Narrative:

We were traveling west to east underneath den TCA and needed to descend to a lower altitude to accommodate the lower floor ahead. A VOR radial and DME were to be used to establish this step-down well in advance. However, an unexpected snow storm had caught us unaware previously. Its precipitation static took away our VOR and communication, so we had to dead reckon for about 25 mins in the mountains in utter IFR with no IFR clearance, no IFR flight plan, no navigation, no communication. We picked up a little ice and got carburetor ice too. Then we broke out in the clear just mins from den TCA. Shedding ice and happy to be alive I completely missed the second floor drop in the TCA and entered it west/O clearance. The real culprit here lies in preflight planning. My passenger were pushing for a departure. The FSS briefer had made it clear that thunderstorms were forecast for our route. He also made it clear that thunder cells had close proximity to the route. He also informed me that the lowest available altitude along the arwy was 19000', well out of reach for our small aircraft west/O O2 or turbo charging. We were anyway out of failure to appreciate and heed these clear warnings. It is no wonder that I was so stressed out that I could not keep track of TCA sectors. Never again. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states he has not flown since the event. Knows he was foolish. First part of this flight and the poor decisions made probably created atmosphere for the TCA entry. It is called trauma.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PENETRATES TCA FLOOR.

Narrative: WE WERE TRAVELING W TO E UNDERNEATH DEN TCA AND NEEDED TO DSND TO A LOWER ALT TO ACCOMMODATE THE LOWER FLOOR AHEAD. A VOR RADIAL AND DME WERE TO BE USED TO ESTABLISH THIS STEP-DOWN WELL IN ADVANCE. HOWEVER, AN UNEXPECTED SNOW STORM HAD CAUGHT US UNAWARE PREVIOUSLY. ITS PRECIPITATION STATIC TOOK AWAY OUR VOR AND COM, SO WE HAD TO DEAD RECKON FOR ABOUT 25 MINS IN THE MOUNTAINS IN UTTER IFR WITH NO IFR CLRNC, NO IFR FLT PLAN, NO NAV, NO COM. WE PICKED UP A LITTLE ICE AND GOT CARB ICE TOO. THEN WE BROKE OUT IN THE CLR JUST MINS FROM DEN TCA. SHEDDING ICE AND HAPPY TO BE ALIVE I COMPLETELY MISSED THE SECOND FLOOR DROP IN THE TCA AND ENTERED IT W/O CLRNC. THE REAL CULPRIT HERE LIES IN PREFLT PLANNING. MY PAX WERE PUSHING FOR A DEP. THE FSS BRIEFER HAD MADE IT CLR THAT TSTMS WERE FORECAST FOR OUR RTE. HE ALSO MADE IT CLR THAT THUNDER CELLS HAD CLOSE PROX TO THE RTE. HE ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THE LOWEST AVAILABLE ALT ALONG THE ARWY WAS 19000', WELL OUT OF REACH FOR OUR SMA W/O O2 OR TURBO CHARGING. WE WERE ANYWAY OUT OF FAILURE TO APPRECIATE AND HEED THESE CLR WARNINGS. IT IS NO WONDER THAT I WAS SO STRESSED OUT THAT I COULD NOT KEEP TRACK OF TCA SECTORS. NEVER AGAIN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES HE HAS NOT FLOWN SINCE THE EVENT. KNOWS HE WAS FOOLISH. FIRST PART OF THIS FLT AND THE POOR DECISIONS MADE PROBABLY CREATED ATMOSPHERE FOR THE TCA ENTRY. IT IS CALLED TRAUMA.

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.