Narrative:

En route from eugene, or, to san carlos, ca, VFR at night my encoder was reported by ATC as not reading correctly, so I was not able to file IFR to my destination. The routing would be through the sfo TCA. I was receiving VFR advisories from oakland center. Approximately 60 NM north of skaggs island, I asked the controller if it was possible to obtain TCA clearance west/O encoding. He stated that he could not provide clearance but he would check. He replied later that bay had said that 'at this time of night, no problem.' my assumption was that in doing this, he had passed along my intentions for a TCA clearance to the bay controller position responsible. Later, over skaggs island, I was handed over to bay. Contacting him, I reported at 5500' (MSL). He asked me to affirm that value (I don't think he heard my report well). Then he gave me a heading to fly and a requirement to cross oakland at 2000'. I turned to this heading and began a descent. I believed that a VFR TCA clearance was imminent since my conversation with oakland and because of the handoff (not a radar service termination with an advisory) to bay. I continued descent, thinking that this was a route normally given to VFR traffic west/O TCA clearance. I had not kept exact track of my location with respect to upcoming TCA floors, since I was expecting clearance. The bay controller asked for my current altitude, which was 3500 MSL. I'm not sure of the location, but it could have been over richmond or berkeley. Not knowing my exact location, the possibility exists that I was in area golf of the sfo TCA. The controller said nothing about it. I queried him as to whether he wanted me to remain clear of the TCA, i.e., was no clearance forthcoming? He said, 'yes, remain clear. If you wanted clearance, you should have said something. We could've coordinated that.' I continued descent and was handed off to oakland tower. By this time, I was level at 2000. Synopsis. I am not sure that I ever violated the golf sector lower boundary. In light of the controller not mentioning it, I don't think so. But I'm not sure. Flying into seattle three days earlier, a TCA controller had cleared me for VFR descent through the TCA west/O my asking. However, I was headed for sea-tac, the primary airport in that TCA. There is a route underneath the TCA. Partly because of my talk with oakland, and my experience at seattle, I thought that a TCA clearance was forthcoming. The information I received from the oakland center controller must have been received as an open ended question like, 'can you handle a non encoder VFR flight?' and no impending request was ever passed on. I understand that no TCA clearance is implied or made west/O the words 'cleared into the TCA' or something similar. I wanted the TCA clearance because at night, I'm not thrilled about flying 1000' above open water, even in a multi engined airplane west/O life preservers. Recommendations. Since many pilots use VFR flight following, some way to forward requests to destination controllers should exist, or at least get feedback as to whether a clearance is possible at that future time. Being handed off 10 NM from the TCA is not enough time to make a request west/O having to do a VFR 'hold' in place. Or using the overlying airspace requiring a long deviation. Perhaps a controller (TCA) should be required to warn VFR flts that they are on a course for a TCA, or include a reminder that they have no clearance, when that flight is handed off to a TCA controller. I don't want to increase controller workload or responsibility, or cause FAA to conclude that VFR advisories are not worth the trouble for TRACON controllers. This seems to be a gray area (vectors given when not actually in an arsa or TRSA or TCA, but approaching one). I am also aware of aim paragraph 165 (1) and (2) and 165 (10) (D). Perhaps some clarifications are in order as regards transitional procedure between 'stage I' service to a TCA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE. SFO TCA.

Narrative: ENRTE FROM EUGENE, OR, TO SAN CARLOS, CA, VFR AT NIGHT MY ENCODER WAS RPTED BY ATC AS NOT READING CORRECTLY, SO I WAS NOT ABLE TO FILE IFR TO MY DEST. THE ROUTING WOULD BE THROUGH THE SFO TCA. I WAS RECEIVING VFR ADVISORIES FROM OAKLAND CENTER. APPROX 60 NM N OF SKAGGS ISLAND, I ASKED THE CTLR IF IT WAS POSSIBLE TO OBTAIN TCA CLRNC W/O ENCODING. HE STATED THAT HE COULD NOT PROVIDE CLRNC BUT HE WOULD CHK. HE REPLIED LATER THAT BAY HAD SAID THAT 'AT THIS TIME OF NIGHT, NO PROB.' MY ASSUMPTION WAS THAT IN DOING THIS, HE HAD PASSED ALONG MY INTENTIONS FOR A TCA CLRNC TO THE BAY CTLR POS RESPONSIBLE. LATER, OVER SKAGGS ISLAND, I WAS HANDED OVER TO BAY. CONTACTING HIM, I RPTED AT 5500' (MSL). HE ASKED ME TO AFFIRM THAT VALUE (I DON'T THINK HE HEARD MY RPT WELL). THEN HE GAVE ME A HDG TO FLY AND A REQUIREMENT TO CROSS OAKLAND AT 2000'. I TURNED TO THIS HDG AND BEGAN A DSCNT. I BELIEVED THAT A VFR TCA CLRNC WAS IMMINENT SINCE MY CONVERSATION WITH OAKLAND AND BECAUSE OF THE HANDOFF (NOT A RADAR SVC TERMINATION WITH AN ADVISORY) TO BAY. I CONTINUED DSCNT, THINKING THAT THIS WAS A ROUTE NORMALLY GIVEN TO VFR TFC W/O TCA CLRNC. I HAD NOT KEPT EXACT TRACK OF MY LOCATION WITH RESPECT TO UPCOMING TCA FLOORS, SINCE I WAS EXPECTING CLRNC. THE BAY CTLR ASKED FOR MY CURRENT ALT, WHICH WAS 3500 MSL. I'M NOT SURE OF THE LOCATION, BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN OVER RICHMOND OR BERKELEY. NOT KNOWING MY EXACT LOCATION, THE POSSIBILITY EXISTS THAT I WAS IN AREA GOLF OF THE SFO TCA. THE CTLR SAID NOTHING ABOUT IT. I QUERIED HIM AS TO WHETHER HE WANTED ME TO REMAIN CLR OF THE TCA, I.E., WAS NO CLRNC FORTHCOMING? HE SAID, 'YES, REMAIN CLR. IF YOU WANTED CLRNC, YOU SHOULD HAVE SAID SOMETHING. WE COULD'VE COORDINATED THAT.' I CONTINUED DSCNT AND WAS HANDED OFF TO OAKLAND TWR. BY THIS TIME, I WAS LEVEL AT 2000. SYNOPSIS. I AM NOT SURE THAT I EVER VIOLATED THE GOLF SECTOR LOWER BOUNDARY. IN LIGHT OF THE CTLR NOT MENTIONING IT, I DON'T THINK SO. BUT I'M NOT SURE. FLYING INTO SEATTLE THREE DAYS EARLIER, A TCA CTLR HAD CLRED ME FOR VFR DSCNT THROUGH THE TCA W/O MY ASKING. HOWEVER, I WAS HEADED FOR SEA-TAC, THE PRIMARY ARPT IN THAT TCA. THERE IS A ROUTE UNDERNEATH THE TCA. PARTLY BECAUSE OF MY TALK WITH OAKLAND, AND MY EXPERIENCE AT SEATTLE, I THOUGHT THAT A TCA CLRNC WAS FORTHCOMING. THE INFO I RECEIVED FROM THE OAKLAND CENTER CTLR MUST HAVE BEEN RECEIVED AS AN OPEN ENDED QUESTION LIKE, 'CAN YOU HANDLE A NON ENCODER VFR FLT?' AND NO IMPENDING REQUEST WAS EVER PASSED ON. I UNDERSTAND THAT NO TCA CLRNC IS IMPLIED OR MADE W/O THE WORDS 'CLRED INTO THE TCA' OR SOMETHING SIMILAR. I WANTED THE TCA CLRNC BECAUSE AT NIGHT, I'M NOT THRILLED ABOUT FLYING 1000' ABOVE OPEN WATER, EVEN IN A MULTI ENGINED AIRPLANE W/O LIFE PRESERVERS. RECOMMENDATIONS. SINCE MANY PLTS USE VFR FLT FOLLOWING, SOME WAY TO FORWARD REQUESTS TO DEST CTLRS SHOULD EXIST, OR AT LEAST GET FEEDBACK AS TO WHETHER A CLRNC IS POSSIBLE AT THAT FUTURE TIME. BEING HANDED OFF 10 NM FROM THE TCA IS NOT ENOUGH TIME TO MAKE A REQUEST W/O HAVING TO DO A VFR 'HOLD' IN PLACE. OR USING THE OVERLYING AIRSPACE REQUIRING A LONG DEV. PERHAPS A CTLR (TCA) SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO WARN VFR FLTS THAT THEY ARE ON A COURSE FOR A TCA, OR INCLUDE A REMINDER THAT THEY HAVE NO CLRNC, WHEN THAT FLT IS HANDED OFF TO A TCA CTLR. I DON'T WANT TO INCREASE CTLR WORKLOAD OR RESPONSIBILITY, OR CAUSE FAA TO CONCLUDE THAT VFR ADVISORIES ARE NOT WORTH THE TROUBLE FOR TRACON CTLRS. THIS SEEMS TO BE A GRAY AREA (VECTORS GIVEN WHEN NOT ACTUALLY IN AN ARSA OR TRSA OR TCA, BUT APCHING ONE). I AM ALSO AWARE OF AIM PARAGRAPH 165 (1) AND (2) AND 165 (10) (D). PERHAPS SOME CLARIFICATIONS ARE IN ORDER AS REGARDS TRANSITIONAL PROC BTWN 'STAGE I' SVC TO A TCA.

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.