Narrative:

On 1/sun/90, I was flying small aircraft which is altitude encoded from sedona, az to tucson, az at 9500' MSL. I was following I-17 to phx. The WX was clear and visibility was excellent. I specifically selected 9500', because I wanted the experience in transiting a TCA. At 40 mi north of phx I called approach on 119.2. My initial contact idented myself, my location and my intentions to transit the TCA over phx en route to tucson at 9500'. There was no response to my call. I waited until just outside the 30 mi TCA radius and repeated my initial contact. There was no immediate response. After a few mins the controller told me to contact controller on 120.7. I complied and repeated my message. There was no response. This controller was working with low altitude local airport transiting aircraft. I knew my radio was working because of the handoff. I made the assumption that the controller knew my intentions and was permitting my continuation. There was considerable radio traffic, and I did not want to use radio time to continue reporting what I believed to be a simple airport overflt which was being monitored on radar. My flight path was directly over phx and south to tucson. I was constantly monitoring the given frequency. I was watchful for other aircraft. The entire flight was west/O incident. When I landed I was informed that TRACON requested that I call them. The only good news in hearing this was the confirmation that the phx controllers understood my messages, because they knew my aircraft and destination. I called TRACON and was informed of a possible TCA incident. I was told that my airplane was not properly tagged. I told him my side of what happened. I also requested clarification of procedures in order to improve communications. He did not answer this request. My concern is the timeliness and method of response from the controller. All radio contacts should be answered in a timely fashion. I know that the phx TCA is a demonstration location for simple, standardized services for VFR traffic. Given the situation on 1/sun/90, I thought there was appropriate authorization to operate within the TCA. I consider myself a safe pilot. The fact that I had to call TRACON is very upsetting. This has never happened before, and I do not want anything like this to happen again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ON 1/SUN/90, I WAS FLYING SMA WHICH IS ALT ENCODED FROM SEDONA, AZ TO TUCSON, AZ AT 9500' MSL. I WAS FOLLOWING I-17 TO PHX. THE WX WAS CLR AND VISIBILITY WAS EXCELLENT. I SPECIFICALLY SELECTED 9500', BECAUSE I WANTED THE EXPERIENCE IN TRANSITING A TCA. AT 40 MI N OF PHX I CALLED APCH ON 119.2. MY INITIAL CONTACT IDENTED MYSELF, MY LOCATION AND MY INTENTIONS TO TRANSIT THE TCA OVER PHX ENRTE TO TUCSON AT 9500'. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE TO MY CALL. I WAITED UNTIL JUST OUTSIDE THE 30 MI TCA RADIUS AND REPEATED MY INITIAL CONTACT. THERE WAS NO IMMEDIATE RESPONSE. AFTER A FEW MINS THE CTLR TOLD ME TO CONTACT CTLR ON 120.7. I COMPLIED AND REPEATED MY MESSAGE. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. THIS CTLR WAS WORKING WITH LOW ALT LCL ARPT TRANSITING ACFT. I KNEW MY RADIO WAS WORKING BECAUSE OF THE HDOF. I MADE THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE CTLR KNEW MY INTENTIONS AND WAS PERMITTING MY CONTINUATION. THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE RADIO TFC, AND I DID NOT WANT TO USE RADIO TIME TO CONTINUE RPTING WHAT I BELIEVED TO BE A SIMPLE ARPT OVERFLT WHICH WAS BEING MONITORED ON RADAR. MY FLT PATH WAS DIRECTLY OVER PHX AND S TO TUCSON. I WAS CONSTANTLY MONITORING THE GIVEN FREQ. I WAS WATCHFUL FOR OTHER ACFT. THE ENTIRE FLT WAS W/O INCIDENT. WHEN I LANDED I WAS INFORMED THAT TRACON REQUESTED THAT I CALL THEM. THE ONLY GOOD NEWS IN HEARING THIS WAS THE CONFIRMATION THAT THE PHX CTLRS UNDERSTOOD MY MESSAGES, BECAUSE THEY KNEW MY ACFT AND DEST. I CALLED TRACON AND WAS INFORMED OF A POSSIBLE TCA INCIDENT. I WAS TOLD THAT MY AIRPLANE WAS NOT PROPERLY TAGGED. I TOLD HIM MY SIDE OF WHAT HAPPENED. I ALSO REQUESTED CLARIFICATION OF PROCS IN ORDER TO IMPROVE COMS. HE DID NOT ANSWER THIS REQUEST. MY CONCERN IS THE TIMELINESS AND METHOD OF RESPONSE FROM THE CTLR. ALL RADIO CONTACTS SHOULD BE ANSWERED IN A TIMELY FASHION. I KNOW THAT THE PHX TCA IS A DEMONSTRATION LOCATION FOR SIMPLE, STANDARDIZED SVCS FOR VFR TFC. GIVEN THE SITUATION ON 1/SUN/90, I THOUGHT THERE WAS APPROPRIATE AUTHORIZATION TO OPERATE WITHIN THE TCA. I CONSIDER MYSELF A SAFE PLT. THE FACT THAT I HAD TO CALL TRACON IS VERY UPSETTING. THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE, AND I DO NOT WANT ANYTHING LIKE THIS TO HAPPEN AGAIN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.