POSSIBLE PENETRATION TCA WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative

WE DEPARTED LWC VFR AT XA50 LCL IN 12/88. CONDITIONS WERE VMC. I CALLED MKC DEP CTL ON 120.5 TO GET OUR IFR CLRNC TO TEB. AFTER CLRING THE LWC TFC PATTERN; WE PROCEEDED TOWARDS THE MKC VORTAC; CLBING VFR; TRANSPONDER CODE 1200. I CALLED DEP 3 TIMES WITH NO RESPONSE. ON THE FOURTH CALL I WAS TOLD TO STANDBY. AFTER A FEW MINS PASSED I REALIZED WE WERE APCHING THE MKC TCA. I QUICKLY GRABBED THE LOW LEVEL CHART AND NOTED THE TOP OF THE MKC TCA WAS 8000' AND INSTRUCTED MY F/O; WHO WAS FLYING; TO INCREASE HIS RATE OF CLB TO BE OUT OF 8000' ASAP. WE WERE OUT OF 8000' AT THE 23 DME FIX OF THE MKC 232 DEG R. I MADE NOTE OF THIS AND WROTE IT DOWN. I CALLED MKC DEP ONCE AGAIN AND WAS GIVEN A TRANSPONDER CODE (1127) AND TOLD TO REMAIN VFR. AT 10 DME AND OUT O 16500' CLBING WE WERE ISSUED OUR CLRNC TO TEB AND INSTRUCTED TO CLB TO FL230. THE SECOND MKC ARTCC CTLR (135.0) INSTRUCTED US TO CALL THE CENTER WHEN WE ARRIVED AT TEB 'FOR AN APPARENT ATC VIOLATION.' THEN A SHORT TIME LATER THE CTLR CALLED AND SAID; 'THE CENTER DID NOT NEED THE INFO.' WE HAVE THE ENTIRE DEP ON TAPE; AND WILL KEEP IT ON FILE.