Narrative:

Contacted clearance delivery while on ground at dulles, and advised them my destination was linden, nj, VFR at 9500'. Clearance then asked direction of flight. I responded with 'direct balance,' and clearance then asked me if a heading of 050 degrees was acceptable and I responded with 'affirmative.' clearance then issued maintain runway heading at or below 1500', a departure frequency and a squawk. During takeoff, tower issued turn left to heading of 050 degrees, and handed me off to dulles departure control. Departure issued me at least one heading change, and at least 2 altitude assignments. Departure then cleared me, 'on course, climb to requested altitude.' I then reported leaving my present altitude, climbing on course to 9500'. After 2 or 3 mins elapsed, departure then informed me that I had entered the washington TCA west/O a clearance, but stated that being tracked on radar and that there was no problem, and he turned me to a heading of 020 degrees. A few mins later dulles departure then handed me off to baltimore approach and the remainder of the flight was routine. Human performance consideration: my first NAVAID was reported to clearance delivery as baltimore VOR, and an en route altitude of 9500'. Since the dulles arsa does abut the washington TCA between my position and baltimore, and since the departure runway 19L is only 7 NM west of the TCA, it seemed only natural that once I was accepted into the radar system that departure should have provided for a legal TCA transition. When clearance asked if an initial departure heading of 050 degrees was acceptable I responded affirmative, naturally wanting to smoothly fit into their arriving and departing traffic flow. After a series of radar vectors and altitude changes, I was cleared on course, which I had previously told clearance delivery was direct balance. So as not to create confusion I proceeded direct, which may have resulted in a possible TCA intrusion. Apparently the dulles departure controller did not obtain TCA clearance on my behalf before clearing me on course.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA AFTER VECTORS BY DEP CTLR GIVEN CLRNC DIRECT THAT RESULTED IN UNAUTH PENETRATION OF ADJACENT TCA.

Narrative: CONTACTED CLRNC DELIVERY WHILE ON GND AT DULLES, AND ADVISED THEM MY DEST WAS LINDEN, NJ, VFR AT 9500'. CLRNC THEN ASKED DIRECTION OF FLT. I RESPONDED WITH 'DIRECT BAL,' AND CLRNC THEN ASKED ME IF A HDG OF 050 DEGS WAS ACCEPTABLE AND I RESPONDED WITH 'AFFIRMATIVE.' CLRNC THEN ISSUED MAINTAIN RWY HDG AT OR BELOW 1500', A DEP FREQ AND A SQUAWK. DURING TKOF, TWR ISSUED TURN LEFT TO HDG OF 050 DEGS, AND HANDED ME OFF TO DULLES DEP CTL. DEP ISSUED ME AT LEAST ONE HDG CHANGE, AND AT LEAST 2 ALT ASSIGNMENTS. DEP THEN CLRED ME, 'ON COURSE, CLB TO REQUESTED ALT.' I THEN RPTED LEAVING MY PRESENT ALT, CLBING ON COURSE TO 9500'. AFTER 2 OR 3 MINS ELAPSED, DEP THEN INFORMED ME THAT I HAD ENTERED THE WASHINGTON TCA W/O A CLRNC, BUT STATED THAT BEING TRACKED ON RADAR AND THAT THERE WAS NO PROB, AND HE TURNED ME TO A HDG OF 020 DEGS. A FEW MINS LATER DULLES DEP THEN HANDED ME OFF TO BALTIMORE APCH AND THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS ROUTINE. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATION: MY FIRST NAVAID WAS RPTED TO CLRNC DELIVERY AS BALTIMORE VOR, AND AN ENRTE ALT OF 9500'. SINCE THE DULLES ARSA DOES ABUT THE WASHINGTON TCA BTWN MY POS AND BALTIMORE, AND SINCE THE DEP RWY 19L IS ONLY 7 NM W OF THE TCA, IT SEEMED ONLY NATURAL THAT ONCE I WAS ACCEPTED INTO THE RADAR SYS THAT DEP SHOULD HAVE PROVIDED FOR A LEGAL TCA TRANSITION. WHEN CLRNC ASKED IF AN INITIAL DEP HDG OF 050 DEGS WAS ACCEPTABLE I RESPONDED AFFIRMATIVE, NATURALLY WANTING TO SMOOTHLY FIT INTO THEIR ARRIVING AND DEPARTING TFC FLOW. AFTER A SERIES OF RADAR VECTORS AND ALT CHANGES, I WAS CLRED ON COURSE, WHICH I HAD PREVIOUSLY TOLD CLRNC DELIVERY WAS DIRECT BAL. SO AS NOT TO CREATE CONFUSION I PROCEEDED DIRECT, WHICH MAY HAVE RESULTED IN A POSSIBLE TCA INTRUSION. APPARENTLY THE DULLES DEP CTLR DID NOT OBTAIN TCA CLRNC ON MY BEHALF BEFORE CLRING ME ON COURSE.

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.