Penetration of airspace at lga, ewr and teb, TCA and air traffic area's.

Attributes
ACN	115779
Time
Date	198907
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : n90
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1400 msl bound upper : 1400
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 16 flight time total : 134
ASRS Report	115779
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was informed, after landing in teterboro, that I had entered various TCA's and air traffic area's, including the la guardia control area without a clearance. I was unaware of any far violation or infringement into controled airspace at the time I supposedly (by ATC allegations) entered same, and find it incredible that I did so without any contemporaneous communications from ATC personnel (i.e., new york center or terminal control) regarding my entrance into controled airspace without clearance. I realized an error because I was over water, and I should have been north of water, so I changed direction in order to get back on course, but was unable to do so initially. I was finally vectored back onto course and landed at teterboro, nj. It is possible that the incursion into controled airspace was caused by a malfunctioning VOR. Although the aircraft is usually equipped with two VOR's, one was out for service at the time of this flight, making verification impossible callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states return trip route right on target until close into TCA. Had used flight following all the way, and received clearance through the TCA at 3000'. Transfer to next controller who amended clearance and said unable to clear, descend to 2500'. Reporter complied and requested controller to advise prior to entry into the 1500' area of TCA. Told approaching area to descend to 1400', radar service terminated. Poor indication on teb VOR, very erratic, course not reliable. Went back to bdr VOR which showed right on course. Conditions had changed to night. Continued on course and saw airport directly ahead, then realized it was not teterboro, but la guardia. Turned north to clear the air traffic area and saw 2 bridges which he thought he recognized and knew position. Turned west again and realized he was totally disoriented, wrong bridges. Contact approach again to seek assistance. Located on radar and told position was south or teterboro. When requested vectors to teb, was told 'I don't vector to teb', contact ewr. Reporter felt it was more sensible to contact teb and when he did, received vectors and landed. Told afterwards he had been in lga airspace, and ewr had to break off an ILS approach.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE AT LGA, EWR AND TEB, TCA AND ATA'S.

Narrative: I WAS INFORMED, AFTER LNDG IN TETERBORO, THAT I HAD ENTERED VARIOUS TCA'S AND ATA'S, INCLUDING THE LA GUARDIA CTL AREA WITHOUT A CLRNC. I WAS UNAWARE OF ANY FAR VIOLATION OR INFRINGEMENT INTO CTLED AIRSPACE AT THE TIME I SUPPOSEDLY (BY ATC ALLEGATIONS) ENTERED SAME, AND FIND IT INCREDIBLE THAT I DID SO WITHOUT ANY CONTEMPORANEOUS COMMUNICATIONS FROM ATC PERSONNEL (I.E., NEW YORK CENTER OR TERMINAL CTL) REGARDING MY ENTRANCE INTO CTLED AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC. I REALIZED AN ERROR BECAUSE I WAS OVER WATER, AND I SHOULD HAVE BEEN NORTH OF WATER, SO I CHANGED DIRECTION IN ORDER TO GET BACK ON COURSE, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO INITIALLY. I WAS FINALLY VECTORED BACK ONTO COURSE AND LANDED AT TETERBORO, NJ. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE INCURSION INTO CTLED AIRSPACE WAS CAUSED BY A MALFUNCTIONING VOR. ALTHOUGH THE ACFT IS USUALLY EQUIPPED WITH TWO VOR'S, ONE WAS OUT FOR SERVICE AT THE TIME OF THIS FLT, MAKING VERIFICATION IMPOSSIBLE CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: REPORTER STATES RETURN TRIP ROUTE RIGHT ON TARGET UNTIL CLOSE INTO TCA. HAD USED FLT FOLLOWING ALL THE WAY, AND RECEIVED CLRNC THROUGH THE TCA AT 3000'. TRANSFER TO NEXT CTLR WHO AMENDED CLRNC AND SAID UNABLE TO CLEAR, DSND TO 2500'. REPORTER COMPLIED AND REQUESTED CTLR TO ADVISE PRIOR TO ENTRY INTO THE 1500' AREA OF TCA. TOLD APCHING AREA TO DSND TO 1400', RADAR SERVICE TERMINATED. POOR INDICATION ON TEB VOR, VERY ERRATIC, COURSE NOT RELIABLE. WENT BACK TO BDR VOR WHICH SHOWED RIGHT ON COURSE. CONDITIONS HAD CHANGED TO NIGHT. CONTINUED ON COURSE AND SAW ARPT DIRECTLY AHEAD, THEN REALIZED IT WAS NOT TETERBORO, BUT LA GUARDIA. TURNED NORTH TO CLEAR THE ATA AND SAW 2 BRIDGES WHICH HE THOUGHT HE RECOGNIZED AND KNEW POSITION. TURNED WEST AGAIN AND REALIZED HE WAS TOTALLY DISORIENTED, WRONG BRIDGES. CONTACT APCH AGAIN TO SEEK ASSISTANCE. LOCATED ON RADAR AND TOLD POSITION WAS SOUTH OR TETERBORO. WHEN REQUESTED VECTORS TO TEB, WAS TOLD 'I DON'T VECTOR TO TEB', CONTACT EWR. REPORTER FELT IT WAS MORE SENSIBLE TO CONTACT TEB AND WHEN HE DID, RECEIVED VECTORS AND LANDED. TOLD AFTERWARDS HE HAD BEEN IN LGA AIRSPACE, AND EWR HAD TO BREAK OFF AN ILS APCH.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.