SMT ON OVERWATER FLT HAS OIL PRESSURE PROBLEM AND SICK PAX. REVERSAL OF COURSE; PENETRATES TCA BEFORE CONTACT.

Date: 1991-09 · Aircraft: Small Transport; Low Wing; 2 Recip Eng

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-less-severe|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|other-airspace-violation-entry-or-exit|other-unspecified

Synopsis

SMT ON OVERWATER FLT HAS OIL PRESSURE PROBLEM AND SICK PAX. REVERSAL OF COURSE; PENETRATES TCA BEFORE CONTACT.

Narrative

CHAIN OF EVENTS: UPON RECOGNITION OF A POSSIBLE PROBLEM DEVELOPING; A FLT RTE OTHER THAN PREVIOUSLY PLANNED WAS TAKEN OUT OF PERCEIVED NECESSITY. THIS SET THE STAGE FOR PENETRATION OF CTLED AIRSPACE; WHERE VFR AIRSPACE IS AT A MIN AROUND LOS ANGELES. HUMAN PERFORMANCE: CONCENTRATION IN THE COCKPIT CENTERED ON PROBLEMS AT HAND (ERRATIC OIL PRESSURE; ILL PAX) AND FLYING THE ACFT SAFELY TO DEST. FAILED TO RECOGNIZE MY RTE WOULD CROSS A SECTOR OF TCA AIRSPACE WHICH EXTENDED TO THE SURFACE. OF COURSE; THE REALIZATION WAS ALL TOO QUICK ONCE THE SMO CTLR MENTIONED 'LOS ANGELES APCH'. VFR PLEASURE FLT WITH 2 PAX DEPARTED SMO ARPT AFTER SAME-DAY PURCHASE AND STUDY OF LOS ANGELES TCA CHART. FLEW NW ALONG SHORELINE TO VIEW REAL ESTATE NEAR THOUSAND OAKS. CROSSED SHORELINE W OF MALIBU BELOW TCA FLOOR AND TRACK TAKEN TO CATALINA ISLAND (ALSO PLANNED TO RETURN TO SMO VIA N SHORELINE). PURPOSEFULLY MAINTAINED 1000 FT MSL TO AVOID TFC WHICH MIGHT BE XING HIGHER ALT. APPROX 4-6 NM FROM CATALINA; NOTED ERRATIC OIL PRESSURE INDICATION ON R ENG; THOUGH OTHER INDICATIONS APPARENTLY OK (OIL TEMP; MANIFOLD PRESSURE; ETC). ABOUT THE SAME TIME; A PAX WHO HAD EARLIER COMPLAINED OF MILD NAUSEA SUDDENLY BECAME ILL. FACED WITH THESE 2 DIFFICULTIES (PARTICULARLY CONCERNED ABOUT A POSSIBLE ENG PROBLEM OVER WATER); I CHOSE TO MAKE A DIRECT TRACK TO SMO. AFTER TURNING THE ACFT AROUND I FLEW A DIRECT RTE VIA LORAN. TUNED IN SMO ATIS; FOLLOWED BY CALLING SMO APPROX 9.5 MI OUT FOR APCH AND LNDG. SMO CTLR ASKED IF I WAS ON LOS ANGELES APCH; AT WHICH POINT I REALIZED I LIKELY PENETRATED THE 124/SFC SECTOR OF THE LOS ANGELES TCA. THE SMO CTLR REQUESTED THAT I SQUAWK 7700 AND CONTACT LOS ANGELES APCH; WHICH I DID. LOS ANGELES APCH VERIFIED THAT I HAD SMO IN SIGHT; ASKED IF I NEEDED ASSISTANCE; AND I REPLIED NEGATIVE. I WAS THEN INSTRUCTED TO SQUAWK 1200 AND CONTACT SMO TWR FOR LNDG; WHICH PROCEEDED WITHOUT MISHAP. MY ERROR AS PLT WAS IN POSITIONAL AWARENESS IN RELATION TO TCA BOUNDARY; AND FAILURE TO CONTACT THE APPROPRIATE ATC FACILITY (APCH VERSUS TWR). I CHOSE TO FLY THE AIRPLANE FIRST; AND IN MY NOT BEING AWARE OF MY POS IN RELATION TO THE 125/SFC PORTION OF THE TCA; I CONTACTED THE WRONG ATC FACILITY. LESSON LEARNED: CONTACT LOS ANGELES APCH EARLY (EVEN IF YOU KNOW YOU'RE NOT IN TCA AIRSPACE) IF YOU HAVE REASON TO MAKE AN URGENT RTING OR LNDG.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.