Narrative:

I called clearance delivery for TCA clearance out of sf TCA. I advised them that I would be proceeding direct to mammoth lakes, ca, on a 075 degree heading and that I would be climbing to 12500'. This was to be a flight under VFR with no flight plan filed as I expected to obtain flight following until the mammoth pass. Clearance delivery gave me a discrete transponder code and told me to contact the tower when I was ready to take off. I completed my run up and contracted oak tower for takeoff clearance and requested a frequency for the handoff after takeoff. Oak advised that they did not have a frequency yet as some of the sectors frequencys were closed down but that they would advise when I was airborne and cleared me for takeoff off runway 27R. After takeoff, I made a climbing right turn to my 075 degree heading to mammoth lakes and continued my climb. After approximately 4 or 5 mins, I called oak for a new frequency. They had been talking to other traffic but had not contacted me. Oak tower handed me off, I believe, to bay approach on a frequency of 135.4. When I switched over to bay approach, I checked in 3500' MSL and advised them that I was continuing my climb to 12500'. Bay approach advised me that I was in the TCA and that the TCA floor was 3000' MSL at that point. I advised them that I had received a TCA clearance from oak. Bay approach advised me to continue my climb and they continued flight following after I left the TCA. I believed, and still believe, that I had a TCA clearance. Further, I am not certain that I was in fact TCA. I had my RNAV set for manteca for my direct routing to mammoth lakes so I did not have a DME readout for the sf VOR. However, given my plane's normal climb of between 500-750 FPM and a climb speed of approximately 110 KTS, I believe I would be in the sector that has a 4500' MSL floor and an 8000' MSL ceiling (I believe section H from my sf TCA chart). I do not know what caused the problem. Perhaps I should have been more alert when oak tower did not have an immediate handoff frequency. While I infrequently request TCA clrncs, I normally fly outside the TCA in la, where I am based, or file IFR, I should have recognized that something was amiss when they did not call me with a new frequency while I was still in the air traffic area and they did not give me any altitude restrictions. I just assumed that there was no traffic in the area and I could climb to my requested altitude of 12500'. Perhaps oak tower forgot about me when I took off. I do not know what could correct the situation as I still do not know what caused the problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA CLIMBED INTO THE SFO TCA WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: I CALLED CLRNC DELIVERY FOR TCA CLRNC OUT OF SF TCA. I ADVISED THEM THAT I WOULD BE PROCEEDING DIRECT TO MAMMOTH LAKES, CA, ON A 075 DEG HDG AND THAT I WOULD BE CLBING TO 12500'. THIS WAS TO BE A FLT UNDER VFR WITH NO FLT PLAN FILED AS I EXPECTED TO OBTAIN FLT FOLLOWING UNTIL THE MAMMOTH PASS. CLRNC DELIVERY GAVE ME A DISCRETE TRANSPONDER CODE AND TOLD ME TO CONTACT THE TWR WHEN I WAS READY TO TAKE OFF. I COMPLETED MY RUN UP AND CONTRACTED OAK TWR FOR TKOF CLRNC AND REQUESTED A FREQ FOR THE HDOF AFTER TKOF. OAK ADVISED THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE A FREQ YET AS SOME OF THE SECTORS FREQS WERE CLOSED DOWN BUT THAT THEY WOULD ADVISE WHEN I WAS AIRBORNE AND CLRED ME FOR TKOF OFF RWY 27R. AFTER TKOF, I MADE A CLBING RIGHT TURN TO MY 075 DEG HDG TO MAMMOTH LAKES AND CONTINUED MY CLB. AFTER APPROX 4 OR 5 MINS, I CALLED OAK FOR A NEW FREQ. THEY HAD BEEN TALKING TO OTHER TFC BUT HAD NOT CONTACTED ME. OAK TWR HANDED ME OFF, I BELIEVE, TO BAY APCH ON A FREQ OF 135.4. WHEN I SWITCHED OVER TO BAY APCH, I CHKED IN 3500' MSL AND ADVISED THEM THAT I WAS CONTINUING MY CLB TO 12500'. BAY APCH ADVISED ME THAT I WAS IN THE TCA AND THAT THE TCA FLOOR WAS 3000' MSL AT THAT POINT. I ADVISED THEM THAT I HAD RECEIVED A TCA CLRNC FROM OAK. BAY APCH ADVISED ME TO CONTINUE MY CLB AND THEY CONTINUED FLT FOLLOWING AFTER I LEFT THE TCA. I BELIEVED, AND STILL BELIEVE, THAT I HAD A TCA CLRNC. FURTHER, I AM NOT CERTAIN THAT I WAS IN FACT TCA. I HAD MY RNAV SET FOR MANTECA FOR MY DIRECT ROUTING TO MAMMOTH LAKES SO I DID NOT HAVE A DME READOUT FOR THE SF VOR. HOWEVER, GIVEN MY PLANE'S NORMAL CLB OF BTWN 500-750 FPM AND A CLB SPD OF APPROX 110 KTS, I BELIEVE I WOULD BE IN THE SECTOR THAT HAS A 4500' MSL FLOOR AND AN 8000' MSL CEILING (I BELIEVE SECTION H FROM MY SF TCA CHART). I DO NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE PROB. PERHAPS I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE ALERT WHEN OAK TWR DID NOT HAVE AN IMMEDIATE HDOF FREQ. WHILE I INFREQUENTLY REQUEST TCA CLRNCS, I NORMALLY FLY OUTSIDE THE TCA IN LA, WHERE I AM BASED, OR FILE IFR, I SHOULD HAVE RECOGNIZED THAT SOMETHING WAS AMISS WHEN THEY DID NOT CALL ME WITH A NEW FREQ WHILE I WAS STILL IN THE ATA AND THEY DID NOT GIVE ME ANY ALT RESTRICTIONS. I JUST ASSUMED THAT THERE WAS NO TFC IN THE AREA AND I COULD CLB TO MY REQUESTED ALT OF 12500'. PERHAPS OAK TWR FORGOT ABOUT ME WHEN I TOOK OFF. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT COULD CORRECT THE SITUATION AS I STILL DO NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE PROB.

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.