Small aircraft pilot enters TCA without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	187217
Time
Date	199108
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pie airport : tpa
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8500 msl bound upper : 8500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : tpa
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 1100 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	187217
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While on a VFR flight I encountered some heavy thunderstorms around the lal area good VFR WX up the west coast of florida prompted me to deviation to the west of my intended course. I almost always use flight following, but I had been dropped earlier in the flight so I had to reestablish with approach control. I was southeast of gibbs intersection and outside the TCA when I began to establish radio contact. 3 frequencys later, I finally got the right controller who advised me that I was just inside the TCA. He was very nice about it and very professional about it at the same time. There were several contributing factors in this case. First of all, I was obviously concerned about the thunderstorms, although I would not have considered that my reason for entering the TCA. Second factor, my DME was not working properly which was not critical but caused me to grab an old jacksonville sectional chart versus my current WAC chart. Third, it took talking to 3 controllers to get the proper one and establish radar contact, even though I was using current frequency information. Fourth and most importantly, I was using a 4 yr old chart (jacksonville sectional) when I had a current WAC chart sitting on the seat beside me. I had elected to use the sectional for better detail, forgetting that the old arsa lines were quite different from the TCAS. I believe that I am a safe flyer, I always fly with IFR and VFR current charts and since I live under a TCA I am quite aware of the rules and boundaries. On this particular flight I saw no need to buy new sectionals after already buying a WAC chart, approach plates, and IFR charts. In summary, I thought I was contacting the approach controller well in advance and had really expected to fly around the TCA, but thought that it would be good to reestablish radio contact. Obviously, to my surprise I made a bad mistake when interpreting the older but more detailed sectional chart, even though I was quite aware of the new TCA's presence. The answer, the extra $12.00 for the 2 sectionals required for the trip probably would have been a better buy then the one current WAC chart.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT ENTERS TCA WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: WHILE ON A VFR FLT I ENCOUNTERED SOME HVY TSTMS AROUND THE LAL AREA GOOD VFR WX UP THE W COAST OF FLORIDA PROMPTED ME TO DEV TO THE W OF MY INTENDED COURSE. I ALMOST ALWAYS USE FLT FOLLOWING, BUT I HAD BEEN DROPPED EARLIER IN THE FLT SO I HAD TO REESTABLISH WITH APCH CTL. I WAS SE OF GIBBS INTXN AND OUTSIDE THE TCA WHEN I BEGAN TO ESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT. 3 FREQS LATER, I FINALLY GOT THE RIGHT CTLR WHO ADVISED ME THAT I WAS JUST INSIDE THE TCA. HE WAS VERY NICE ABOUT IT AND VERY PROFESSIONAL ABOUT IT AT THE SAME TIME. THERE WERE SEVERAL CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN THIS CASE. FIRST OF ALL, I WAS OBVIOUSLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE TSTMS, ALTHOUGH I WOULD NOT HAVE CONSIDERED THAT MY REASON FOR ENTERING THE TCA. SECOND FACTOR, MY DME WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY WHICH WAS NOT CRITICAL BUT CAUSED ME TO GRAB AN OLD JACKSONVILLE SECTIONAL CHART VERSUS MY CURRENT WAC CHART. THIRD, IT TOOK TALKING TO 3 CTLRS TO GET THE PROPER ONE AND ESTABLISH RADAR CONTACT, EVEN THOUGH I WAS USING CURRENT FREQ INFO. FOURTH AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, I WAS USING A 4 YR OLD CHART (JACKSONVILLE SECTIONAL) WHEN I HAD A CURRENT WAC CHART SITTING ON THE SEAT BESIDE ME. I HAD ELECTED TO USE THE SECTIONAL FOR BETTER DETAIL, FORGETTING THAT THE OLD ARSA LINES WERE QUITE DIFFERENT FROM THE TCAS. I BELIEVE THAT I AM A SAFE FLYER, I ALWAYS FLY WITH IFR AND VFR CURRENT CHARTS AND SINCE I LIVE UNDER A TCA I AM QUITE AWARE OF THE RULES AND BOUNDARIES. ON THIS PARTICULAR FLT I SAW NO NEED TO BUY NEW SECTIONALS AFTER ALREADY BUYING A WAC CHART, APCH PLATES, AND IFR CHARTS. IN SUMMARY, I THOUGHT I WAS CONTACTING THE APCH CTLR WELL IN ADVANCE AND HAD REALLY EXPECTED TO FLY AROUND THE TCA, BUT THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE GOOD TO REESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT. OBVIOUSLY, TO MY SURPRISE I MADE A BAD MISTAKE WHEN INTERPRETING THE OLDER BUT MORE DETAILED SECTIONAL CHART, EVEN THOUGH I WAS QUITE AWARE OF THE NEW TCA'S PRESENCE. THE ANSWER, THE EXTRA $12.00 FOR THE 2 SECTIONALS REQUIRED FOR THE TRIP PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN A BETTER BUY THEN THE ONE CURRENT WAC CHART.

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.