Narrative:

On a 190 degree heading and approximately 5 mi off the illinois lake michigan shore line, I was informed by an O'hare approach controller that I had entered into the O'hare TCA on its northeast sector. At the time my sea level altitude was 4500'. The WX was 6000' scattered with greater than 10 mi visibility. I was directed to immediately descend to an altitude of 2500'. I initiated a 1000' per minute descent and leveled off at 2500'. The controller requested that I stay with him until he could turn me over to meigs tower. The flight ended without further incident. No evasive actions were necessary and there were no conflicts with other aircraft movements. The history of this flight is as follows. After leaving washington island wi, I set course which took me down the lake michigan shore at from 5 to 10 mi off shore. I held a constant altitude of 4500'. When I was due east of the west bend wi VOR, I called milwaukee approach control on 118.0 and requested passage through the arsa. I was given a discrete transponder code and verified my mode C altitude as 4500'. When I was approximately abreast of downtown milwaukee I requested that as I proceeded south down the lake front, I be handed off to O'hare approach. The milwaukee controller acknowledged my request. I kept track of my southerly progress by visibility sightings of the shore cities of racine and kenosha and their navigation aids. I had very little contact with milwaukee approach. When I figured I was about at the il line and believing that I was at a legal altitude, I contacted mke and inquired about the O'hare handoff. I was informed that O'hare approach could not handle my flight, however if I were to contact O'hare on 120.55 (I'm not quite sure of that frequency) they might possibly give me assistance. This I did and was informed that I had penetrated the TCA. Had I been aware of O'hare's inability to handle my flight while I was still outside of the TCA, I would have acted to avoid penetration of the controled airspace. I also should have requested an update of my flight following situation a few minutes earlier. Callback conversation with reporter revealed following. Talked with the local FSDO and they felt no action would be taken. Ord was in a north south operation and no conflict was indicated by the controller. Felt the controller was looking for him and when he made his initial call and noted he was expediting his descent they elected not to make a big issue of it. Gave his total time and time in type. Is instrument rated.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PENETRATED THE ORD TCA WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: ON A 190 DEG HDG AND APPROX 5 MI OFF THE ILLINOIS LAKE MICHIGAN SHORE LINE, I WAS INFORMED BY AN O'HARE APCH CTLR THAT I HAD ENTERED INTO THE O'HARE TCA ON ITS NE SECTOR. AT THE TIME MY SEA LEVEL ALT WAS 4500'. THE WX WAS 6000' SCATTERED WITH GREATER THAN 10 MI VISIBILITY. I WAS DIRECTED TO IMMEDIATELY DSND TO AN ALT OF 2500'. I INITIATED A 1000' PER MINUTE DSCNT AND LEVELED OFF AT 2500'. THE CTLR REQUESTED THAT I STAY WITH HIM UNTIL HE COULD TURN ME OVER TO MEIGS TWR. THE FLT ENDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. NO EVASIVE ACTIONS WERE NECESSARY AND THERE WERE NO CONFLICTS WITH OTHER ACFT MOVEMENTS. THE HISTORY OF THIS FLT IS AS FOLLOWS. AFTER LEAVING WASHINGTON ISLAND WI, I SET COURSE WHICH TOOK ME DOWN THE LAKE MICHIGAN SHORE AT FROM 5 TO 10 MI OFF SHORE. I HELD A CONSTANT ALT OF 4500'. WHEN I WAS DUE E OF THE WEST BEND WI VOR, I CALLED MILWAUKEE APCH CTL ON 118.0 AND REQUESTED PASSAGE THROUGH THE ARSA. I WAS GIVEN A DISCRETE TRANSPONDER CODE AND VERIFIED MY MODE C ALT AS 4500'. WHEN I WAS APPROX ABREAST OF DOWNTOWN MILWAUKEE I REQUESTED THAT AS I PROCEEDED S DOWN THE LAKE FRONT, I BE HANDED OFF TO O'HARE APCH. THE MILWAUKEE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED MY REQUEST. I KEPT TRACK OF MY SOUTHERLY PROGRESS BY VIS SIGHTINGS OF THE SHORE CITIES OF RACINE AND KENOSHA AND THEIR NAV AIDS. I HAD VERY LITTLE CONTACT WITH MILWAUKEE APCH. WHEN I FIGURED I WAS ABOUT AT THE IL LINE AND BELIEVING THAT I WAS AT A LEGAL ALT, I CONTACTED MKE AND INQUIRED ABOUT THE O'HARE HANDOFF. I WAS INFORMED THAT O'HARE APCH COULD NOT HANDLE MY FLT, HOWEVER IF I WERE TO CONTACT O'HARE ON 120.55 (I'M NOT QUITE SURE OF THAT FREQ) THEY MIGHT POSSIBLY GIVE ME ASSISTANCE. THIS I DID AND WAS INFORMED THAT I HAD PENETRATED THE TCA. HAD I BEEN AWARE OF O'HARE'S INABILITY TO HANDLE MY FLT WHILE I WAS STILL OUTSIDE OF THE TCA, I WOULD HAVE ACTED TO AVOID PENETRATION OF THE CTLED AIRSPACE. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE REQUESTED AN UPDATE OF MY FLT FOLLOWING SITUATION A FEW MINUTES EARLIER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED FOLLOWING. TALKED WITH THE LCL FSDO AND THEY FELT NO ACTION WOULD BE TAKEN. ORD WAS IN A NORTH SOUTH OPERATION AND NO CONFLICT WAS INDICATED BY THE CTLR. FELT THE CTLR WAS LOOKING FOR HIM AND WHEN HE MADE HIS INITIAL CALL AND NOTED HE WAS EXPEDITING HIS DESCENT THEY ELECTED NOT TO MAKE A BIG ISSUE OF IT. GAVE HIS TOTAL TIME AND TIME IN TYPE. IS INSTRUMENT RATED.

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.