Narrative:

This was my first trip to fullerton; I was not familiar with landmarks in the area but had no real problem finding my way there. En route, after clearing the burbank arsa, called up the TCA (la) VFR controller, indented myself and intentions. Controller stated I was not cleared into the TCA and 'unable advisories, frequency change approved.' arrived at fullerton west/O incident. Upon departure headed north. Because of TCA controllers earlier refusal to handle, I did not make contact for this leg of the flight. Shortly I became unsure of my position due to unfamiliarity of the area and it's landmarks. Eventually I thought I had cleared the TCA and resumed climbing, to 4500' MSL, after which I was able to identify a landmark and determine that I had climbed into the TCA. (My destination was van nuys. I had planned to fly north out of fullerton until clear of the TCA and then turn west to van nuys). Upon returning home I contacted the van nuys accident prevention specialist by telephone and related this error to her. She related her appreciation for my honesty in admitting my mistake and stated that she would watch for any paperwork initiated by the TCA authorities related to this . Future action would then be determined upon what their report states and my cooperation. During my flight schooling we flew along the north, west, and south boundaries of the TCA and became familiar with these areas. I think my best course of action now would be to fly the east side of the TCA with an instrument to familiarize myself with the landmarks in this area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PENETRATES FLOOR OF TCA WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: THIS WAS MY FIRST TRIP TO FULLERTON; I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH LANDMARKS IN THE AREA BUT HAD NO REAL PROB FINDING MY WAY THERE. ENRTE, AFTER CLRING THE BURBANK ARSA, CALLED UP THE TCA (LA) VFR CTLR, INDENTED MYSELF AND INTENTIONS. CTLR STATED I WAS NOT CLRED INTO THE TCA AND 'UNABLE ADVISORIES, FREQ CHANGE APPROVED.' ARRIVED AT FULLERTON W/O INCIDENT. UPON DEP HEADED N. BECAUSE OF TCA CTLRS EARLIER REFUSAL TO HANDLE, I DID NOT MAKE CONTACT FOR THIS LEG OF THE FLT. SHORTLY I BECAME UNSURE OF MY POS DUE TO UNFAMILIARITY OF THE AREA AND IT'S LANDMARKS. EVENTUALLY I THOUGHT I HAD CLRED THE TCA AND RESUMED CLBING, TO 4500' MSL, AFTER WHICH I WAS ABLE TO IDENT A LANDMARK AND DETERMINE THAT I HAD CLBED INTO THE TCA. (MY DEST WAS VAN NUYS. I HAD PLANNED TO FLY N OUT OF FULLERTON UNTIL CLR OF THE TCA AND THEN TURN W TO VAN NUYS). UPON RETURNING HOME I CONTACTED THE VAN NUYS ACCIDENT PREVENTION SPECIALIST BY TELEPHONE AND RELATED THIS ERROR TO HER. SHE RELATED HER APPRECIATION FOR MY HONESTY IN ADMITTING MY MISTAKE AND STATED THAT SHE WOULD WATCH FOR ANY PAPERWORK INITIATED BY THE TCA AUTHORITIES RELATED TO THIS . FUTURE ACTION WOULD THEN BE DETERMINED UPON WHAT THEIR RPT STATES AND MY COOPERATION. DURING MY FLT SCHOOLING WE FLEW ALONG THE N, W, AND S BOUNDARIES OF THE TCA AND BECAME FAMILIAR WITH THESE AREAS. I THINK MY BEST COURSE OF ACTION NOW WOULD BE TO FLY THE E SIDE OF THE TCA WITH AN INSTR TO FAMILIARIZE MYSELF WITH THE LANDMARKS IN THIS AREA.

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.