Narrative:

On a flight from la cholla airport near tucson, az to overton, nv with an intermediate stop at falcon field, mesa, az I was using a current WAC for navigation (cg-18 good through 5/31/90). The WAC indicated phoenix sky harbor international to be an arsa and I planned accordingly. The aircraft I was flying was not mode C equipped. I had received 3 standard WX briefings, the same morning and the previous afternoon and late evening, for tucson, phoenix, and points to the northwest. None of the briefings mentioned the newly inaugurated phoenix TCA. Near olberg (on my course between elloy and chandler) which is outside the 20 NM arsa 'outer circle', I made initial contact with phoenix approach giving my n-number, position, altitude (4500 MSL), and destination (falcon field). Approach responded with a transponder code, a request for 'identify', and a request to maintain 4500 MSL. I repeated the transmission, squawked the transponder code, and 'identify'. Approximately 1 min later approach called asking if I was mode C equipped and I replied, 'negative.' approach responded with a clearance direct to falcon field over chandler, a request to squawk 1200, and a request to contact falcon tower. I repeated the transmission and complied. On initial contact with falcon tower I identified myself and gave a position report. On initial contact with falcon tower I identified myself and gave a position report. The controller asked me to report when 5 mi south of falcon. Approximately 2 to 3 mins later falcon asked for my position. I replied that due to unfamiliarity with the area I had not yet identified falcon field. The controller identified me and reported that I was 2 to 3 mi west of falcon. I was then able to identify the airport, flew directly to it, and landed. At falcon field I discovered that phoenix sky harbor had become a TCA with mode C veil 11 days earlier and it was depicted as such on the recently-released phoenix sectional chart posted at an FBO. I contacted phoenix TRACON and received a 1-DAY, one-time , mode C waiver for operation in the TCA. While at falcon I did not receive any notice from ATC. In contact with falcon tower I departed falcon to the nnw below 3000 MSL, avoided the scottsdale air traffic area while in contact with scottsdale, and continued my flight out of the area at or below 3000 MSL. The first problem, 30 NM mode C airspace of the TCA, arose from relying on a current aeronautical chart (WAC cg-18) depicting a phoenix arsa which was at odds with the recently-released phoenix sectional chart depicting the new phoenix TCA with mode C veil. This type of problem will be avoided in the future by consulting the current sectional charts and fdc NOTAMS in regards to the status of unfamiliar airports of intended landing and nearby large airports (whose status could affect operations near the airport of intended landing). It could also have been avoided had the significant phoenix status change been automatically included in the flight service WX briefings, say for a period of one to two months, when phoenix WX was requested.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA WITHOUT MODE C RUNS AFOUL OF NEW PHX TCA. PLT IS UNAWARE THAT THE TCA EXISTS.

Narrative: ON A FLT FROM LA CHOLLA ARPT NEAR TUCSON, AZ TO OVERTON, NV WITH AN INTERMEDIATE STOP AT FALCON FIELD, MESA, AZ I WAS USING A CURRENT WAC FOR NAVIGATION (CG-18 GOOD THROUGH 5/31/90). THE WAC INDICATED PHOENIX SKY HARBOR INTL TO BE AN ARSA AND I PLANNED ACCORDINGLY. THE ACFT I WAS FLYING WAS NOT MODE C EQUIPPED. I HAD RECEIVED 3 STANDARD WX BRIEFINGS, THE SAME MORNING AND THE PREVIOUS AFTERNOON AND LATE EVENING, FOR TUCSON, PHOENIX, AND POINTS TO THE NW. NONE OF THE BRIEFINGS MENTIONED THE NEWLY INAUGURATED PHOENIX TCA. NEAR OLBERG (ON MY COURSE BETWEEN ELLOY AND CHANDLER) WHICH IS OUTSIDE THE 20 NM ARSA 'OUTER CIRCLE', I MADE INITIAL CONTACT WITH PHOENIX APCH GIVING MY N-NUMBER, POSITION, ALT (4500 MSL), AND DEST (FALCON FIELD). APCH RESPONDED WITH A XPONDER CODE, A REQUEST FOR 'IDENT', AND A REQUEST TO MAINTAIN 4500 MSL. I REPEATED THE XMISSION, SQUAWKED THE XPONDER CODE, AND 'IDENT'. APPROX 1 MIN LATER APCH CALLED ASKING IF I WAS MODE C EQUIPPED AND I REPLIED, 'NEGATIVE.' APCH RESPONDED WITH A CLRNC DIRECT TO FALCON FIELD OVER CHANDLER, A REQUEST TO SQUAWK 1200, AND A REQUEST TO CONTACT FALCON TWR. I REPEATED THE XMISSION AND COMPLIED. ON INITIAL CONTACT WITH FALCON TWR I IDENTIFIED MYSELF AND GAVE A POSITION REPORT. ON INITIAL CONTACT WITH FALCON TWR I IDENTIFIED MYSELF AND GAVE A POSITION REPORT. THE CTLR ASKED ME TO REPORT WHEN 5 MI S OF FALCON. APPROX 2 TO 3 MINS LATER FALCON ASKED FOR MY POSITION. I REPLIED THAT DUE TO UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE AREA I HAD NOT YET IDENTIFIED FALCON FIELD. THE CTLR IDENTIFIED ME AND REPORTED THAT I WAS 2 TO 3 MI W OF FALCON. I WAS THEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE ARPT, FLEW DIRECTLY TO IT, AND LANDED. AT FALCON FIELD I DISCOVERED THAT PHOENIX SKY HARBOR HAD BECOME A TCA WITH MODE C VEIL 11 DAYS EARLIER AND IT WAS DEPICTED AS SUCH ON THE RECENTLY-RELEASED PHOENIX SECTIONAL CHART POSTED AT AN FBO. I CONTACTED PHOENIX TRACON AND RECEIVED A 1-DAY, ONE-TIME , MODE C WAIVER FOR OPERATION IN THE TCA. WHILE AT FALCON I DID NOT RECEIVE ANY NOTICE FROM ATC. IN CONTACT WITH FALCON TWR I DEPARTED FALCON TO THE NNW BELOW 3000 MSL, AVOIDED THE SCOTTSDALE ATA WHILE IN CONTACT WITH SCOTTSDALE, AND CONTINUED MY FLT OUT OF THE AREA AT OR BELOW 3000 MSL. THE FIRST PROBLEM, 30 NM MODE C AIRSPACE OF THE TCA, AROSE FROM RELYING ON A CURRENT AERONAUTICAL CHART (WAC CG-18) DEPICTING A PHOENIX ARSA WHICH WAS AT ODDS WITH THE RECENTLY-RELEASED PHOENIX SECTIONAL CHART DEPICTING THE NEW PHOENIX TCA WITH MODE C VEIL. THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM WILL BE AVOIDED IN THE FUTURE BY CONSULTING THE CURRENT SECTIONAL CHARTS AND FDC NOTAMS IN REGARDS TO THE STATUS OF UNFAMILIAR ARPTS OF INTENDED LNDG AND NEARBY LARGE ARPTS (WHOSE STATUS COULD AFFECT OPERATIONS NEAR THE ARPT OF INTENDED LNDG). IT COULD ALSO HAVE BEEN AVOIDED HAD THE SIGNIFICANT PHOENIX STATUS CHANGE BEEN AUTOMATICALLY INCLUDED IN THE FLT SVC WX BRIEFINGS, SAY FOR A PERIOD OF ONE TO TWO MONTHS, WHEN PHOENIX WX WAS REQUESTED.

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.