SMA ENTERED SEA TCA.

Narrative

PIC FAILED TO PAY ATTN AS PAX FLEW INTO BOTTOM OF TCA ON INITIAL CLB OUT OF RENTON ARPT. PIC DAYDREAMING AND LOOKING AT VIEW. NO LIGHT IN ALTIMETER ON PANEL. PIC SUDDENLY REALIZED PLANE WAS STILL CLBING AND SUSPECTED TCA INCURSION; TUNED VOR TO SEA 116.8 AND DETERMINED ACFT WAS ON 007 RADIAL AT 3200 MSL. BY THE TIME INCURSION WAS CONFIRMED THE ACFT HAD EXITED THE TCA. WE THEN TURNED E TO AVOID FURTHER INCURSION. PIC GOT VERY NERVOUS ABOUT TCA INCURSION AND BEING WORRIED ABOUT POSSIBLE CERTIFICATE ACTION; TURNED OFF MODE C HOPING THAT ATC WOULD NOT NOTICE THE INCURSION. THIS WAS SIMPLY BAD JUDGEMENT. THE PIC ALSO DECIDED TO FLY AMONGST THE HILLS HOPING TO LOST ATC IF ATC WAS AWARE OF THE INCURSION; MORE BAD JUDGEMENT. THE ALTIMETER IN THE ACFT WAS UNLIGHTED AND UNCERTIFIED AS THE ACFT'S REGULAR ALTIMETER WAS BEING SERVICED. THE ALTIMETER INSTALLED IN THE ACFT WAS A LONER AND BEING UNLIGHTED WAS NOT EASY TO SEE IN THE DARK COCKPIT. THE PIC SHOULD HAVE CHKED ALL OF THIS BEFORE THE FLT RATHER THAN AFTER THE FLT. TECHNICALLY; THE ACFT WAS PROBABLY NOT AIRWORTHY DUE TO NONCERTIFICATION OF THE ALTIMETER. THE FLT SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE IN AN AIRWORTHY CRAFT OR POSTPONED. THE PIC IS A CFI WORKING TOWARDS A CAREER IN COMMERCIAL AVIATION. THE SPECTER OF POSSIBLE SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION OF LICENSE DUE TO THE TCA INCURSION WAS FEARSOME. PIC WAS VERY NERVOUS ABOUT THE REPUTED 'MANDATORY' 60 DAY SUSPENSION OF LICENSE. HAD THE SUSPENSION NOT BEEN 'MANDATORY' THE PIC WOULD HAVE CALLED ATC; RPTED POSITION AND EXITED TCA ACCORDING TO ATC INSTRUCTIONS (HAD HE STILL BEEN IT IT).