hand side, looking to gig harbor on the right side, which I pointed out to the passenger was gig harbor, I believed that we had passed the 3000' limit on the TCA and elected to proceed from flight level 2800' to 3100'. Still in contact with sea approach control, I was notified by sea approach that I had entered the TCA and that I needed a TCA clearance before entering the TCA, which of course I knew and thought I had complied with. During this process I was squawking mode C in contact with sea departure control in VFR flight following and was attempting to comply with the TCA limits. However, I misidentified from my left hand position gig harbor. The controller then indicated I was cleared into the TCA and we proceeded on our trip with flight following with a discrete squawk code. The main thing I observed from this is that it was very easy to misidentify from the pilot's seat heading southbound the limit of the TCA which was gig harbor as opposed to the bay of very similar appearance just slightly to the north, of a very similar size and appearance, at least as it appeared from the left side of the pilot seat heading southbound. Visibility was very hazy. There really was no good excuse for this since the aircraft we were flying was DME equipped and my cross reference on DME should have confirmed that I had not cleared the TCA. In any event, I was attempting to teach a new VFR student how to identify the TCA limits and we missed on this one.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PENETRATED TCA WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: PLT FLYING WAS FLYING S FROM BOEING FIELD VIA E SIDE OF VASHON ISLAND FOR OLYMPIA VOR. HAD BEEN REQUESTING FLT FOLLOWING A SQUAWK CODE. WAS TOLD TO REMAIN BELOW THE TCA AND WAIT FOR CODE. INCREASED ELEVATION FROM 1100' JUST W OF THE 320 R OFF SEATAC NEAR FAUNTLEROY FERRY DOCK. PROCEEDED TO E SIDE OF VASHON ISLAND AND S ALONG CLOVIS PASSAGE WAITING AT 2800' TO EITHER GET TCA CLRNC OR TO REACH THE 3000' LIMIT WHICH IS ABEAM OF GIG HARBOR. PROCEEDED UP TO FLT LEVEL 2800' AND HELD AT ALT WHILE SQUAWKING MODE C AND IN RADAR CONTACT WITH VFR FLT FOLLOWING WITH SEA DEP. FROM LEFTHAND PLT'S POS, I WAS POINTING OUT TO A NEW VFR PLT WHERE THE TCA LIMIT OF 3000' WAS, WHICH IS GIG HARBOR. HOWEVER, FROM THE POS I WAS SITTING IN, THERE IS ANOTHER HARBOR JUST N OF GIG HARBOR, CALLED OLALLA, WHICH IS VISIBLY SIMILAR IN APPEARANCE TO GIG HARBOR,BUT IS IMMEDIATELY N AND INSIDE THE TCA. FROM MY PLT'S POS ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, LOOKING TO GIG HARBOR ON THE R SIDE, WHICH I POINTED OUT TO THE PAX WAS GIG HARBOR, I BELIEVED THAT WE HAD PASSED THE 3000' LIMIT ON THE TCA AND ELECTED TO PROCEED FROM FLT LEVEL 2800' TO 3100'. STILL IN CONTACT WITH SEA APCH CTL, I WAS NOTIFIED BY SEA APCH THAT I HAD ENTERED THE TCA AND THAT I NEEDED A TCA CLRNC BEFORE ENTERING THE TCA, WHICH OF COURSE I KNEW AND THOUGHT I HAD COMPLIED WITH. DURING THIS PROCESS I WAS SQUAWKING MODE C IN CONTACT WITH SEA DEP CTL IN VFR FLT FOLLOWING AND WAS ATTEMPTING TO COMPLY WITH THE TCA LIMITS. HOWEVER, I MISIDENTIFIED FROM MY LEFT HAND POS GIG HARBOR. THE CTLR THEN INDICATED I WAS CLRED INTO THE TCA AND WE PROCEEDED ON OUR TRIP WITH FLT FOLLOWING WITH A DISCRETE SQUAWK CODE. THE MAIN THING I OBSERVED FROM THIS IS THAT IT WAS VERY EASY TO MISIDENTIFY FROM THE PLT'S SEAT HDG SBND THE LIMIT OF THE TCA WHICH WAS GIG HARBOR AS OPPOSED TO THE BAY OF VERY SIMILAR APPEARANCE JUST SLIGHTLY TO THE N, OF A VERY SIMILAR SIZE AND APPEARANCE, AT LEAST AS IT APPEARED FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF THE PLT SEAT HDG SBND. VISIBILITY WAS VERY HAZY. THERE REALLY WAS NO GOOD EXCUSE FOR THIS SINCE THE ACFT WE WERE FLYING WAS DME EQUIPPED AND MY CROSS REFERENCE ON DME SHOULD HAVE CONFIRMED THAT I HAD NOT CLRED THE TCA. IN ANY EVENT, I WAS ATTEMPTING TO TEACH A NEW VFR STUDENT HOW TO IDENTIFY THE TCA LIMITS AND WE MISSED ON THIS ONE.

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.