Narrative:

I departed college park, md, immediately ahead of thunderstorm. Dulles airport closed immediately thereafter because of the storm. I departed runway 15, immediately engaged the autoplt/heading bug on a heading of 150 degrees. Set up a climb of 500 FPM and made my radio calls clearing the pattern from college park. Passing through 500' MSL, I contacted the last ATC controller I had used upon arriving at college park for my new departure instructions. That controller was dulles, who upon ascertaining that I needed to fly southeast away from the storm, advised I call dca approach control. I immediately called dca departure control (now at about 900' MSL) and was immediately told by the controller that I had penetrated the TRSA. At the time of his statement about penetration, I was leveling at 1000' and still on a heading of 150 degrees off of college park. At his instructions, I immediately turned to a heading of 090 degrees and maintained 1000'. The controller contacted me again soon with further clearance, cleared me into the TRSA and again advised me that I had penetrated the TRSA. Due to the hectic WX and traffic situation, I did not argue with the controller and simply accepted his directions. My planned flight plan was to climb to 1000', straight out on 150 degrees, and then turn left on an easterly heading to avoid entering the 1500' ceiling of the TRSA. I executed that plan according to schedule and consequently do not believe that I could have entered the TRSA. I believe the controller was mistaken in his statement that I had inadvertently entered the TRSA. Considering the time it takes an small aircraft to climb to 1000', and the ground distance traveled in that elapsed time, I do not see how it could have been possible for me to have entered the TRSA. At the time the controller advised me that I had entered the TRSA, I immediately located andrews airfield at my 1:30 position. I was on about a 330 degree bearing from andrews. If you extend the center line of the andrews airfield runway to where it intersects the center line extention of runway 150 from college park, one could fly on a 150 degree heading out of college park all the way to the point where those extended runways would intersect and still be outside of the TRSA according to my maps. Consequently, if I have not yet reached the imaginary point of those extended runways intersecting, I must be even further outside the TRSA. I believe the hectic WX situation and congested traffic in washington caused the controller to be a little more conservative than normal. I was using my mode C transponder from the time of my initial lift off from college park.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE DCA TCA.

Narrative: I DEPARTED COLLEGE PARK, MD, IMMEDIATELY AHEAD OF TSTM. DULLES ARPT CLOSED IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER BECAUSE OF THE STORM. I DEPARTED RWY 15, IMMEDIATELY ENGAGED THE AUTOPLT/HDG BUG ON A HDG OF 150 DEGS. SET UP A CLB OF 500 FPM AND MADE MY RADIO CALLS CLRING THE PATTERN FROM COLLEGE PARK. PASSING THROUGH 500' MSL, I CONTACTED THE LAST ATC CTLR I HAD USED UPON ARRIVING AT COLLEGE PARK FOR MY NEW DEP INSTRUCTIONS. THAT CTLR WAS DULLES, WHO UPON ASCERTAINING THAT I NEEDED TO FLY SE AWAY FROM THE STORM, ADVISED I CALL DCA APCH CTL. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED DCA DEP CTL (NOW AT ABOUT 900' MSL) AND WAS IMMEDIATELY TOLD BY THE CTLR THAT I HAD PENETRATED THE TRSA. AT THE TIME OF HIS STATEMENT ABOUT PENETRATION, I WAS LEVELING AT 1000' AND STILL ON A HDG OF 150 DEGS OFF OF COLLEGE PARK. AT HIS INSTRUCTIONS, I IMMEDIATELY TURNED TO A HDG OF 090 DEGS AND MAINTAINED 1000'. THE CTLR CONTACTED ME AGAIN SOON WITH FURTHER CLRNC, CLRED ME INTO THE TRSA AND AGAIN ADVISED ME THAT I HAD PENETRATED THE TRSA. DUE TO THE HECTIC WX AND TFC SITUATION, I DID NOT ARGUE WITH THE CTLR AND SIMPLY ACCEPTED HIS DIRECTIONS. MY PLANNED FLT PLAN WAS TO CLB TO 1000', STRAIGHT OUT ON 150 DEGS, AND THEN TURN LEFT ON AN EASTERLY HDG TO AVOID ENTERING THE 1500' CEILING OF THE TRSA. I EXECUTED THAT PLAN ACCORDING TO SCHEDULE AND CONSEQUENTLY DO NOT BELIEVE THAT I COULD HAVE ENTERED THE TRSA. I BELIEVE THE CTLR WAS MISTAKEN IN HIS STATEMENT THAT I HAD INADVERTENTLY ENTERED THE TRSA. CONSIDERING THE TIME IT TAKES AN SMA TO CLB TO 1000', AND THE GND DISTANCE TRAVELED IN THAT ELAPSED TIME, I DO NOT SEE HOW IT COULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE FOR ME TO HAVE ENTERED THE TRSA. AT THE TIME THE CTLR ADVISED ME THAT I HAD ENTERED THE TRSA, I IMMEDIATELY LOCATED ANDREWS AIRFIELD AT MY 1:30 POS. I WAS ON ABOUT A 330 DEG BEARING FROM ANDREWS. IF YOU EXTEND THE CENTER LINE OF THE ANDREWS AIRFIELD RWY TO WHERE IT INTERSECTS THE CENTER LINE EXTENTION OF RWY 150 FROM COLLEGE PARK, ONE COULD FLY ON A 150 DEG HDG OUT OF COLLEGE PARK ALL THE WAY TO THE POINT WHERE THOSE EXTENDED RWYS WOULD INTERSECT AND STILL BE OUTSIDE OF THE TRSA ACCORDING TO MY MAPS. CONSEQUENTLY, IF I HAVE NOT YET REACHED THE IMAGINARY POINT OF THOSE EXTENDED RWYS INTERSECTING, I MUST BE EVEN FURTHER OUTSIDE THE TRSA. I BELIEVE THE HECTIC WX SITUATION AND CONGESTED TFC IN WASHINGTON CAUSED THE CTLR TO BE A LITTLE MORE CONSERVATIVE THAN NORMAL. I WAS USING MY MODE C TRANSPONDER FROM THE TIME OF MY INITIAL LIFT OFF FROM COLLEGE PARK.

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.