UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE. PROX OF TCA.

Narrative

I WAS TAKING A SMALL HELI FROM THE CRYSTAL LAKE AREA TO MDW FOR MAINT. I WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH MY LORAN; MY DME AND XPONDER. WHILE TRYING TO GET THESE SYS TO OPERATE PROPERLY; I BLUNDERED INTO O'HARE'S TCA BY POSSIBLY A HALF MI. WHEN I REALIZED THE INTRUSION I MADE AN IMMEDIATE 180 DEG TURN UNTIL WELL CLR OF THE TCA; BEFORE ONCE AGAIN RESUMING MY FLT TO MDW. I THINK I WAS SOMEWHAT OVERLOADED BY HAVING SEVERAL AVIONICS PROBS TO COPE WITH SIMULTANEOUSLY AND THIS LED ME TO TRANSGRESS INTO THE TCA EVEN THOUGH THIS IS AN AREA I KNOW VERY WELL. I AM NOT SURE WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT EXCEPT TO ENCOURAGE PLTS TO ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH APCH CTL WHILE STILL OUTSIDE THE TCA BOUNDARY. WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT; IT DOES SEEM RIGHT THAT OUTSIDE THE TCA BOUNDARY YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO BE TALKING TO ANYBODY; BUT CROSS THAT MAGIC LINE; NOT ONLY MUST YOU BE IN RADIO CONTACT; YOU NEED A CLRNC OR FACE BIG TROUBLE. IT MUST BE UNCOMFORTABLE FOR CTLRS TOO; TO BE WATCHING A RADAR TARGET PROCEEDING TOWARDS THE TCA WITHOUT RADIO COM WONDERING WHETHER IT IS GOING TO TURN IN TIME TO STAY CLR OF THE TCA.