Narrative:

I departed runway 27R at gillespie field on a straight out climb intending to stay in sectors a and D of the san TCA, en route to oceanside VOR via V23. I planned to fly at 4500' MSL. This would put my flight path below the floor of sector a (4800' MSL) and within the 3200' MSL to 4800' MSL usable space in sector D. Prior to takeoff the tower advised me that there was significant haze to the west, however visibility was reported as 3 mi or better. After takeoff I maintained best rate of climb to clear the ridge west of gillespie and noted that because of the sun angle and the haze, the forward visibility was barely 3 mi. I had my #2 VOR tuned to mzb and the CDI set to 264 degrees to enable me to keep the 084 degree right to my left. This would give me the south boundary of the a sector of the TCA. As I continued my climb I sighted NAS miramar and turned to a heading to parallel its runway 28 and intended to stay ssw of the centerline. I called san on 132.2, as suggested by the signs at the departure end of runway 27 at gillespie. I was given a transponder code by the controller. I was asked my altitude and replied that I was at 3800' MSL going to 4500' MSL. I was advised by the controller that I was in the TCA. There was no indication that I was in conflict with any traffic in the area. After landing at my home field, I called the TCA area supervisor and we discussed the occurrence. After examining the possible transits it seems that my choices were: a) fly VFR to the northeast of gillespie and then fly around the outer edges of the TCA to the north, adding time and mountainous terrain to the trip; B) file IFR/tower en route for a controled transit; or C) attempt to thread the needle, as I did. In my opinion a safer solution would be similar to that used in the la TCA shoreline transition. In view of the overlapping jet traffic from lindbergh and NAS miramar, I feel that a controled transit VFR or IFR would be a more satisfactory solution for traffic departing either montgomery or gillespie en route to the nnw. I have had very satisfactory results from training my student pilots to use the la shoreline TCA transition and find that relatively inexperienced pilot can handle this safely and effectively. I also caution student pilot and low time private pilots to stay clear of the san TCA as it is presently operated. I did this long before the incident reported here. Finally, I would suggest that the airport manager at gillespie field publish a recommended procedure for TCA transit for use by transient pilots headed nnw from that airport. I found no such procedure when I was there in 5/90. I do not now if montgomery field has such a procedure, but transient pilots flying out of there face the same problems. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter says his conversation with the supervisor was very 'moderate.' the new FAA administrator is having an effect. He had filed a tower en route to go down to gillespie and was taken way around to th east, out around the barn to arrive at the destination. Since he will be flying there frequently (his daughter is attending college), he wanted to try the VFR route. He was told he had flown too far north and penetrated the TCA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT PENETRATED TCA TRYING TO AVOID.

Narrative: I DEPARTED RWY 27R AT GILLESPIE FIELD ON A STRAIGHT OUT CLB INTENDING TO STAY IN SECTORS A AND D OF THE SAN TCA, ENRTE TO OCEANSIDE VOR VIA V23. I PLANNED TO FLY AT 4500' MSL. THIS WOULD PUT MY FLT PATH BELOW THE FLOOR OF SECTOR A (4800' MSL) AND WITHIN THE 3200' MSL TO 4800' MSL USABLE SPACE IN SECTOR D. PRIOR TO TKOF THE TWR ADVISED ME THAT THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT HAZE TO THE W, HOWEVER VISIBILITY WAS RPTED AS 3 MI OR BETTER. AFTER TKOF I MAINTAINED BEST RATE OF CLB TO CLR THE RIDGE W OF GILLESPIE AND NOTED THAT BECAUSE OF THE SUN ANGLE AND THE HAZE, THE FORWARD VISIBILITY WAS BARELY 3 MI. I HAD MY #2 VOR TUNED TO MZB AND THE CDI SET TO 264 DEGS TO ENABLE ME TO KEEP THE 084 DEG R TO MY LEFT. THIS WOULD GIVE ME THE S BOUNDARY OF THE A SECTOR OF THE TCA. AS I CONTINUED MY CLB I SIGHTED NAS MIRAMAR AND TURNED TO A HDG TO PARALLEL ITS RWY 28 AND INTENDED TO STAY SSW OF THE CENTERLINE. I CALLED SAN ON 132.2, AS SUGGESTED BY THE SIGNS AT THE DEP END OF RWY 27 AT GILLESPIE. I WAS GIVEN A XPONDER CODE BY THE CTLR. I WAS ASKED MY ALT AND REPLIED THAT I WAS AT 3800' MSL GOING TO 4500' MSL. I WAS ADVISED BY THE CTLR THAT I WAS IN THE TCA. THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT I WAS IN CONFLICT WITH ANY TFC IN THE AREA. AFTER LNDG AT MY HOME FIELD, I CALLED THE TCA AREA SUPVR AND WE DISCUSSED THE OCCURRENCE. AFTER EXAMINING THE POSSIBLE TRANSITS IT SEEMS THAT MY CHOICES WERE: A) FLY VFR TO THE NE OF GILLESPIE AND THEN FLY AROUND THE OUTER EDGES OF THE TCA TO THE N, ADDING TIME AND MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN TO THE TRIP; B) FILE IFR/TWR ENRTE FOR A CTLED TRANSIT; OR C) ATTEMPT TO THREAD THE NEEDLE, AS I DID. IN MY OPINION A SAFER SOLUTION WOULD BE SIMILAR TO THAT USED IN THE LA TCA SHORELINE TRANSITION. IN VIEW OF THE OVERLAPPING JET TFC FROM LINDBERGH AND NAS MIRAMAR, I FEEL THAT A CTLED TRANSIT VFR OR IFR WOULD BE A MORE SATISFACTORY SOLUTION FOR TFC DEPARTING EITHER MONTGOMERY OR GILLESPIE ENRTE TO THE NNW. I HAVE HAD VERY SATISFACTORY RESULTS FROM TRNING MY STUDENT PLTS TO USE THE LA SHORELINE TCA TRANSITION AND FIND THAT RELATIVELY INEXPERIENCED PLT CAN HANDLE THIS SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY. I ALSO CAUTION STUDENT PLT AND LOW TIME PVT PLTS TO STAY CLR OF THE SAN TCA AS IT IS PRESENTLY OPERATED. I DID THIS LONG BEFORE THE INCIDENT RPTED HERE. FINALLY, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THE ARPT MGR AT GILLESPIE FIELD PUBLISH A RECOMMENDED PROC FOR TCA TRANSIT FOR USE BY TRANSIENT PLTS HEADED NNW FROM THAT ARPT. I FOUND NO SUCH PROC WHEN I WAS THERE IN 5/90. I DO NOT NOW IF MONTGOMERY FIELD HAS SUCH A PROC, BUT TRANSIENT PLTS FLYING OUT OF THERE FACE THE SAME PROBS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR SAYS HIS CONVERSATION WITH THE SUPVR WAS VERY 'MODERATE.' THE NEW FAA ADMINISTRATOR IS HAVING AN EFFECT. HE HAD FILED A TWR ENRTE TO GO DOWN TO GILLESPIE AND WAS TAKEN WAY AROUND TO TH E, OUT AROUND THE BARN TO ARRIVE AT THE DEST. SINCE HE WILL BE FLYING THERE FREQUENTLY (HIS DAUGHTER IS ATTENDING COLLEGE), HE WANTED TO TRY THE VFR ROUTE. HE WAS TOLD HE HAD FLOWN TOO FAR N AND PENETRATED THE TCA.

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.