Narrative:

Departed oroville VFR. Encountered undercast approximately richmond/ccr/livermore line, tops at 3500 to 2700' TCA transit at 3500' to west bay, as undercast ended at west shoreline. Bay approach advised to fly heading 170 degrees, remain clear of TCA, and they could not approve TCA transit. When in arsa northeast of oak, I could not approve TCA transit. When in arsa northeast of oak, I could not descend below 3000' to clear the 15K arc from sfo and remain VFR, and controller had not cleared me IFR as previously requested. The 3000' area of the sfo 15K arc was flown into inadvertently at 3200'. Upon realizing this, I turned east to increase the sfo DME distance. By then issued IFR clearance, and was descended through overcast over hwd, where I cancelled IFR and proceeded VFR to sql. As there was very little air traffic at the time, I feel that the TCA airspace should be cleared for use, rather than the general blanket. Exclusion compromises the safety of aircraft in the real world of WX/terrain/aircraft operations. It unnecessarily burdens a pilot with inside navigation tasks to please ATC at the expense of see and avoid concepts, which prevents collisions and is what the TCA was purported to accomplish in the first place. ATC needs to manage the airspace, not close it to non IFR (IFR is mandatory handling) aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states he requested IFR clearance prior to apc which was plenty of time and distance had ATC responded. Instead they gave him stand by, then gave different frequency to contact. Again was given stand by. Clearance finally given but reporter had already clipped boundary of TCA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TCA PENETRATION.

Narrative: DEPARTED OROVILLE VFR. ENCOUNTERED UNDERCAST APPROX RICHMOND/CCR/LIVERMORE LINE, TOPS AT 3500 TO 2700' TCA TRANSIT AT 3500' TO WEST BAY, AS UNDERCAST ENDED AT W SHORELINE. BAY APCH ADVISED TO FLY HDG 170 DEGS, REMAIN CLR OF TCA, AND THEY COULD NOT APPROVE TCA TRANSIT. WHEN IN ARSA NE OF OAK, I COULD NOT APPROVE TCA TRANSIT. WHEN IN ARSA NE OF OAK, I COULD NOT DSND BELOW 3000' TO CLR THE 15K ARC FROM SFO AND REMAIN VFR, AND CTLR HAD NOT CLRED ME IFR AS PREVIOUSLY REQUESTED. THE 3000' AREA OF THE SFO 15K ARC WAS FLOWN INTO INADVERTENTLY AT 3200'. UPON REALIZING THIS, I TURNED E TO INCREASE THE SFO DME DISTANCE. BY THEN ISSUED IFR CLRNC, AND WAS DSNDED THROUGH OVCST OVER HWD, WHERE I CANCELLED IFR AND PROCEEDED VFR TO SQL. AS THERE WAS VERY LITTLE AIR TFC AT THE TIME, I FEEL THAT THE TCA AIRSPACE SHOULD BE CLRED FOR USE, RATHER THAN THE GENERAL BLANKET. EXCLUSION COMPROMISES THE SAFETY OF ACFT IN THE REAL WORLD OF WX/TERRAIN/ACFT OPS. IT UNNECESSARILY BURDENS A PLT WITH INSIDE NAV TASKS TO PLEASE ATC AT THE EXPENSE OF SEE AND AVOID CONCEPTS, WHICH PREVENTS COLLISIONS AND IS WHAT THE TCA WAS PURPORTED TO ACCOMPLISH IN THE FIRST PLACE. ATC NEEDS TO MANAGE THE AIRSPACE, NOT CLOSE IT TO NON IFR (IFR IS MANDATORY HANDLING) ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES HE REQUESTED IFR CLRNC PRIOR TO APC WHICH WAS PLENTY OF TIME AND DISTANCE HAD ATC RESPONDED. INSTEAD THEY GAVE HIM STAND BY, THEN GAVE DIFFERENT FREQ TO CONTACT. AGAIN WAS GIVEN STAND BY. CLRNC FINALLY GIVEN BUT RPTR HAD ALREADY CLIPPED BOUNDARY OF 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.