Unauthorized penetration of positive control area.

Attributes
ACN	125082
Time
Date	198910
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : saa
State Reference	WY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 14000 msl bound upper : 21000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Route In Use	approach : visual departure other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 4775 flight time type : 1785
ASRS Report	125082
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 24000 vertical : 750
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

IFR clearance was on file with ZDV. 1) departed saa VFR and was climbing to an altitude where contact with center could be made 12,500 to 14,000'. 2) controller issued squawk code. 3) controller advised radar contact 19 mi southeast of ssa, remain VFR for clearance. 4) static/garbled transmission which was perceived as our clearance but not understood. 5) before we could ask the controller to repeat, we were issued traffic at 11-12 O'clock 3-5 mi sebnd at 17,000 (no vector for avoidance was issued at that time nor a request to stop climb (no evidence of a critical situation). 6) we were then told to turn north for traffic (no vector) and would be issued a clearance when clear of traffic (clearance was assumed by me and the copilot to mean clear of traffic and resume heading). 7) we were then told to change frequency (next sector) but first asked about location of traffic, was told that it was 1 O'clock sebnd. At that point it appeared to no longer be a factor and changed to the new frequency. 8) during this span of time (5-10 minutes) under radar control we inadvertently climbed thru FL180 climbing to FL210 (our filed altitude). 9) we were not aware of any clearance problem. At no time did we know that a clearance to altitude had not been issued because of 1) the garbled transmission, 2) 3 traffic reports, 3) we were under center control, 4) we were not told to stop at any altitude to avoid other traffic, not even a warning that we shouldn't be where we were about to enter the positive control area. 10) the new controller cleared us direct estus direct denver and to FL210 (this was our first clue that the previous controller did not know what altitude we were climbing thru or warn us that we were not authorized to enter the positive control area. Summary: it appears to me that several things happened in a short span of time which clouded the issuance of a full route clearance. Traffic was my primary concern. Controller was not clear in all of his instructions regarding avoidance, vector, altitude, clearance or interpretation thereof. He could have been more informative and helpful!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH PENETRATION OF PCA.

Narrative: IFR CLRNC WAS ON FILE WITH ZDV. 1) DEPARTED SAA VFR AND WAS CLIMBING TO AN ALT WHERE CONTACT WITH CENTER COULD BE MADE 12,500 TO 14,000'. 2) CTLR ISSUED SQUAWK CODE. 3) CTLR ADVISED RADAR CONTACT 19 MI SE OF SSA, REMAIN VFR FOR CLRNC. 4) STATIC/GARBLED XMISSION WHICH WAS PERCEIVED AS OUR CLRNC BUT NOT UNDERSTOOD. 5) BEFORE WE COULD ASK THE CTLR TO REPEAT, WE WERE ISSUED TFC AT 11-12 O'CLOCK 3-5 MI SEBND AT 17,000 (NO VECTOR FOR AVOIDANCE WAS ISSUED AT THAT TIME NOR A REQUEST TO STOP CLIMB (NO EVIDENCE OF A CRITICAL SITUATION). 6) WE WERE THEN TOLD TO TURN N FOR TFC (NO VECTOR) AND WOULD BE ISSUED A CLRNC WHEN CLEAR OF TFC (CLRNC WAS ASSUMED BY ME AND THE COPLT TO MEAN CLEAR OF TFC AND RESUME HDG). 7) WE WERE THEN TOLD TO CHANGE FREQ (NEXT SECTOR) BUT FIRST ASKED ABOUT LOCATION OF TFC, WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS 1 O'CLOCK SEBND. AT THAT POINT IT APPEARED TO NO LONGER BE A FACTOR AND CHANGED TO THE NEW FREQ. 8) DURING THIS SPAN OF TIME (5-10 MINUTES) UNDER RADAR CONTROL WE INADVERTENTLY CLIMBED THRU FL180 CLIMBING TO FL210 (OUR FILED ALT). 9) WE WERE NOT AWARE OF ANY CLRNC PROBLEM. AT NO TIME DID WE KNOW THAT A CLRNC TO ALT HAD NOT BEEN ISSUED BECAUSE OF 1) THE GARBLED XMISSION, 2) 3 TFC REPORTS, 3) WE WERE UNDER CENTER CONTROL, 4) WE WERE NOT TOLD TO STOP AT ANY ALT TO AVOID OTHER TFC, NOT EVEN A WARNING THAT WE SHOULDN'T BE WHERE WE WERE ABOUT TO ENTER THE PCA. 10) THE NEW CTLR CLRED US DIRECT ESTUS DIRECT DENVER AND TO FL210 (THIS WAS OUR FIRST CLUE THAT THE PREVIOUS CTLR DID NOT KNOW WHAT ALT WE WERE CLIMBING THRU OR WARN US THAT WE WERE NOT AUTHORIZED TO ENTER THE PCA. SUMMARY: IT APPEARS TO ME THAT SEVERAL THINGS HAPPENED IN A SHORT SPAN OF TIME WHICH CLOUDED THE ISSUANCE OF A FULL ROUTE CLRNC. TFC WAS MY PRIMARY CONCERN. CTLR WAS NOT CLEAR IN ALL OF HIS INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING AVOIDANCE, VECTOR, ALT, CLRNC OR INTERPRETATION THEREOF. HE COULD HAVE BEEN MORE INFORMATIVE AND HELPFUL!

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.