TCA penetration of corridor without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	85590
Time
Date	198804
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lax airport : vny
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3500 msl bound upper : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : lax
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 2200 flight time type : 35
ASRS Report	85590
Person 2
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Filed IFR to VFR on top request TCA transit vny 140 degree right. Told only way was to cancel and go VFR. WX looked ok, so cancelled. Circled (arsa) while monitoring bur approach expecting clearance. Finally told to head toward corridor. Asked if cleared through TCA and told no. Headed toward (south) lax while talking to controller, noted on TCA chart. The only routes noted on TCA were off shore 1/2-1 mi. Could not find an altitude, but recalled reading 3500' south and 4500 north. Reaffirmed altitude with controller (lax). They also gave me an advisory frequency, 122.5. Turned out to be a discrete frequency. Back to la to rechk frequency and advise and woops, we were not cleared to be in off shore routing (frequency = 122.75!). Subsequently checked commercial charts and, sure enough, should have been over lax, not 1/2-1 mi offshore. Help! Re-reviewing the TCA chart really doesn't help much. The experience should help me explain to many other pilots the correct procedure, but the charts really need a color emphasis or change. Oh yes--while thrashing about, I passed the chart off to a VFR type and had him review it to make sure we were clear. He had the same problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TCA PENETRATION OF CORRIDOR WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: FILED IFR TO VFR ON TOP REQUEST TCA TRANSIT VNY 140 DEG R. TOLD ONLY WAY WAS TO CANCEL AND GO VFR. WX LOOKED OK, SO CANCELLED. CIRCLED (ARSA) WHILE MONITORING BUR APCH EXPECTING CLRNC. FINALLY TOLD TO HEAD TOWARD CORRIDOR. ASKED IF CLRED THROUGH TCA AND TOLD NO. HEADED TOWARD (S) LAX WHILE TALKING TO CTLR, NOTED ON TCA CHART. THE ONLY ROUTES NOTED ON TCA WERE OFF SHORE 1/2-1 MI. COULD NOT FIND AN ALT, BUT RECALLED READING 3500' S AND 4500 N. REAFFIRMED ALT WITH CTLR (LAX). THEY ALSO GAVE ME AN ADVISORY FREQ, 122.5. TURNED OUT TO BE A DISCRETE FREQ. BACK TO LA TO RECHK FREQ AND ADVISE AND WOOPS, WE WERE NOT CLRED TO BE IN OFF SHORE ROUTING (FREQ = 122.75!). SUBSEQUENTLY CHKED COMMERCIAL CHARTS AND, SURE ENOUGH, SHOULD HAVE BEEN OVER LAX, NOT 1/2-1 MI OFFSHORE. HELP! RE-REVIEWING THE TCA CHART REALLY DOESN'T HELP MUCH. THE EXPERIENCE SHOULD HELP ME EXPLAIN TO MANY OTHER PLTS THE CORRECT PROC, BUT THE CHARTS REALLY NEED A COLOR EMPHASIS OR CHANGE. OH YES--WHILE THRASHING ABOUT, I PASSED THE CHART OFF TO A VFR TYPE AND HAD HIM REVIEW IT TO MAKE SURE WE WERE CLR. HE HAD THE SAME PROB.

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.