Narrative:

Departed sql on runway 30 in a downwind departure. After crossing the oak 165 degree right turned on course toward sac. Flying conditions were smooth and good visibility, with both hayward and oak in sight at my 9 O'clock position and I appeared to be 7 mi south of hwd at 2500' MSL climbing to a VFR cruise of 5500' MSL on course. I noticed an large transport at my 9 O'clock and about 3 mi in a right turn to land at oak. The large transport appeared to be at 2000' descending in a right turn. I continued the climb south of mt diablo thinking I was outside the arsa for oak and at the outskirts of the sfo TCA. When landing at sac executive I was asked to call the supervisor at bay approach and I did. He told me that I was in the sfo TCA and that the large transport did report me in sight above him, and that I had violated an airspace restriction. I told him I knew where the TCA was and did not think I had entered it. My transponder has mode C and was set to 1200 VFR squawk, and the controller called his supervisor to watch me and they followed me all the way to sac executive and I was indeed in the TCA at 4000' over hwd airport. He also asked why I did not talk to bay approach upon my VFR departure from sql and I had told him because on previous flight they were always too busy, and their standard reply was usually 'maintain VFR below the TCA,' and I had intended to do that anyway. I will in the future be more aware of the TCA, and I feel the best policy would probably be for a pilot to talk with bay when traveling in such close proximity to a busy TCA such as sfo. It appears that I did unknowingly enter the TCA and that is certainly serious and could be costly to plenty of people. This pilot will take precautions not to do it again. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: pilot reviewed flight route after conversation with ATC supervisor and believes he was not in TCA. He was in between sectors H and D of TCA. This area is outside TCA boundary. He was using 2 VOR radials to verify position. Supervisor indicated tapes would be reviewed and reporter contacted. No contact has occurred.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POSSIBLE TCA PENETRATION.

Narrative: DEPARTED SQL ON RWY 30 IN A DOWNWIND DEP. AFTER XING THE OAK 165 DEG R TURNED ON COURSE TOWARD SAC. FLYING CONDITIONS WERE SMOOTH AND GOOD VIS, WITH BOTH HAYWARD AND OAK IN SIGHT AT MY 9 O'CLOCK POS AND I APPEARED TO BE 7 MI S OF HWD AT 2500' MSL CLBING TO A VFR CRUISE OF 5500' MSL ON COURSE. I NOTICED AN LGT AT MY 9 O'CLOCK AND ABOUT 3 MI IN A RIGHT TURN TO LAND AT OAK. THE LGT APPEARED TO BE AT 2000' DSNDING IN A RIGHT TURN. I CONTINUED THE CLB S OF MT DIABLO THINKING I WAS OUTSIDE THE ARSA FOR OAK AND AT THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE SFO TCA. WHEN LNDG AT SAC EXECUTIVE I WAS ASKED TO CALL THE SUPVR AT BAY APCH AND I DID. HE TOLD ME THAT I WAS IN THE SFO TCA AND THAT THE LGT DID RPT ME IN SIGHT ABOVE HIM, AND THAT I HAD VIOLATED AN AIRSPACE RESTRICTION. I TOLD HIM I KNEW WHERE THE TCA WAS AND DID NOT THINK I HAD ENTERED IT. MY TRANSPONDER HAS MODE C AND WAS SET TO 1200 VFR SQUAWK, AND THE CTLR CALLED HIS SUPVR TO WATCH ME AND THEY FOLLOWED ME ALL THE WAY TO SAC EXECUTIVE AND I WAS INDEED IN THE TCA AT 4000' OVER HWD ARPT. HE ALSO ASKED WHY I DID NOT TALK TO BAY APCH UPON MY VFR DEP FROM SQL AND I HAD TOLD HIM BECAUSE ON PREVIOUS FLT THEY WERE ALWAYS TOO BUSY, AND THEIR STANDARD REPLY WAS USUALLY 'MAINTAIN VFR BELOW THE TCA,' AND I HAD INTENDED TO DO THAT ANYWAY. I WILL IN THE FUTURE BE MORE AWARE OF THE TCA, AND I FEEL THE BEST POLICY WOULD PROBABLY BE FOR A PLT TO TALK WITH BAY WHEN TRAVELING IN SUCH CLOSE PROX TO A BUSY TCA SUCH AS SFO. IT APPEARS THAT I DID UNKNOWINGLY ENTER THE TCA AND THAT IS CERTAINLY SERIOUS AND COULD BE COSTLY TO PLENTY OF PEOPLE. THIS PLT WILL TAKE PRECAUTIONS NOT TO DO IT AGAIN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: PLT REVIEWED FLT ROUTE AFTER CONVERSATION WITH ATC SUPVR AND BELIEVES HE WAS NOT IN TCA. HE WAS IN BTWN SECTORS H AND D OF TCA. THIS AREA IS OUTSIDE TCA BOUNDARY. HE WAS USING 2 VOR RADIALS TO VERIFY POS. SUPVR INDICATED TAPES WOULD BE REVIEWED AND RPTR CONTACTED. NO CONTACT HAS 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.