UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE. PROX OF TCA.

Narrative

I AWOKE AT XA30 THIS MORNING AFTER ABOUT 5 OR 6 HRS OF SLEEP TO EMBARK ON A MOUNTAIN CHKOUT FLT WITH MY STUDENT. I ARRIVED AT THE ARPT AT XB30 FOR PREFLT AND A WX BRIEFING. I HAD AGREED TO PICK MY STUDENT UP AT ANOTHER ARPT AT XD00; THEN THE 2 OF US RETURNED TO THE ORIGINAL ARPT TO DISCUSS THE PLANNED MOUNTAIN FLT. AT XD25; MY STUDENT AND I TOOK OFF FOR A 5 HR FLT INTO THE MOUNTAINS WITH 5 MOUNTAIN ARPT LNDGS. THE MOUNTAIN PORTION OF THE FLT PROCEEDED WITHOUT INCIDENT; HOWEVER; TSTMS IN THE AREA FORCED US TO REMAIN AT 1 ARPT FOR APPROX 4 HRS UNTIL THE WX MOVED TO THE E OF DENVER. MOUNTAIN TOP WINDS DICTATED THAT WE CLB AN EXTRA 1000 FT BEFORE XING THE REMAINING MOUNTAIN PASSES. OUR ALT FOR ABOUT 20 MINS WAS 13500 FT MSL AND WE HAD NO SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN. I HAD RECENTLY COMPLETED PHYSIOLOGICAL TRAINING; AND I KNEW ONE OF MY SYMPTOMS OF HYPOXIA IS FATIGUE. BUT; I FELT CONFIDENT THAT THE SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME NEEDED TO CROSS THE MOUNTAINS WOULD HAVE NO ADVERSE EFFECTS AND WE WERE 'LEGAL' FOR UP TO 30 MINS BTWN 12500 FT MSL AND 14000 FT MSL WITHOUT SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN. THERE WAS SOME MOUNTAIN OBSCUREMENT REMAINING FROM THE WX THAT HAD PASSED THROUGH THE AREA EARLIER; AND I CHOSE TO CROSS THE MOUNTAINS FURTHER S THAN PLANNED. THE VIOLATION OCCURRED WHEN; AS A RESULT OF BEING FURTHER S AND AT A HIGHER INITIAL ALT DSNDING WITH DENVER; WE PENETRATED THE OUTER RING OF THE TCA AT 9000 FT MSL IN A LOCATION WHERE THE FLOOR OF THE TCA WAS ACTUALLY 8000 FT MSL AT ABOUT PM15 MDT. I FEEL MY LACK OF SLEEP DURING THE PREVIOUS NIGHT; COMBINED WITH A LONG FLYING DAY AND FATIGUE FROM FLYING AT HIGHER ALTS WITHOUT SUPPLEMENTAL OYXGEN; LURED ME INTO A COMPLACENT ATTITUDE WHEN I HAD MY HOME ARPT IN SIGHT. I DIDN'T VERIFY MY POS IN RELATION TO THE TCA IN TIME TO FLY UNDER THE OUTER RING OF THE TCA OR CALL APCH CTL. NEXT TIME IT'S A NO-GO DECISION WHEN I'M FATIGUED AND I'LL CARRY SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN ON ALL MOUNTAIN FLTS.