Narrative:

While en route from providence, ri, to teterboro, nj, I was flying wbound at 6500 ft in radio contact with ZNY. At 40 DME northeast of la guardia VOR I asked the controller to arrange a handoff to ny TCA for a TCA descent to teterboro airport. The controller said, 'that should be no problem.' at 28 DME northeast of lga the controller said he could not facilitate the handoff. I asked for the TCA frequency (?128.0?) and contacted ny TCA at 25 DME northeast of lga, giving position, altitude, call sign, aircraft type, and intention/request for clearance to enter and descend through the TCA en route to teterboro. I was given a squawk code by the controller, but was not specifically cleared to enter the TCA. At 20 DME northeast of lga at 6500 ft I entered the TCA under the assumption that having established 2-WAY radio contact with and receiving a squawk code from the controling facility was enough to enter. At approximately 16 DME northeast of lga the controller asked me if I was aware that I was inside the TCA. I replied affirmatively. He said I had not been cleared to enter and asked why I had done so. I replied that I was under the impression that having established 2-WAY radio contact, making the request and receiving a transponder code was enough to enter. He said that was not the case. Initially I was requested to turn to 340 and descend to 5500 ft. I was then told to fly direct teterboro and descend to below the floor of the TCA. I realized immediately when told by the controller, that having established 2-WAY radio contact was not enough to enter the TCA and that I was confusing the requirements for entrance into an arsa with those of a TCA. In 12 yrs of flying, I have always been, either cleared to enter a TCA or immediately told to stay clear of the TCA when requesting a clearance to enter. The night in question was the first time I had made a request, was given a squawk code and then no reply for 8 or 9 mi. I believe there are several factors contributing to the above described incident. First, the delay in time between the request/receipt of the squawk code and the next communication. Second, the advent of new airspace rules in the last several yrs has helped to make me a bit fuzzy about the requirements for entering a TCA. And lastly, the flight was late at night at the end of a very long day and I was physically more tired than I had realized when I took off. I can say with absolute certainty that I am now very clear on TCA entry requirements and that I will never make that mistake again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA WAS IN COM WITH N90 BUT DID NOT RECEIVE CLRNC TO ENTER THE N90 (JFK) TCA ENRTE TEB.

Narrative: WHILE ENRTE FROM PROVIDENCE, RI, TO TETERBORO, NJ, I WAS FLYING WBOUND AT 6500 FT IN RADIO CONTACT WITH ZNY. AT 40 DME NE OF LA GUARDIA VOR I ASKED THE CTLR TO ARRANGE A HDOF TO NY TCA FOR A TCA DSCNT TO TETERBORO ARPT. THE CTLR SAID, 'THAT SHOULD BE NO PROBLEM.' AT 28 DME NE OF LGA THE CTLR SAID HE COULD NOT FACILITATE THE HDOF. I ASKED FOR THE TCA FREQ (?128.0?) AND CONTACTED NY TCA AT 25 DME NE OF LGA, GIVING POS, ALT, CALL SIGN, ACFT TYPE, AND INTENTION/REQUEST FOR CLRNC TO ENTER AND DSND THROUGH THE TCA ENRTE TO TETERBORO. I WAS GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE BY THE CTLR, BUT WAS NOT SPECIFICALLY CLRED TO ENTER THE TCA. AT 20 DME NE OF LGA AT 6500 FT I ENTERED THE TCA UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT HAVING ESTABLISHED 2-WAY RADIO CONTACT WITH AND RECEIVING A SQUAWK CODE FROM THE CTLING FACILITY WAS ENOUGH TO ENTER. AT APPROX 16 DME NE OF LGA THE CTLR ASKED ME IF I WAS AWARE THAT I WAS INSIDE THE TCA. I REPLIED AFFIRMATIVELY. HE SAID I HAD NOT BEEN CLRED TO ENTER AND ASKED WHY I HAD DONE SO. I REPLIED THAT I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT HAVING ESTABLISHED 2-WAY RADIO CONTACT, MAKING THE REQUEST AND RECEIVING A TRANSPONDER CODE WAS ENOUGH TO ENTER. HE SAID THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. INITIALLY I WAS REQUESTED TO TURN TO 340 AND DSND TO 5500 FT. I WAS THEN TOLD TO FLY DIRECT TETERBORO AND DSND TO BELOW THE FLOOR OF THE TCA. I REALIZED IMMEDIATELY WHEN TOLD BY THE CTLR, THAT HAVING ESTABLISHED 2-WAY RADIO CONTACT WAS NOT ENOUGH TO ENTER THE TCA AND THAT I WAS CONFUSING THE REQUIREMENTS FOR ENTRANCE INTO AN ARSA WITH THOSE OF A TCA. IN 12 YRS OF FLYING, I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN, EITHER CLRED TO ENTER A TCA OR IMMEDIATELY TOLD TO STAY CLR OF THE TCA WHEN REQUESTING A CLRNC TO ENTER. THE NIGHT IN QUESTION WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD MADE A REQUEST, WAS GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE AND THEN NO REPLY FOR 8 OR 9 MI. I BELIEVE THERE ARE SEVERAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ABOVE DESCRIBED INCIDENT. FIRST, THE DELAY IN TIME BTWN THE REQUEST/RECEIPT OF THE SQUAWK CODE AND THE NEXT COM. SECOND, THE ADVENT OF NEW AIRSPACE RULES IN THE LAST SEVERAL YRS HAS HELPED TO MAKE ME A BIT FUZZY ABOUT THE REQUIREMENTS FOR ENTERING A TCA. AND LASTLY, THE FLT WAS LATE AT NIGHT AT THE END OF A VERY LONG DAY AND I WAS PHYSICALLY MORE TIRED THAN I HAD REALIZED WHEN I TOOK OFF. I CAN SAY WITH ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY THAT I AM NOW VERY CLR ON TCA ENTRY REQUIREMENTS AND THAT I WILL NEVER MAKE THAT MISTAKE AGAIN.

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.