Narrative:

Flying generally south under the sfo TCA, I descended to 1400' below sectors K and F along the coast and approximately 1/4 mi offshore. After passing half moon bay airport, I began climbing toward the woodside VOR. Since I was not under sectors J and then east of the TCA, with 5000 and 6000' floors, I was comfortable that my low altitude would keep me clear of the TCA. I encountered a light aircraft circling and first turned right and then left to avoid him. After passing him I then turned right to a course parallel to the santa cruz mountains ridge line. I then heard the bay approach controller call traffic out to someone else (probably the plane circling) and say, 'he's in the TCA now.' I looked at the terminal area chart again and realized, to my horror, that he was talking about me. I had climbed to 4200' and inadvertently entered the TCA at sector D. I immediately executed a diving right turn to exit the TCA as quickly as possible. I flew south to the vicinity of watsonville, then turned off my transponder and landed at south county airport to make my identify difficult.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT PENETRATES TCA THEN DEPARTS. FLIES TO UNCONTROLLED ARPT, TURNS OFF TRANSPONDER THEN FLIES TO HOME ARPT.

Narrative: FLYING GENERALLY S UNDER THE SFO TCA, I DSNDED TO 1400' BELOW SECTORS K AND F ALONG THE COAST AND APPROX 1/4 MI OFFSHORE. AFTER PASSING HALF MOON BAY ARPT, I BEGAN CLBING TOWARD THE WOODSIDE VOR. SINCE I WAS NOT UNDER SECTORS J AND THEN E OF THE TCA, WITH 5000 AND 6000' FLOORS, I WAS COMFORTABLE THAT MY LOW ALT WOULD KEEP ME CLR OF THE TCA. I ENCOUNTERED A LIGHT ACFT CIRCLING AND FIRST TURNED RIGHT AND THEN LEFT TO AVOID HIM. AFTER PASSING HIM I THEN TURNED RIGHT TO A COURSE PARALLEL TO THE SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS RIDGE LINE. I THEN HEARD THE BAY APCH CTLR CALL TFC OUT TO SOMEONE ELSE (PROBABLY THE PLANE CIRCLING) AND SAY, 'HE'S IN THE TCA NOW.' I LOOKED AT THE TERMINAL AREA CHART AGAIN AND REALIZED, TO MY HORROR, THAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT ME. I HAD CLBED TO 4200' AND INADVERTENTLY ENTERED THE TCA AT SECTOR D. I IMMEDIATELY EXECUTED A DIVING RIGHT TURN TO EXIT THE TCA AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. I FLEW S TO THE VICINITY OF WATSONVILLE, THEN TURNED OFF MY XPONDER AND LANDED AT SOUTH COUNTY ARPT TO MAKE MY IDENT DIFFICULT.

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.