Narrative:

I was cruising at 9500 ft VFR approach towards the sfo TCA from the northwest. Destination was sjc. I was anticipating a TCA clearance for descent. I was given a late handoff from ZOA to bay approach very close to the TCA. Upon initial contact with bay, I requested a descent through the TCA. The controller immediately assigned me a heading of 110 degrees and a descent to 6500 and began calling out jet traffic. He never said 'cleared through the TCA,' but the vector and descent would take me straight through it. I meant to clarify before reaching 8000, but he was busy with other aircraft and then I was busy looking for traffic. By the time I realized I had gone through the TCA, I was already clear of the TCA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT RPTR WANTED TO GO THROUGH THE TCA, BUT CTLR ISSUED A HDG AND ALT TOWARD TCA. CTLR DID NOT SPECIFICALLY STATE CLRED THROUGH TCA. PLT CONFUSED.

Narrative: I WAS CRUISING AT 9500 FT VFR APCH TOWARDS THE SFO TCA FROM THE NW. DEST WAS SJC. I WAS ANTICIPATING A TCA CLRNC FOR DSCNT. I WAS GIVEN A LATE HDOF FROM ZOA TO BAY APCH VERY CLOSE TO THE TCA. UPON INITIAL CONTACT WITH BAY, I REQUESTED A DSCNT THROUGH THE TCA. THE CTLR IMMEDIATELY ASSIGNED ME A HDG OF 110 DEGS AND A DSCNT TO 6500 AND BEGAN CALLING OUT JET TFC. HE NEVER SAID 'CLRED THROUGH THE TCA,' BUT THE VECTOR AND DSCNT WOULD TAKE ME STRAIGHT THROUGH IT. I MEANT TO CLARIFY BEFORE REACHING 8000, BUT HE WAS BUSY WITH OTHER ACFT AND THEN I WAS BUSY LOOKING FOR TFC. BY THE TIME I REALIZED I HAD GONE THROUGH THE TCA, I WAS ALREADY CLR OF THE TCA.

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.