Narrative:

Refueled at grand prairie, tx, F67. Prefiled an IFR flight plan from there to fort smith, ar. Dallas departure advised me on ground about 15 mins delay, so I departed grand prairie VFR on runway 17 to southeast to clear navy dallas control zone, then east over redbird airport. Called redbird tower for overflt when 5 mi west of redbird. They asked what altitude I was climbing to and I told them 3500'. They said to contact departure on 125.2 if that high. I then checked the dfw sectional chart dated 2/thu/89. By the time I called dallas departure (125.2) I had checked the sectional and it looked like I was ok up to 5000' west/O getting into TCA, and I was asked and reported to departure that I was over redbird at 4300'. The problem, if you look at the dfw sectional through sunglasses, is that: the TCA sector over redbird is labeled with altitudes printed in much smaller letters than all other sectors, the love field arsa sectors also appear on the same chart and offer further confusion, it seemed to me that the eastern TCA sector with altitude limits 5000/8000' also extended around the southeast sector over redbird, and the blue line separating the redbird (southeast sector) from the east sector falls right on highway 45, which further obscures the division of sectors. My conclusion was that the chart's eastern sector wrapped around to redbird at 4300 (in fact less than 5000') was ok, outside the TCA. When my workload subsided about 10 mins later, I checked my communication 10-1T chart for the TCA, where it was clear that the TCA extended from 40/80 thousand. Conclusion: the TCA altitude labeling on the current dfw sectional is so poor as to be contributory to TCA penetration incidents.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMT ON A VFR FLT ENTERED A TCA WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: REFUELED AT GRAND PRAIRIE, TX, F67. PREFILED AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM THERE TO FORT SMITH, AR. DALLAS DEP ADVISED ME ON GND ABOUT 15 MINS DELAY, SO I DEPARTED GRAND PRAIRIE VFR ON RWY 17 TO SE TO CLR NAVY DALLAS CTL ZONE, THEN E OVER REDBIRD ARPT. CALLED REDBIRD TWR FOR OVERFLT WHEN 5 MI W OF REDBIRD. THEY ASKED WHAT ALT I WAS CLBING TO AND I TOLD THEM 3500'. THEY SAID TO CONTACT DEP ON 125.2 IF THAT HIGH. I THEN CHKED THE DFW SECTIONAL CHART DATED 2/THU/89. BY THE TIME I CALLED DALLAS DEP (125.2) I HAD CHKED THE SECTIONAL AND IT LOOKED LIKE I WAS OK UP TO 5000' W/O GETTING INTO TCA, AND I WAS ASKED AND RPTED TO DEP THAT I WAS OVER REDBIRD AT 4300'. THE PROB, IF YOU LOOK AT THE DFW SECTIONAL THROUGH SUNGLASSES, IS THAT: THE TCA SECTOR OVER REDBIRD IS LABELED WITH ALTS PRINTED IN MUCH SMALLER LETTERS THAN ALL OTHER SECTORS, THE LOVE FIELD ARSA SECTORS ALSO APPEAR ON THE SAME CHART AND OFFER FURTHER CONFUSION, IT SEEMED TO ME THAT THE EASTERN TCA SECTOR WITH ALT LIMITS 5000/8000' ALSO EXTENDED AROUND THE SE SECTOR OVER REDBIRD, AND THE BLUE LINE SEPARATING THE REDBIRD (SE SECTOR) FROM THE E SECTOR FALLS RIGHT ON HIGHWAY 45, WHICH FURTHER OBSCURES THE DIVISION OF SECTORS. MY CONCLUSION WAS THAT THE CHART'S EASTERN SECTOR WRAPPED AROUND TO REDBIRD AT 4300 (IN FACT LESS THAN 5000') WAS OK, OUTSIDE THE TCA. WHEN MY WORKLOAD SUBSIDED ABOUT 10 MINS LATER, I CHKED MY COM 10-1T CHART FOR THE TCA, WHERE IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE TCA EXTENDED FROM 40/80 THOUSAND. CONCLUSION: THE TCA ALT LABELING ON THE CURRENT DFW SECTIONAL IS SO POOR AS TO BE CONTRIBUTORY TO TCA PENETRATION INCIDENTS.

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.