Narrative:

I was on a VFR cross country flight from OB8 to gai. From OB8 until past the ny TCA I was cruising at 8500' MSL and was on flight following for the entire flight. After leaving ny airspace, I contacted mc guire approach and was on flight following with mc guire until just after passing rbv VORTAC. During this time I requested and received clearance to descend to 4500' MSL in order to avoid headwinds. At rbv I joined V252 to the dqo VOR. Approximately 5 NM southwest of rbv mc guire terminated radar service and told me to contact phl approach in about 10 NM. Approximately 12 NM southwest of rbv on V252 I called phl approach on the frequency suggested by mc guire saying: 'phl approach, this is aircraft identify.' phl told me to 'standby,' but gave no further instructions. After another minute or 90 seconds, when phl did not call back, I again called phl. I received no answer. I repeated my call to phl 2 more times at intervals of about 45 seconds. Still no response. Finally, approximately 20 NM southwest of rbv, realizing that I was about to enter or possibly had entered the phl TCA, and uncertain whether to proceed on course or whether to turn around, I called phl and said that I was on V252 at 4500' MSL and about to enter the TCA. I asked whether I had permission to enter the TCA. Then phl approach responded saying that I was in the TCA and near the final approach to runway 27. I told the controller that I had tried to contact him since shortly after leaving rbv. The controller then gave me vectors (about a heading of 150 degrees) to avoid phl. I immediately complied. After a few miles detour, I was told to proceed direct to dqo. I made every possible effort to contact phl and proceeded in accord with my experience here in the washington area. In the baltimore-washington area, when controllers are too busy to handle me, they always say 'standby--remain clear of the TCA/arsa' if they do not expect to answer my call shortly. If a controller does not expect to get back to a pilot in 30 seconds, have him say, 'standby. Remain clear of TCA.' I was given unclear instructions and believed that the controller would come back to me very shortly as they always have in my past experience. Similar to instrument flight plans, have a handoff from 1 controller to the next if a pilot is on flight following and the 2 airspace sectors are near to each other. Have a VORTAC or other DME transmitter located at the center of a TCA so that the pilot can tell precisely when he is entering a TCA. Hire more controllers so these harried and overworked people can talk to pilots, like me, who are trying to reach them.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA UNAUTH PENETRATION OF PHL TCA WHILE ON CROSS COUNTRY FLT USING FLT FOLLOWING.

Narrative: I WAS ON A VFR XCOUNTRY FLT FROM OB8 TO GAI. FROM OB8 UNTIL PAST THE NY TCA I WAS CRUISING AT 8500' MSL AND WAS ON FLT FOLLOWING FOR THE ENTIRE FLT. AFTER LEAVING NY AIRSPACE, I CONTACTED MC GUIRE APCH AND WAS ON FLT FOLLOWING WITH MC GUIRE UNTIL JUST AFTER PASSING RBV VORTAC. DURING THIS TIME I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO DSND TO 4500' MSL IN ORDER TO AVOID HEADWINDS. AT RBV I JOINED V252 TO THE DQO VOR. APPROX 5 NM SW OF RBV MC GUIRE TERMINATED RADAR SVC AND TOLD ME TO CONTACT PHL APCH IN ABOUT 10 NM. APPROX 12 NM SW OF RBV ON V252 I CALLED PHL APCH ON THE FREQ SUGGESTED BY MC GUIRE SAYING: 'PHL APCH, THIS IS ACFT IDENT.' PHL TOLD ME TO 'STANDBY,' BUT GAVE NO FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. AFTER ANOTHER MINUTE OR 90 SECS, WHEN PHL DID NOT CALL BACK, I AGAIN CALLED PHL. I RECEIVED NO ANSWER. I REPEATED MY CALL TO PHL 2 MORE TIMES AT INTERVALS OF ABOUT 45 SECS. STILL NO RESPONSE. FINALLY, APPROX 20 NM SW OF RBV, REALIZING THAT I WAS ABOUT TO ENTER OR POSSIBLY HAD ENTERED THE PHL TCA, AND UNCERTAIN WHETHER TO PROCEED ON COURSE OR WHETHER TO TURN AROUND, I CALLED PHL AND SAID THAT I WAS ON V252 AT 4500' MSL AND ABOUT TO ENTER THE TCA. I ASKED WHETHER I HAD PERMISSION TO ENTER THE TCA. THEN PHL APCH RESPONDED SAYING THAT I WAS IN THE TCA AND NEAR THE FINAL APCH TO RWY 27. I TOLD THE CTLR THAT I HAD TRIED TO CONTACT HIM SINCE SHORTLY AFTER LEAVING RBV. THE CTLR THEN GAVE ME VECTORS (ABOUT A HDG OF 150 DEGS) TO AVOID PHL. I IMMEDIATELY COMPLIED. AFTER A FEW MILES DETOUR, I WAS TOLD TO PROCEED DIRECT TO DQO. I MADE EVERY POSSIBLE EFFORT TO CONTACT PHL AND PROCEEDED IN ACCORD WITH MY EXPERIENCE HERE IN THE WASHINGTON AREA. IN THE BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON AREA, WHEN CTLRS ARE TOO BUSY TO HANDLE ME, THEY ALWAYS SAY 'STANDBY--REMAIN CLR OF THE TCA/ARSA' IF THEY DO NOT EXPECT TO ANSWER MY CALL SHORTLY. IF A CTLR DOES NOT EXPECT TO GET BACK TO A PLT IN 30 SECS, HAVE HIM SAY, 'STANDBY. REMAIN CLR OF TCA.' I WAS GIVEN UNCLEAR INSTRUCTIONS AND BELIEVED THAT THE CTLR WOULD COME BACK TO ME VERY SHORTLY AS THEY ALWAYS HAVE IN MY PAST EXPERIENCE. SIMILAR TO INSTRUMENT FLT PLANS, HAVE A HDOF FROM 1 CTLR TO THE NEXT IF A PLT IS ON FLT FOLLOWING AND THE 2 AIRSPACE SECTORS ARE NEAR TO EACH OTHER. HAVE A VORTAC OR OTHER DME XMITTER LOCATED AT THE CENTER OF A TCA SO THAT THE PLT CAN TELL PRECISELY WHEN HE IS ENTERING A TCA. HIRE MORE CTLRS SO THESE HARRIED AND OVERWORKED PEOPLE CAN TALK TO PLTS, LIKE ME, WHO ARE TRYING TO REACH THEM.

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.