Narrative:

VFR flight with flight following from tallahassee, fl, to lincolnton, nc, (charlotte area) in june and on to dtw (mettetal-canton airport) in june. Refueling stop at falmouth, then direct to rosewood, V47 to findlay and waterville, planned V493 to carleton and direct to mettetal. Made the waterville VOR with toledo approach control at xx EDT, estimating carleton VOR at xx. Landed at mettetal at xx--I am unable to be specific about time/locations because of following events and taking flight directions from the detroit controller. Sometime after passing through the toledo arsa toledo approach control advised I squawk 1200 west/O giving me the next necessary frequency to continue into the detroit area. I requested same and understood 123.0 and assumed that detroit was then aware of an my continued flight was approved. Unable to obtain a response on 123.0, I contacted cle center on 119.95 and then detroit approach control. I was then advised that I had illegally entered the TCA. My wife, a student pilot, was following our flight with the sectionals while I used the low altitude charts--all were current. Within the limits of VOR and time in flight estimates, using flight following and transponder with encoding altimeter, I had no reason to suspect that I was illegal as I approached the carleton VOR. I do not understand why (or if) I was dropped by toledo approach clt. Flight following had me with dayton approach (118.85 and 127.65), indianapolis (134.7), and toledo on 128.0 and 126.1. It appears that I was dropped from the ATC system at a critical time and have now the felling of having been trapped. Because I was squawking something and indicating my altitude, I was not a hazard at any time. I hangar my plane at tallahassee regl airport and am well aware of arsa-TCA entry procedures. I don't do a lot of cross country flying, but I certainly try to keep myself and my aircraft current. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: callback shows pilot was not in error. Pilot assigned 4500' altitude, maintained continuous radio contact. He was guided right into TCA then advised he had illegally entered. FAA is dropping the incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POSSIBLE PENETRATION TCA.

Narrative: VFR FLT WITH FLT FOLLOWING FROM TALLAHASSEE, FL, TO LINCOLNTON, NC, (CHARLOTTE AREA) IN JUNE AND ON TO DTW (METTETAL-CANTON ARPT) IN JUNE. REFUELING STOP AT FALMOUTH, THEN DIRECT TO ROSEWOOD, V47 TO FINDLAY AND WATERVILLE, PLANNED V493 TO CARLETON AND DIRECT TO METTETAL. MADE THE WATERVILLE VOR WITH TOLEDO APCH CTL AT XX EDT, ESTIMATING CARLETON VOR AT XX. LANDED AT METTETAL AT XX--I AM UNABLE TO BE SPECIFIC ABOUT TIME/LOCATIONS BECAUSE OF FOLLOWING EVENTS AND TAKING FLT DIRECTIONS FROM THE DETROIT CTLR. SOMETIME AFTER PASSING THROUGH THE TOLEDO ARSA TOLEDO APCH CTL ADVISED I SQUAWK 1200 W/O GIVING ME THE NEXT NECESSARY FREQ TO CONTINUE INTO THE DETROIT AREA. I REQUESTED SAME AND UNDERSTOOD 123.0 AND ASSUMED THAT DETROIT WAS THEN AWARE OF AN MY CONTINUED FLT WAS APPROVED. UNABLE TO OBTAIN A RESPONSE ON 123.0, I CONTACTED CLE CENTER ON 119.95 AND THEN DETROIT APCH CTL. I WAS THEN ADVISED THAT I HAD ILLEGALLY ENTERED THE TCA. MY WIFE, A STUDENT PLT, WAS FOLLOWING OUR FLT WITH THE SECTIONALS WHILE I USED THE LOW ALT CHARTS--ALL WERE CURRENT. WITHIN THE LIMITS OF VOR AND TIME IN FLT ESTIMATES, USING FLT FOLLOWING AND TRANSPONDER WITH ENCODING ALTIMETER, I HAD NO REASON TO SUSPECT THAT I WAS ILLEGAL AS I APCHED THE CARLETON VOR. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY (OR IF) I WAS DROPPED BY TOLEDO APCH CLT. FLT FOLLOWING HAD ME WITH DAYTON APCH (118.85 AND 127.65), INDIANAPOLIS (134.7), AND TOLEDO ON 128.0 AND 126.1. IT APPEARS THAT I WAS DROPPED FROM THE ATC SYS AT A CRITICAL TIME AND HAVE NOW THE FELLING OF HAVING BEEN TRAPPED. BECAUSE I WAS SQUAWKING SOMETHING AND INDICATING MY ALT, I WAS NOT A HAZARD AT ANY TIME. I HANGAR MY PLANE AT TALLAHASSEE REGL ARPT AND AM WELL AWARE OF ARSA-TCA ENTRY PROCS. I DON'T DO A LOT OF CROSS COUNTRY FLYING, BUT I CERTAINLY TRY TO KEEP MYSELF AND MY ACFT CURRENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: CALLBACK SHOWS PLT WAS NOT IN ERROR. PLT ASSIGNED 4500' ALT, MAINTAINED CONTINUOUS RADIO CONTACT. HE WAS GUIDED RIGHT INTO TCA THEN ADVISED HE HAD ILLEGALLY ENTERED. FAA IS DROPPING THE INCIDENT.

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.