Narrative:

We departed college park airport in an small aircraft. A student pilot was flying from the front left seat. A flight instructor was sitting in the front right seat. I was sitting in the rear right seat. All 3 pilots were using a headset and intercom. I had a microphone in the rear seat and tried to obtain a clearance with bwi approach. Bwi instructed me to call andrews. I called andrews radar, asked for clearance to salisbury. Andrews instructed me to call dca approach. I called dca approach twice with no response. After trying to call dca approach the second time, I noticed the altimeter reading 3000' and suggested we descend. The intercom was weak due to a low battery and communication with the student pilot and instrument in the front seat was difficult. Apparently the student and instrument flying the aircraft assumed I had obtained permission to enter the arsa. The flight path after departing college park was an easterly heading climbing to 3000' MSL. We inadvertently violated the arsa and possibly the northern boundary of the dca TCA due to poor preflight navigation planning and poor in-flight communications. I had volunteered to do radio communications to reduce pilot workload and free the instrument in the front seat to teach the student pilot. We flew to ocean city, md, easton, md, and fredrick, md, west/O further incident. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: intercom worked well prior to departure but reporter aware that batteries wear down rapidly. No time to change north flight under these circumstances anyway. Reporter normally does not contact washington approach because of delays and difficulty even getting on frequency. Usually uses andrews and receives good service through area. Contacted bwi approach because initial heading was north.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TCA, ARSA PENETRATION WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED COLLEGE PARK ARPT IN AN SMA. A STUDENT PLT WAS FLYING FROM THE FRONT LEFT SEAT. A FLT INSTRUCTOR WAS SITTING IN THE FRONT RIGHT SEAT. I WAS SITTING IN THE REAR RIGHT SEAT. ALL 3 PLTS WERE USING A HEADSET AND INTERCOM. I HAD A MIC IN THE REAR SEAT AND TRIED TO OBTAIN A CLRNC WITH BWI APCH. BWI INSTRUCTED ME TO CALL ANDREWS. I CALLED ANDREWS RADAR, ASKED FOR CLRNC TO SALISBURY. ANDREWS INSTRUCTED ME TO CALL DCA APCH. I CALLED DCA APCH TWICE WITH NO RESPONSE. AFTER TRYING TO CALL DCA APCH THE SECOND TIME, I NOTICED THE ALTIMETER READING 3000' AND SUGGESTED WE DSND. THE INTERCOM WAS WEAK DUE TO A LOW BATTERY AND COM WITH THE STUDENT PLT AND INSTR IN THE FRONT SEAT WAS DIFFICULT. APPARENTLY THE STUDENT AND INSTR FLYING THE ACFT ASSUMED I HAD OBTAINED PERMISSION TO ENTER THE ARSA. THE FLT PATH AFTER DEPARTING COLLEGE PARK WAS AN EASTERLY HDG CLBING TO 3000' MSL. WE INADVERTENTLY VIOLATED THE ARSA AND POSSIBLY THE NORTHERN BOUNDARY OF THE DCA TCA DUE TO POOR PREFLT NAV PLANNING AND POOR INFLT COMS. I HAD VOLUNTEERED TO DO RADIO COMS TO REDUCE PLT WORKLOAD AND FREE THE INSTR IN THE FRONT SEAT TO TEACH THE STUDENT PLT. WE FLEW TO OCEAN CITY, MD, EASTON, MD, AND FREDRICK, MD, W/O FURTHER INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: INTERCOM WORKED WELL PRIOR TO DEP BUT RPTR AWARE THAT BATTERIES WEAR DOWN RAPIDLY. NO TIME TO CHANGE N FLT UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES ANYWAY. RPTR NORMALLY DOES NOT CONTACT WASHINGTON APCH BECAUSE OF DELAYS AND DIFFICULTY EVEN GETTING ON FREQ. USUALLY USES ANDREWS AND RECEIVES GOOD SVC THROUGH AREA. CONTACTED BWI APCH BECAUSE INITIAL HDG WAS N.

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.