Narrative:

I departed tri cities airport in the southwest quadrant of the control zone from link field-broome county airport and called the tower at link field-broome on 119.3 for clearance to pass through the zone to the south of the airport below 3000' MSL and south of the air traffic area. 30 KT winds from 020 degrees required a considerable crab angle to maintain a course of 080 degrees. I established radio contact with the tower and believed to have been cleared south of the airport. However, the xmissions were broken by static and crackling noise. I continued on course and upon sighting the airport realized I had come too far north with the crab angle used to maintain course, and had actually entered the air traffic area. I called the tower but the radio produced loud static and intermittent reception. Since I was in the air traffic area and knew aircraft might be landing to the north I reduced altitude and proceeded (the shortest way now) through the area to the east. I observed an airliner on approach and stayed well below his pattern. He passed directly overhead on final to runway 34 and landed. The vertical clearance was not less than 600' and no evasive action was required. I remained at reduced altitude and exited the air traffic area as quickly as possible. Unless landing at the airport in the control zone, all transit aircraft should remain clear of the air traffic area unless IFR with transponder and clear radio contact. Since I was visual (VFR) I should have followed the river from tri cities to the east until well clear of the air traffic area. And, this incursion into a controled area with other landing traffic would not have occurred.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PENETRATED ATA WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: I DEPARTED TRI CITIES ARPT IN THE SW QUADRANT OF THE CTL ZONE FROM LINK FIELD-BROOME COUNTY ARPT AND CALLED THE TWR AT LINK FIELD-BROOME ON 119.3 FOR CLRNC TO PASS THROUGH THE ZONE TO THE S OF THE ARPT BELOW 3000' MSL AND S OF THE ATA. 30 KT WINDS FROM 020 DEGS REQUIRED A CONSIDERABLE CRAB ANGLE TO MAINTAIN A COURSE OF 080 DEGS. I ESTABLISHED RADIO CONTACT WITH THE TWR AND BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN CLRED S OF THE ARPT. HOWEVER, THE XMISSIONS WERE BROKEN BY STATIC AND CRACKLING NOISE. I CONTINUED ON COURSE AND UPON SIGHTING THE ARPT REALIZED I HAD COME TOO FAR N WITH THE CRAB ANGLE USED TO MAINTAIN COURSE, AND HAD ACTUALLY ENTERED THE ATA. I CALLED THE TWR BUT THE RADIO PRODUCED LOUD STATIC AND INTERMITTENT RECEPTION. SINCE I WAS IN THE ATA AND KNEW ACFT MIGHT BE LNDG TO THE N I REDUCED ALT AND PROCEEDED (THE SHORTEST WAY NOW) THROUGH THE AREA TO THE E. I OBSERVED AN AIRLINER ON APCH AND STAYED WELL BELOW HIS PATTERN. HE PASSED DIRECTLY OVERHEAD ON FINAL TO RWY 34 AND LANDED. THE VERT CLRNC WAS NOT LESS THAN 600' AND NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS REQUIRED. I REMAINED AT REDUCED ALT AND EXITED THE ATA AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. UNLESS LNDG AT THE ARPT IN THE CTL ZONE, ALL TRANSIT ACFT SHOULD REMAIN CLR OF THE ATA UNLESS IFR WITH TRANSPONDER AND CLEAR RADIO CONTACT. SINCE I WAS VISUAL (VFR) I SHOULD HAVE FOLLOWED THE RIVER FROM TRI CITIES TO THE E UNTIL WELL CLR OF THE ATA. AND, THIS INCURSION INTO A CTLED AREA WITH OTHER LNDG TFC WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED.

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.