REPORTER ACCUSED OF FLYING INTO TCA WITHOUT PROPER CLRNC.

Narrative

THIS RPT IS BEING FILED IN RESPONSE TO THE ALLEGED CLAIM BY THE ORD TRACON THAT THE ACFT I WAS PLTING ENTERED THE CHICAGO TCA W/O AUTHORIZATION ON 9/SAT/88. ON THE MORNING OF 9/SAT/88 MY STUDENT (A PVT PLT) AND I CONDUCTED A FLYING LESSON FROM MDW TO AUR IN AN SMA. FOR THIS PLT; THE FLT WAS THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF LESSONS REQUIRED BY THE FLYING CLUB I REPRESENT. UPON DEPARTING MDW AT APPROX AM CST IN EXCELLENT VFR CONDITIONS; WE FLEW A HDG OF 210 DEGS AT 1900' MSL FOR ABOUT 25 SM. THIS WOULD HAVE PLACED OUR ACFT 10-15 SM S OF THE OUTER BOUNDARY OF THE CHICAGO TCA. FROM THIS POINT WHILE CONDUCTING INSTRUCTIONAL MANEUVERS; WE TOOK UP A SOUTHWESTERLY HDG AND CLBED TO 3000' MSL. WHILE AT THIS ALT AND IN A TURNING MANEUVER; I NOTED OUR POS TO BE EXACTLY OVER THE TOWN OF ELLWOOD; IL; WELL S OF JOLIET; IL AND AGAIN; WELL BEYOND THE CHICAGO TCA BOUNDARY. FROM THIS POS; I INSTRUCTED MY STUDENT TO CLB TO 4000' MSL AND TO TURN TO A SW HDG. WHILE CLBING; I NOTED OUR POS TO BE SW OF JOLIET AND S OF THE ILLINOIS RIVER. AT THIS LOCATION WE PERFORMED A SERIES OF STALLS. UPON COMPLETING THESE MANEUVERS; I CONTINUED TO INSTRUCT MY STUDENT AND REQUESTED THAT HE FLY DIRECT TO THE JOLIET VOR (JOT). I RECALL A NORTHEASTERLY COURSE WAS REQUIRED TO FLY TO THE VOR. UPON XING THE JOT VOR; WE IMMEDIATELY TURNED OUTBND ON THE 330 DEG R OF JOT WHILE TRANSITIONING TO AN APCH INTO AUR. INCIDENTALLY; WHILE OVER THE VOR I DID NOTE OTHER ACFT IN THE AREA INCLUDING ONE FLYING A SOUTHWESTERLY COURSE THAT PASSED DIRECTLY BELOW OUR ACFT. APPROX 12 SM'S SSE OF AUR; WE CONTACTED THE CTL TWR FOR CLRNC TO LAND. THE TWR REQUESTED THAT WE RPT 2 MI S OF SUGAR GROVE; IL; ON A LEFT BASE FOR RWY 27; AND ALSO REQUESTED OUR PRESENT ALT. I CANNOT RECALL OUR EXACT ALT AT THAT POINT; BUT I BELIEVE IT WAS SOMEWHERE BTWN 2500 AND 3500' MSL. HOWEVER; I DO REMEMBER BEING 4-5 SM'S S OF SUGAR GROVE AT ABOUT THAT TIME. UPON COMPLETING OUR LNDG ON RWY 27; THE AUR CTL TWR REQUESTED THAT WE RETURN TO CALL THE CHICAGO TRACON FOR HE HAD JUST BEEN INFORMED THAT WE HAD ENTERED THE TCA AT 4000' MSL W/O PRIOR AUTHORIZATION. I IMMEDIATELY TAXIED TO THE TWR AND CALLED THE TRACON. WHILE SPEAKING WITH WHOM I BELIEVE WAS THE TRACON SUPVR; I INFORMED THIS INDIVIDUAL THAT THE ROUTE JUST FLOWN AND DESCRIBED AS ABOVE IN THIS RPT COULD NEVER HAVE ENTERED THE TCA. I REPEATEDLY DESCRIBED THE ABOVE SCENARIO TO THIS MAN AND EACH TIME I WAS PUT ON HOLD. FINALLY; I INSISTED THAT HE TELL ME EXACTLY WHERE THIS FLT HAD ENTERED THE TCA AT 4000' MSL SINCE HE WAS SO SURE OF THIS SUPPOSED INCURSION. HE RESPONDED; 'OVER JOLIET.' WHETHER HE MEANT THE JOLIET VOR; THE ARPT OR THE CITY; I INFORMED HIM AS I REVIEWED MY CURRENT SECTIONAL CHART THAT: 1) OUR FLT DID TAKE US OVER THE JOLIET VOR; BUT WELL S OF THE CITY OF JOLIET AND ITS ARPT; AND MOST IMPORTANTLY 2) THE CHICAGO TCA DOES NOT EXTEND OUT TO EITHER OF THESE 3 LOCATIONS! I WAS AGAIN PUT ON HOLD AND WHEN HE CAME BACK ON; I WAS TOLD THAT THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A MISTAKE ON EITHER PARTY'S PART AND THAT THE INCIDENT WOULD GO UNREPORTED. I CONCLUDE BY INSISTING THAT THIS TRNING FLT WAS FLOWN AS DESCRIBED ABOVE AND THAT IT NEVER ENTERED THE TCA AS CHARGED BY THE TRACON CTLRS. FINALLY; I BELIEVE THAT THIS INCIDENT WAS BROUGHT ON BY A CTLR WHO DID NOT KNOW THE EXACT WHEREABOUTS OF THE LATERAL BOUNDARY OF THE TCA. ALSO; THE ASPECT OF A MISTAKEN IDENT COULD HAVE BEEN A POSSIBLE FACTOR IN THIS CASE.