Narrative:

Now comes sat, and the son-in-law wants a ride, and even the grandson gets excited. Well, I decide if I plan ahead and study the area (TCA studied for 2 hours), and with the in-law knowing the area, we could make a safe short flight down the coast, inland for about 30 mi. The visibility was better than the day before, and it was improving. The plan was to exit 28 downwind via the 076 degree radial to about 40 mi east, do a 180 and return for a landing. Simple enough, the route would keep me under the TCA as long as I stayed below 4800 for about 10 mi east. We climbed to 5500 to clear the mountains and did a 180 about the satellite uplink station. Now en route back to myf, on the 256 degree radial from the eastern VOR, the name escapes me, we start a descent. Want to make sure we are down to 1500 MSL just in case we clip the TCA in the area. The lowest is 1800 MSL not counting the ground level sfc jobbers. Well, before we hit the mountains, I figure we'll skirt south just a little to maintain our descent to 1500 MSL and to be well south of gillespie air traffic area. It's not easy to get cleared through air traffic area B, when you're going to air traffic area a, just a few mi further. Not easy, in that you haven't time to chit chat with both when you're trying to line up for landing, pre checks, staying clear of the TCA, navigation, try to maintain VFR in an unfamiliar haze area, and see and avoid too. Not easy in my small aircraft at least. I called at 20 mi for clearance and landing, and was told unable, and to contact them at about 8 mi. I found out that they use a monitor linked to TRACON with just the local area they want displayed, about 8 mi in their case. I assumed they either had me on radar, or I would be in radar shortly. Because I called with my position, and intentions to land, with the current ATIS that they would be watching me on the way in for a clearance to land. Because I had the navigation tuned to the distant VOR rather than the mission bay VOR, we naturally lost the VOR tracking indications. I assumed we were in close enough, and thought we were on track. It wasn't possible to be off track far with my current heading. Ha! The radios are squawking non stop for 2 mins, and before I can get another call in, we are 6.5 mi southeast, ATC says squawk XX00 and identify, and then the fun part starts. Make immediate right turn to 010 degrees, you are in lindbergh's TCA (he repeats), so I do just that. Well, he then states you have a telephone number to call, soon as you finish taxiing, report ready to copy. At this point it's clear to me I'm another TCA buster about to get it. I had assumed way too much and via my telephone call to TRACON was informed I was indeed a certified TCA violator. He wanted to know the details of it all, and informed me there was an airliner on approach during that time, at which point he became unclr and changed the subject. I was at all times humble and gave him the I'm a grandpa, new to the area and thought I was in radar contact at all times via the tower sob story. He spent about 10 mins explaining the area TCA's services, and recommended procedures a newcomer to the area could use. He noted an intersection and a few other details that I hadn't noticed even after 2 hours of studying the TCA charts! In closing after being as nice and humble as I could, I asked just how much trouble I was in. He stated he didn't plan on pursuing it, and to make sure it didn't happen again. By my request, I went to visit TRACON that night as I wanted to know if I needed to use the NASA get out of jail trick, and let the in-law visit TRACON.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT UNFAMILIAR WITH THE SAN AREA BUSTS TCA WHILE TRYING TO LAND AT MYF DURING MVFR CONDITIONS.

Narrative: NOW COMES SAT, AND THE SON-IN-LAW WANTS A RIDE, AND EVEN THE GRANDSON GETS EXCITED. WELL, I DECIDE IF I PLAN AHEAD AND STUDY THE AREA (TCA STUDIED FOR 2 HRS), AND WITH THE IN-LAW KNOWING THE AREA, WE COULD MAKE A SAFE SHORT FLT DOWN THE COAST, INLAND FOR ABOUT 30 MI. THE VISIBILITY WAS BETTER THAN THE DAY BEFORE, AND IT WAS IMPROVING. THE PLAN WAS TO EXIT 28 DOWNWIND VIA THE 076 DEG RADIAL TO ABOUT 40 MI E, DO A 180 AND RETURN FOR A LNDG. SIMPLE ENOUGH, THE RTE WOULD KEEP ME UNDER THE TCA AS LONG AS I STAYED BELOW 4800 FOR ABOUT 10 MI E. WE CLBED TO 5500 TO CLR THE MOUNTAINS AND DID A 180 ABOUT THE SATELLITE UPLINK STATION. NOW ENRTE BACK TO MYF, ON THE 256 DEG RADIAL FROM THE EASTERN VOR, THE NAME ESCAPES ME, WE START A DSCNT. WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ARE DOWN TO 1500 MSL JUST IN CASE WE CLIP THE TCA IN THE AREA. THE LOWEST IS 1800 MSL NOT COUNTING THE GND LEVEL SFC JOBBERS. WELL, BEFORE WE HIT THE MOUNTAINS, I FIGURE WE'LL SKIRT S JUST A LITTLE TO MAINTAIN OUR DSCNT TO 1500 MSL AND TO BE WELL S OF GILLESPIE ATA. IT'S NOT EASY TO GET CLRED THROUGH ATA B, WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO ATA A, JUST A FEW MI FURTHER. NOT EASY, IN THAT YOU HAVEN'T TIME TO CHIT CHAT WITH BOTH WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO LINE UP FOR LNDG, PRE CHKS, STAYING CLR OF THE TCA, NAV, TRY TO MAINTAIN VFR IN AN UNFAMILIAR HAZE AREA, AND SEE AND AVOID TOO. NOT EASY IN MY SMA AT LEAST. I CALLED AT 20 MI FOR CLRNC AND LNDG, AND WAS TOLD UNABLE, AND TO CONTACT THEM AT ABOUT 8 MI. I FOUND OUT THAT THEY USE A MONITOR LINKED TO TRACON WITH JUST THE LCL AREA THEY WANT DISPLAYED, ABOUT 8 MI IN THEIR CASE. I ASSUMED THEY EITHER HAD ME ON RADAR, OR I WOULD BE IN RADAR SHORTLY. BECAUSE I CALLED WITH MY POS, AND INTENTIONS TO LAND, WITH THE CURRENT ATIS THAT THEY WOULD BE WATCHING ME ON THE WAY IN FOR A CLRNC TO LAND. BECAUSE I HAD THE NAV TUNED TO THE DISTANT VOR RATHER THAN THE MISSION BAY VOR, WE NATURALLY LOST THE VOR TRACKING INDICATIONS. I ASSUMED WE WERE IN CLOSE ENOUGH, AND THOUGHT WE WERE ON TRACK. IT WASN'T POSSIBLE TO BE OFF TRACK FAR WITH MY CURRENT HDG. HA! THE RADIOS ARE SQUAWKING NON STOP FOR 2 MINS, AND BEFORE I CAN GET ANOTHER CALL IN, WE ARE 6.5 MI SE, ATC SAYS SQUAWK XX00 AND IDENT, AND THEN THE FUN PART STARTS. MAKE IMMEDIATE R TURN TO 010 DEGS, YOU ARE IN LINDBERGH'S TCA (HE REPEATS), SO I DO JUST THAT. WELL, HE THEN STATES YOU HAVE A TELEPHONE NUMBER TO CALL, SOON AS YOU FINISH TAXIING, RPT READY TO COPY. AT THIS POINT IT'S CLR TO ME I'M ANOTHER TCA BUSTER ABOUT TO GET IT. I HAD ASSUMED WAY TOO MUCH AND VIA MY TELEPHONE CALL TO TRACON WAS INFORMED I WAS INDEED A CERTIFIED TCA VIOLATOR. HE WANTED TO KNOW THE DETAILS OF IT ALL, AND INFORMED ME THERE WAS AN AIRLINER ON APCH DURING THAT TIME, AT WHICH POINT HE BECAME UNCLR AND CHANGED THE SUBJECT. I WAS AT ALL TIMES HUMBLE AND GAVE HIM THE I'M A GRANDPA, NEW TO THE AREA AND THOUGHT I WAS IN RADAR CONTACT AT ALL TIMES VIA THE TWR SOB STORY. HE SPENT ABOUT 10 MINS EXPLAINING THE AREA TCA'S SVCS, AND RECOMMENDED PROCS A NEWCOMER TO THE AREA COULD USE. HE NOTED AN INTXN AND A FEW OTHER DETAILS THAT I HADN'T NOTICED EVEN AFTER 2 HRS OF STUDYING THE TCA CHARTS! IN CLOSING AFTER BEING AS NICE AND HUMBLE AS I COULD, I ASKED JUST HOW MUCH TROUBLE I WAS IN. HE STATED HE DIDN'T PLAN ON PURSUING IT, AND TO MAKE SURE IT DIDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN. BY MY REQUEST, I WENT TO VISIT TRACON THAT NIGHT AS I WANTED TO KNOW IF I NEEDED TO USE THE NASA GET OUT OF JAIL TRICK, AND LET THE IN-LAW VISIT TRACON.

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.