Narrative:

We were scheduled to depart mkc to ojc at XA30. The FSS specialist at cou was having a very difficult time taking the data for the flight plans from mkc to ojc, then from ojc to rdu. After 3 attempts, I assumed he had recorded the proper information. Mkc ground had our flight plan to ojc, but they were confused about our routing from ojc to rdu. We told them our desired routing to rdu and they said they would re-enter it. The passenger were boarded at ojc at XB00 and we called ground for our clearance. They read us a clearance to little rock, ar. After a lengthy search, they said we didn't have a flight plan to rdu. At this point ojc ground made a suggestion we depart VFR and call mci departure to pick up our clearance in the air. Since the WX was clear and 15, we elected to do so. Ojc tower told us to contact mci departure and said they were waiting for us. Upon contact they asked us who we were and our intentions. They then gave us another frequency which we had trouble contacting. Finally we were able to contact them, but they had no information on us. At this point we had entered the kansas city TCA at 4500' and were told not to enter again west/O first establishing radio communication. We believed we had when ojc tower told us to contact mci departure. After some vectoring, we were issued a VFR climb to 17500'. During the clear, we were turned over to kc center. They did have our flight plan to rdu and issued our clearance. The fact that the FSS specialist had an extremely difficult time taking our flight plan information and the kc area was very heavy with traffic were probably the main factors for our difficulties. I should have made certain with the FSS that our flight plans had been entered correctly. It is company policy that all flts be conducted under IFR regulations which has made us lax in the proper VFR procedures, particularly those dealing with TCA's.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PENETRATED TCA WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: WE WERE SCHEDULED TO DEPART MKC TO OJC AT XA30. THE FSS SPECIALIST AT COU WAS HAVING A VERY DIFFICULT TIME TAKING THE DATA FOR THE FLT PLANS FROM MKC TO OJC, THEN FROM OJC TO RDU. AFTER 3 ATTEMPTS, I ASSUMED HE HAD RECORDED THE PROPER INFO. MKC GND HAD OUR FLT PLAN TO OJC, BUT THEY WERE CONFUSED ABOUT OUR ROUTING FROM OJC TO RDU. WE TOLD THEM OUR DESIRED ROUTING TO RDU AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD RE-ENTER IT. THE PAX WERE BOARDED AT OJC AT XB00 AND WE CALLED GND FOR OUR CLRNC. THEY READ US A CLRNC TO LITTLE ROCK, AR. AFTER A LENGTHY SEARCH, THEY SAID WE DIDN'T HAVE A FLT PLAN TO RDU. AT THIS POINT OJC GND MADE A SUGGESTION WE DEPART VFR AND CALL MCI DEP TO PICK UP OUR CLRNC IN THE AIR. SINCE THE WX WAS CLR AND 15, WE ELECTED TO DO SO. OJC TWR TOLD US TO CONTACT MCI DEP AND SAID THEY WERE WAITING FOR US. UPON CONTACT THEY ASKED US WHO WE WERE AND OUR INTENTIONS. THEY THEN GAVE US ANOTHER FREQ WHICH WE HAD TROUBLE CONTACTING. FINALLY WE WERE ABLE TO CONTACT THEM, BUT THEY HAD NO INFO ON US. AT THIS POINT WE HAD ENTERED THE KANSAS CITY TCA AT 4500' AND WERE TOLD NOT TO ENTER AGAIN W/O FIRST ESTABLISHING RADIO COM. WE BELIEVED WE HAD WHEN OJC TWR TOLD US TO CONTACT MCI DEP. AFTER SOME VECTORING, WE WERE ISSUED A VFR CLB TO 17500'. DURING THE CLR, WE WERE TURNED OVER TO KC CENTER. THEY DID HAVE OUR FLT PLAN TO RDU AND ISSUED OUR CLRNC. THE FACT THAT THE FSS SPECIALIST HAD AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TIME TAKING OUR FLT PLAN INFO AND THE KC AREA WAS VERY HEAVY WITH TFC WERE PROBABLY THE MAIN FACTORS FOR OUR DIFFICULTIES. I SHOULD HAVE MADE CERTAIN WITH THE FSS THAT OUR FLT PLANS HAD BEEN ENTERED CORRECTLY. IT IS COMPANY POLICY THAT ALL FLTS BE CONDUCTED UNDER IFR REGS WHICH HAS MADE US LAX IN THE PROPER VFR PROCS, PARTICULARLY THOSE DEALING WITH TCA'S.

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.