Narrative:

My student and I were flying her commercial pilot course, long cross country flight. We had to delay the flight for 2 days because of high winds and moderate to severe turbulence in the south ca area. On flight day, the WX was perfect, light winds, few clouds, nice 70's temperatures. The first 2 legs of the flight were relatively uneventful, though this student is a weak pilot; enamored of flight, but doesn't have the self discipline to make a good pilot. Taking off from the county helipads at gillespie field, her plan was to fly direct to montgomery field and have a midfield crossing, then to the coast line north back to orange county airport. She wasn't too concerned about the miramar NAS TCA to the north of course. Departure from gillespie was uneventful, though without my prompting to get an early frequency change to montgomery, I'm sure she would have blithely flown into montgomery's airspace. Once montgomery was contacted, the requested midfield transition was denied, as I thought it would be. I told my student to make another plan if the midfield transition was denied; I told her to have another plan while we were on the ground at gillespie. Montgomery tower told us to transition to the south along interstate 8, which she did. At this point, both of us were lured into the false sense of ATC security. They'll tell us to change to san diego tower if need be. Well, montgomery ATC didn't call us, and the student continued to fly wbound along interstate 8, completely oblivious to san diego's lindbergh field air traffic area and TCA. We passed approximately 2 mi north of the mission bay VORTAC, but just inside the north edge of the TCA also well within the air traffic area, all without the slightest care as to where we were. She was more concerned with taking a picture of the blimp that was flying in the area. I should say her only concern was pictures of the blimp. How to prevent this -- well, always be on extreme alert when flying with weak students. They'll kill you or get you violated faster than you can think. Also, never, ever let ATC lull one into a false sense of security, ie, in this case -- 'they'll tell me if we'll go into someone else's airspace.' never give authority for the flight to an outside, relatively uninterested party. Also, better positional awareness is essential, vital in congested airspace. And take action to correct the situation. In this case, call lindbergh arc, and/or immediately fly out of the area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELI XCOUNTRY TRAINING FLT ENTERS TCA WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: MY STUDENT AND I WERE FLYING HER COMMERCIAL PLT COURSE, LONG XCOUNTRY FLT. WE HAD TO DELAY THE FLT FOR 2 DAYS BECAUSE OF HIGH WINDS AND MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB IN THE S CA AREA. ON FLT DAY, THE WX WAS PERFECT, LIGHT WINDS, FEW CLOUDS, NICE 70'S TEMPS. THE FIRST 2 LEGS OF THE FLT WERE RELATIVELY UNEVENTFUL, THOUGH THIS STUDENT IS A WEAK PLT; ENAMORED OF FLT, BUT DOESN'T HAVE THE SELF DISCIPLINE TO MAKE A GOOD PLT. TAKING OFF FROM THE COUNTY HELIPADS AT GILLESPIE FIELD, HER PLAN WAS TO FLY DIRECT TO MONTGOMERY FIELD AND HAVE A MIDFIELD XING, THEN TO THE COAST LINE N BACK TO ORANGE COUNTY ARPT. SHE WASN'T TOO CONCERNED ABOUT THE MIRAMAR NAS TCA TO THE N OF COURSE. DEP FROM GILLESPIE WAS UNEVENTFUL, THOUGH WITHOUT MY PROMPTING TO GET AN EARLY FREQ CHANGE TO MONTGOMERY, I'M SURE SHE WOULD HAVE BLITHELY FLOWN INTO MONTGOMERY'S AIRSPACE. ONCE MONTGOMERY WAS CONTACTED, THE REQUESTED MIDFIELD TRANSITION WAS DENIED, AS I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE. I TOLD MY STUDENT TO MAKE ANOTHER PLAN IF THE MIDFIELD TRANSITION WAS DENIED; I TOLD HER TO HAVE ANOTHER PLAN WHILE WE WERE ON THE GND AT GILLESPIE. MONTGOMERY TWR TOLD US TO TRANSITION TO THE S ALONG INTERSTATE 8, WHICH SHE DID. AT THIS POINT, BOTH OF US WERE LURED INTO THE FALSE SENSE OF ATC SECURITY. THEY'LL TELL US TO CHANGE TO SAN DIEGO TWR IF NEED BE. WELL, MONTGOMERY ATC DIDN'T CALL US, AND THE STUDENT CONTINUED TO FLY WBOUND ALONG INTERSTATE 8, COMPLETELY OBLIVIOUS TO SAN DIEGO'S LINDBERGH FIELD ATA AND TCA. WE PASSED APPROX 2 MI N OF THE MISSION BAY VORTAC, BUT JUST INSIDE THE N EDGE OF THE TCA ALSO WELL WITHIN THE ATA, ALL WITHOUT THE SLIGHTEST CARE AS TO WHERE WE WERE. SHE WAS MORE CONCERNED WITH TAKING A PICTURE OF THE BLIMP THAT WAS FLYING IN THE AREA. I SHOULD SAY HER ONLY CONCERN WAS PICTURES OF THE BLIMP. HOW TO PREVENT THIS -- WELL, ALWAYS BE ON EXTREME ALERT WHEN FLYING WITH WEAK STUDENTS. THEY'LL KILL YOU OR GET YOU VIOLATED FASTER THAN YOU CAN THINK. ALSO, NEVER, EVER LET ATC LULL ONE INTO A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY, IE, IN THIS CASE -- 'THEY'LL TELL ME IF WE'LL GO INTO SOMEONE ELSE'S AIRSPACE.' NEVER GIVE AUTHORITY FOR THE FLT TO AN OUTSIDE, RELATIVELY UNINTERESTED PARTY. ALSO, BETTER POSITIONAL AWARENESS IS ESSENTIAL, VITAL IN CONGESTED AIRSPACE. AND TAKE ACTION TO CORRECT THE SITUATION. IN THIS CASE, CALL LINDBERGH ARC, AND/OR IMMEDIATELY FLY OUT OF THE 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.