GA small aircraft unauthorized penetration of iah TCA airspace.

Attributes
ACN	86995
Time
Date	198805
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : iah airport : hou
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zhu tracon : iah
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 : 40 flight time total : 1980 flight time type : 1980
ASRS Report	86995
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We left conroe for houston hobby and I was in control. I was using my navcoms and LORAN for navigation. Upon completion of takeoff procedures I tuned my #1 radio and attempted to contact hou approach control. I did not get a reply, but this is not unusual as they are quite busy. I waited a few mins and called again, and again got no answer. My LORAN, which I was using for a DME, was set for hou which is houston hobby, but I mistakenly was thinking I was still 40 mi out from the center of the TCA. I suddenly saw hou at about 2 O'clock and realized that I was in the TCA. My #1 radio as not transmitting so I switched to #2 radio, which was set on hobby clearance delivery and asked them to give me a frequency to contact hou approach. They did and I used my #2 radio to contact them, gave my position and they vectored me on through the TCA. I contacted hou control by telephone upon arrival at hobby and explained my conduct. I do not know if they wrote up this incident. There was no near miss involved. We used #2 radio to return home, had #1 repaired as soon as possible. My error was due to my thinking that houston hobby was the center of the control zone. The LORAN is quite accurate--if I had set it for iah, I would have been aware that I was in the control zone.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA UNAUTH PENETRATION OF IAH TCA AIRSPACE.

Narrative: WE LEFT CONROE FOR HOUSTON HOBBY AND I WAS IN CTL. I WAS USING MY NAVCOMS AND LORAN FOR NAV. UPON COMPLETION OF TKOF PROCS I TUNED MY #1 RADIO AND ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT HOU APCH CTL. I DID NOT GET A REPLY, BUT THIS IS NOT UNUSUAL AS THEY ARE QUITE BUSY. I WAITED A FEW MINS AND CALLED AGAIN, AND AGAIN GOT NO ANSWER. MY LORAN, WHICH I WAS USING FOR A DME, WAS SET FOR HOU WHICH IS HOUSTON HOBBY, BUT I MISTAKENLY WAS THINKING I WAS STILL 40 MI OUT FROM THE CENTER OF THE TCA. I SUDDENLY SAW HOU AT ABOUT 2 O'CLOCK AND REALIZED THAT I WAS IN THE TCA. MY #1 RADIO AS NOT XMITTING SO I SWITCHED TO #2 RADIO, WHICH WAS SET ON HOBBY CLRNC DELIVERY AND ASKED THEM TO GIVE ME A FREQ TO CONTACT HOU APCH. THEY DID AND I USED MY #2 RADIO TO CONTACT THEM, GAVE MY POS AND THEY VECTORED ME ON THROUGH THE TCA. I CONTACTED HOU CTL BY TELEPHONE UPON ARR AT HOBBY AND EXPLAINED MY CONDUCT. I DO NOT KNOW IF THEY WROTE UP THIS INCIDENT. THERE WAS NO NEAR MISS INVOLVED. WE USED #2 RADIO TO RETURN HOME, HAD #1 REPAIRED ASAP. MY ERROR WAS DUE TO MY THINKING THAT HOUSTON HOBBY WAS THE CENTER OF THE CTL ZONE. THE LORAN IS QUITE ACCURATE--IF I HAD SET IT FOR IAH, I WOULD HAVE BEEN AWARE THAT I WAS IN THE CTL ZONE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.