Penetrated TCA without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	89140
Time
Date	198806
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mkc
State Reference	MO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2400 msl bound upper : 2400
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mci tower : mkc
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low 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 : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 1650 flight time type : 40
ASRS Report	89140
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : clearance delivery
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : clearance 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:

Departing kansas city downtown regl airport. I mistook the phraseology used as being cleared into the TCA. This was from clearance delivery. After takeoff tower gave me clearance to turn nwbnd to omaha, northeast, which was my destination, and to maintain at or below 2400' MSL, which I took as a confirmation of cleared into the TCA. I believe at the time of handoff from tower to departure, controllers should confirm whether clearance into the TCA is needed, and to make sure the clearance delivery personnel understand the pilots are of the understanding that they are or are not cleared into the TCA airspace. I understand what needs to be done to enter a TCA. I believe there was some confusion in the communications. After getting in contact with departure control and establishing 2-WAY communication, they informed me to maintain at or below 2400' MSL and informed me of traffic in my area which was a contributing factor in getting into the TCA as I was looking at spotting traffic. Then departure informed me of entering TCA west/O clearance. I believe the contributing factors in this situation were communications on the ground, failure by ATC to make clear pilot understood clearance and ATC failure to warn of pilot's close proximity to the TCA. I believe in the future that I, as a pilot, need to not depend on the controllers to make every effort possible, but to take extra precautionary measures and to confirm verbally on my own with them the clrncs needed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PENETRATED TCA WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: DEPARTING KANSAS CITY DOWNTOWN REGL ARPT. I MISTOOK THE PHRASEOLOGY USED AS BEING CLRED INTO THE TCA. THIS WAS FROM CLRNC DELIVERY. AFTER TKOF TWR GAVE ME CLRNC TO TURN NWBND TO OMAHA, NE, WHICH WAS MY DEST, AND TO MAINTAIN AT OR BELOW 2400' MSL, WHICH I TOOK AS A CONFIRMATION OF CLRED INTO THE TCA. I BELIEVE AT THE TIME OF HDOF FROM TWR TO DEP, CTLRS SHOULD CONFIRM WHETHER CLRNC INTO THE TCA IS NEEDED, AND TO MAKE SURE THE CLRNC DELIVERY PERSONNEL UNDERSTAND THE PLTS ARE OF THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY ARE OR ARE NOT CLRED INTO THE TCA AIRSPACE. I UNDERSTAND WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO ENTER A TCA. I BELIEVE THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION IN THE COMS. AFTER GETTING IN CONTACT WITH DEP CTL AND ESTABLISHING 2-WAY COM, THEY INFORMED ME TO MAINTAIN AT OR BELOW 2400' MSL AND INFORMED ME OF TFC IN MY AREA WHICH WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN GETTING INTO THE TCA AS I WAS LOOKING AT SPOTTING TFC. THEN DEP INFORMED ME OF ENTERING TCA W/O CLRNC. I BELIEVE THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN THIS SITUATION WERE COMS ON THE GND, FAILURE BY ATC TO MAKE CLR PLT UNDERSTOOD CLRNC AND ATC FAILURE TO WARN OF PLT'S CLOSE PROX TO THE TCA. I BELIEVE IN THE FUTURE THAT I, AS A PLT, NEED TO NOT DEPEND ON THE CTLRS TO MAKE EVERY EFFORT POSSIBLE, BUT TO TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES AND TO CONFIRM VERBALLY ON MY OWN WITH THEM THE CLRNCS NEEDED.

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.