Narrative:

In 8/88, at approximately xx am, I departed gillespie field (el cajon, ca) for the return trip to my home base of oak. I had flown into and out of gillespie only 1 other time (with no problems) since the san diego TCA went into effect earlier this year. Prior to the flight I made sure my TCA chart was out and that I looked it over. Also, since the TCA had been updated since my chart was printed, I also looked up the current charting in my chart book. At the time of the alleged incident, I had a private pilot, single engine land certificate with an instrument rating, and had been a private pilot since 2/87. I had logged over 324 hours and have flown all types of terrain and both uncontrolled and controled areas from calif to minn. I fly for pleasure and business, and was on a business trip at the time. The aircraft involved is an small aircraft which I own and have flown for about 275 hours. It is equipped with mode C and just about everything else from dual navcoms to LORAN. Just before my takeoff roll, gillespie tower agreed to open my flight plan for me, but needing to open the flight plan was still on my mind after takeoff from runway 27R. I turned to a heading of about 310 degrees, switched frequencys to san approach and immediately called in, but made the mistake of saying, 'san diego radio, this is XXX.' understandably, the response came back something to the effect that I had contacted san approach. My second transmission was correct and stated, 'san diego approach, this is XXX.' nonetheless, the ATC second transmission replied to the effect that this was san approach and that san diego radio was at 122.4. I called a third time stating words similar to, 'san diego approach, this is XXX and I do want san diego approach! I'm an small aircraft, just departed gillespie en route oak requesting flight following.' his third xmissions acknowledged me and gave me a squawk code and said to remain clear of the TCA. My next transmission acknowledged the squawk. Within a very, very few seconds thereafter, he responded requesting my altitude. I told him I was at 2700', and then he responded immediately to the effect that I was in the middle of the TCA and to turn left to 100 degrees. I acknowledged the transmission, repeating the heading and complied. Shortly thereafter a different voice transmitted from ATC and requested that I return to gillespie and land, and that I call TRACON, which I did do. They said I had entered the TCA west/O permission and that an MTR from miramar supposedly had to deviate on its approach. I knew where the TCA was on paper and had the appropriate maps, and I did not believe I had entered the TCA as yet. I knew that I would be nearing it soon, on that heading, and so I was prepared to immediately head easterly if I did not receive clearance from ATC within the next few seconds, given the delays from the xmissions. I did not believe I had entered the TCA, but according to their radar, they say I did. I believe there are extenuating and mitigating circumstances present in the incident in that I am a relatively new pilot and that this area is not my home base. Additionally, the need for 4 exchanges of xmissions took my attention, and also a bit of time, which obviously could have brought me closer to the TCA west/O me being consciously aware of it, due to the communications problems. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter called TRACON after returning to gillespie. Discussion not conclusive. Reporter feels he did not enter TCA, but ATC says he did. Reporter never was able to see MTR. Investigation is in process and FAA indicates they will file a violation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TCA PENETRATION WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: IN 8/88, AT APPROX XX AM, I DEPARTED GILLESPIE FIELD (EL CAJON, CA) FOR THE RETURN TRIP TO MY HOME BASE OF OAK. I HAD FLOWN INTO AND OUT OF GILLESPIE ONLY 1 OTHER TIME (WITH NO PROBS) SINCE THE SAN DIEGO TCA WENT INTO EFFECT EARLIER THIS YEAR. PRIOR TO THE FLT I MADE SURE MY TCA CHART WAS OUT AND THAT I LOOKED IT OVER. ALSO, SINCE THE TCA HAD BEEN UPDATED SINCE MY CHART WAS PRINTED, I ALSO LOOKED UP THE CURRENT CHARTING IN MY CHART BOOK. AT THE TIME OF THE ALLEGED INCIDENT, I HAD A PVT PLT, SINGLE ENG LAND CERTIFICATE WITH AN INSTRUMENT RATING, AND HAD BEEN A PVT PLT SINCE 2/87. I HAD LOGGED OVER 324 HRS AND HAVE FLOWN ALL TYPES OF TERRAIN AND BOTH UNCONTROLLED AND CTLED AREAS FROM CALIF TO MINN. I FLY FOR PLEASURE AND BUSINESS, AND WAS ON A BUSINESS TRIP AT THE TIME. THE ACFT INVOLVED IS AN SMA WHICH I OWN AND HAVE FLOWN FOR ABOUT 275 HRS. IT IS EQUIPPED WITH MODE C AND JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE FROM DUAL NAVCOMS TO LORAN. JUST BEFORE MY TKOF ROLL, GILLESPIE TWR AGREED TO OPEN MY FLT PLAN FOR ME, BUT NEEDING TO OPEN THE FLT PLAN WAS STILL ON MY MIND AFTER TKOF FROM RWY 27R. I TURNED TO A HDG OF ABOUT 310 DEGS, SWITCHED FREQS TO SAN APCH AND IMMEDIATELY CALLED IN, BUT MADE THE MISTAKE OF SAYING, 'SAN DIEGO RADIO, THIS IS XXX.' UNDERSTANDABLY, THE RESPONSE CAME BACK SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT THAT I HAD CONTACTED SAN APCH. MY SECOND XMISSION WAS CORRECT AND STATED, 'SAN DIEGO APCH, THIS IS XXX.' NONETHELESS, THE ATC SECOND XMISSION REPLIED TO THE EFFECT THAT THIS WAS SAN APCH AND THAT SAN DIEGO RADIO WAS AT 122.4. I CALLED A THIRD TIME STATING WORDS SIMILAR TO, 'SAN DIEGO APCH, THIS IS XXX AND I DO WANT SAN DIEGO APCH! I'M AN SMA, JUST DEPARTED GILLESPIE ENRTE OAK REQUESTING FLT FOLLOWING.' HIS THIRD XMISSIONS ACKNOWLEDGED ME AND GAVE ME A SQUAWK CODE AND SAID TO REMAIN CLR OF THE TCA. MY NEXT XMISSION ACKNOWLEDGED THE SQUAWK. WITHIN A VERY, VERY FEW SECS THEREAFTER, HE RESPONDED REQUESTING MY ALT. I TOLD HIM I WAS AT 2700', AND THEN HE RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY TO THE EFFECT THAT I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TCA AND TO TURN LEFT TO 100 DEGS. I ACKNOWLEDGED THE XMISSION, REPEATING THE HDG AND COMPLIED. SHORTLY THEREAFTER A DIFFERENT VOICE XMITTED FROM ATC AND REQUESTED THAT I RETURN TO GILLESPIE AND LAND, AND THAT I CALL TRACON, WHICH I DID DO. THEY SAID I HAD ENTERED THE TCA W/O PERMISSION AND THAT AN MTR FROM MIRAMAR SUPPOSEDLY HAD TO DEVIATE ON ITS APCH. I KNEW WHERE THE TCA WAS ON PAPER AND HAD THE APPROPRIATE MAPS, AND I DID NOT BELIEVE I HAD ENTERED THE TCA AS YET. I KNEW THAT I WOULD BE NEARING IT SOON, ON THAT HDG, AND SO I WAS PREPARED TO IMMEDIATELY HEAD EASTERLY IF I DID NOT RECEIVE CLRNC FROM ATC WITHIN THE NEXT FEW SECS, GIVEN THE DELAYS FROM THE XMISSIONS. I DID NOT BELIEVE I HAD ENTERED THE TCA, BUT ACCORDING TO THEIR RADAR, THEY SAY I DID. I BELIEVE THERE ARE EXTENUATING AND MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES PRESENT IN THE INCIDENT IN THAT I AM A RELATIVELY NEW PLT AND THAT THIS AREA IS NOT MY HOME BASE. ADDITIONALLY, THE NEED FOR 4 EXCHANGES OF XMISSIONS TOOK MY ATTN, AND ALSO A BIT OF TIME, WHICH OBVIOUSLY COULD HAVE BROUGHT ME CLOSER TO THE TCA W/O ME BEING CONSCIOUSLY AWARE OF IT, DUE TO THE COMS PROBS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR CALLED TRACON AFTER RETURNING TO GILLESPIE. DISCUSSION NOT CONCLUSIVE. RPTR FEELS HE DID NOT ENTER TCA, BUT ATC SAYS HE DID. RPTR NEVER WAS ABLE TO SEE MTR. INVESTIGATION IS IN PROCESS AND FAA INDICATES THEY WILL FILE A VIOLATION.

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.