Narrative:

I was inbound to san diego's montgomery field from santa barbara via van nuys, pomona, and oceanside vors. I initiated a descent from my cruising altitude of 9500 at oceanside. I set my #2 VOR receiver on julian VOR and set the obs on the 247 degree right, indicated on the san diego VFR terminal area chart as defining the northern border of the san diego TCA. Shortly after passing oceanside VOR I contacted san diego approach control on a frequency I had previously noted on my flight log, as the frequency is not shown on the san diego terminal area chart. Ah, now I see on the far left of the chart a box containing all of the san diego frequencys for the various sectors of the TCA! This method of presentation is inconsistent with the types of approach control facs boxes utilized for either lax or sfo TCA's. The box was possibly used due to the 6 frequencys employed, but the fact that I just now discovered it, even after very careful flight planning, indicates the information is not effectively or consistently presented. The CDI on my #2 VOR receiver indicated left of center, showing I had not yet crossed the northern border of the TCA. Approach control proceeded to give me vectors to montgomery and cleared me to descend to and maintain 3500. I asked the controller to verify that I had clearance into the TCA. The response was 'you've been in the TCA for several minutes'. (I did not note the exact time at which the CDI centered, indicating I was on the jli 247 degree right.) at the time I thought how unwise I was to base my TCA avoidance on a radial from a VOR 38.5 NM away, considering radial width and allowable system errors. (No #2 VOR had indicated 0 degree error on a from indication in a VOR accuracy check at san jose in may, 1989). The vector issued by approach took us in a southeasterly direction, directly over NAS miramar. Minutes later approach indicated my destination airport was at 12 O'clock, 2 mi. I did, in fact, have an airport in sight at 12 O'clock, with the runway confign conforming to that shown on the chart for gillespie. I was then told to contact montgomery tower and 'they will give you assistance'. I had not requested assistance. Vectors to westerly headings then placed me on final approach for montgomery. (The exact order of these communications I do not recall precisely.) at the time I asked approach control if I were cleared into the TCA, the controller suggested in a most pleasant way that in the future I should contact approach over oceanside VOR. I was not admonished for my alleged TCA penetration prior to receiving my first vector. My airplane is equipped with an encoding altimeter, and the transponder was set in mode C during the entire operation. Since the san diego TCA constitutes the most confusing maze of airspace I have to date encountered, I had conducted very careful flight planning to avoid lax TCA and to plan flight into montgomery on routes and altitudes avoiding the san TCA. In the course of that flight planning I observed several critical omissions on the san VFR terminal area chart. The quest for 'all available information' required by far 91.5 should be aided, not hindered, by the chart-makers, as follows: 1) TCA approach control frequencys are not shown on the san diego VFR terminal area chart. If approach wants us to call over oceanside VOR, it would seem reasonable an approach control frequency be provided there. 2) we are left to assume that the frequency information boxed and printed in magenta apply to arsa's, also printed in magenta. As shown on the lax terminal area chart, TCA approach control frequencys are boxed and printed in blue. Would it not clarify frequency selection if arsa boxes contained an identifier in addition? Example: VFR aircraft arriving njz arsa contact.... There is no indication in the chart legend that magenta data is associated with the arsa, while blue data is associated with the TCA. One must merely deduce this fact. (I realize the pressures to put more information on charts is appreciable, but it would appear consistency in charting would be possible.) 3) except for those shown in segment B (on final approach to lindbergh field) there are no DME distances shown on any of the TCA arcs for the san diego TCA. I initially assumed this was because the mzb VORTAC is not located on the field at lindbergh, but this fact did not negate the capability to put the DME distances in the B segments. DME distances are most helpful in avoiding TCA's. My airplane is DME-equipped, and I routinely utilize DME to navigate around the san francisco TCA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALLEGED PENETRATION OF TCA WHILE CONTACTING APCH CTL.

Narrative: I WAS INBND TO SAN DIEGO'S MONTGOMERY FIELD FROM SANTA BARBARA VIA VAN NUYS, POMONA, AND OCEANSIDE VORS. I INITIATED A DSCNT FROM MY CRUISING ALT OF 9500 AT OCEANSIDE. I SET MY #2 VOR RECEIVER ON JULIAN VOR AND SET THE OBS ON THE 247 DEG R, INDICATED ON THE SAN DIEGO VFR TERMINAL AREA CHART AS DEFINING THE NORTHERN BORDER OF THE SAN DIEGO TCA. SHORTLY AFTER PASSING OCEANSIDE VOR I CONTACTED SAN DIEGO APCH CTL ON A FREQ I HAD PREVIOUSLY NOTED ON MY FLT LOG, AS THE FREQ IS NOT SHOWN ON THE SAN DIEGO TERMINAL AREA CHART. AH, NOW I SEE ON THE FAR LEFT OF THE CHART A BOX CONTAINING ALL OF THE SAN DIEGO FREQS FOR THE VARIOUS SECTORS OF THE TCA! THIS METHOD OF PRESENTATION IS INCONSISTENT WITH THE TYPES OF APCH CTL FACS BOXES UTILIZED FOR EITHER LAX OR SFO TCA'S. THE BOX WAS POSSIBLY USED DUE TO THE 6 FREQS EMPLOYED, BUT THE FACT THAT I JUST NOW DISCOVERED IT, EVEN AFTER VERY CAREFUL FLT PLANNING, INDICATES THE INFO IS NOT EFFECTIVELY OR CONSISTENTLY PRESENTED. THE CDI ON MY #2 VOR RECEIVER INDICATED LEFT OF CENTER, SHOWING I HAD NOT YET CROSSED THE NORTHERN BORDER OF THE TCA. APCH CTL PROCEEDED TO GIVE ME VECTORS TO MONTGOMERY AND CLRED ME TO DSND TO AND MAINTAIN 3500. I ASKED THE CTLR TO VERIFY THAT I HAD CLRNC INTO THE TCA. THE RESPONSE WAS 'YOU'VE BEEN IN THE TCA FOR SEVERAL MINUTES'. (I DID NOT NOTE THE EXACT TIME AT WHICH THE CDI CENTERED, INDICATING I WAS ON THE JLI 247 DEG R.) AT THE TIME I THOUGHT HOW UNWISE I WAS TO BASE MY TCA AVOIDANCE ON A RADIAL FROM A VOR 38.5 NM AWAY, CONSIDERING RADIAL WIDTH AND ALLOWABLE SYSTEM ERRORS. (NO #2 VOR HAD INDICATED 0 DEG ERROR ON A FROM INDICATION IN A VOR ACCURACY CHECK AT SAN JOSE IN MAY, 1989). THE VECTOR ISSUED BY APCH TOOK US IN A SOUTHEASTERLY DIRECTION, DIRECTLY OVER NAS MIRAMAR. MINUTES LATER APCH INDICATED MY DEST ARPT WAS AT 12 O'CLOCK, 2 MI. I DID, IN FACT, HAVE AN ARPT IN SIGHT AT 12 O'CLOCK, WITH THE RWY CONFIGN CONFORMING TO THAT SHOWN ON THE CHART FOR GILLESPIE. I WAS THEN TOLD TO CONTACT MONTGOMERY TWR AND 'THEY WILL GIVE YOU ASSISTANCE'. I HAD NOT REQUESTED ASSISTANCE. VECTORS TO WESTERLY HDGS THEN PLACED ME ON FINAL APCH FOR MONTGOMERY. (THE EXACT ORDER OF THESE COMS I DO NOT RECALL PRECISELY.) AT THE TIME I ASKED APCH CTL IF I WERE CLRED INTO THE TCA, THE CTLR SUGGESTED IN A MOST PLEASANT WAY THAT IN THE FUTURE I SHOULD CONTACT APCH OVER OCEANSIDE VOR. I WAS NOT ADMONISHED FOR MY ALLEGED TCA PENETRATION PRIOR TO RECEIVING MY FIRST VECTOR. MY AIRPLANE IS EQUIPPED WITH AN ENCODING ALTIMETER, AND THE XPONDER WAS SET IN MODE C DURING THE ENTIRE OPERATION. SINCE THE SAN DIEGO TCA CONSTITUTES THE MOST CONFUSING MAZE OF AIRSPACE I HAVE TO DATE ENCOUNTERED, I HAD CONDUCTED VERY CAREFUL FLT PLANNING TO AVOID LAX TCA AND TO PLAN FLT INTO MONTGOMERY ON ROUTES AND ALTS AVOIDING THE SAN TCA. IN THE COURSE OF THAT FLT PLANNING I OBSERVED SEVERAL CRITICAL OMISSIONS ON THE SAN VFR TERMINAL AREA CHART. THE QUEST FOR 'ALL AVAILABLE INFO' REQUIRED BY FAR 91.5 SHOULD BE AIDED, NOT HINDERED, BY THE CHART-MAKERS, AS FOLLOWS: 1) TCA APCH CTL FREQS ARE NOT SHOWN ON THE SAN DIEGO VFR TERMINAL AREA CHART. IF APCH WANTS US TO CALL OVER OCEANSIDE VOR, IT WOULD SEEM REASONABLE AN APCH CTL FREQ BE PROVIDED THERE. 2) WE ARE LEFT TO ASSUME THAT THE FREQ INFO BOXED AND PRINTED IN MAGENTA APPLY TO ARSA'S, ALSO PRINTED IN MAGENTA. AS SHOWN ON THE LAX TERMINAL AREA CHART, TCA APCH CTL FREQS ARE BOXED AND PRINTED IN BLUE. WOULD IT NOT CLARIFY FREQ SELECTION IF ARSA BOXES CONTAINED AN IDENTIFIER IN ADDITION? EXAMPLE: VFR ACFT ARRIVING NJZ ARSA CONTACT.... THERE IS NO INDICATION IN THE CHART LEGEND THAT MAGENTA DATA IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ARSA, WHILE BLUE DATA IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE TCA. ONE MUST MERELY DEDUCE THIS FACT. (I REALIZE THE PRESSURES TO PUT MORE INFO ON CHARTS IS APPRECIABLE, BUT IT WOULD APPEAR CONSISTENCY IN CHARTING WOULD BE POSSIBLE.) 3) EXCEPT FOR THOSE SHOWN IN SEGMENT B (ON FINAL APCH TO LINDBERGH FIELD) THERE ARE NO DME DISTANCES SHOWN ON ANY OF THE TCA ARCS FOR THE SAN DIEGO TCA. I INITIALLY ASSUMED THIS WAS BECAUSE THE MZB VORTAC IS NOT LOCATED ON THE FIELD AT LINDBERGH, BUT THIS FACT DID NOT NEGATE THE CAPABILITY TO PUT THE DME DISTANCES IN THE B SEGMENTS. DME DISTANCES ARE MOST HELPFUL IN AVOIDING TCA'S. MY AIRPLANE IS DME-EQUIPPED, AND I ROUTINELY UTILIZE DME TO NAVIGATE AROUND THE SAN FRANCISCO 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.