Corporate helicopter inadvertently enters the new york TCA.

Attributes
ACN	119078
Time
Date	198908
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lga airport : 6n4
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1100 msl bound upper : 1100
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90 tower : jfk
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 64 flight time total : 8100 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	119078
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After departing 6n4 we climbed to 1100' and flew southbound on the east edge of the east river. This area is designated the east river exclusion area. About 1 mi south of the queensboro bridge we contacted jfk TCA on 125.25. They advised us to contact jfk tower on 119.1. About 1/2 mi north of the williamsburg bridge we made contact. At this time tower asked us to report our altitude and told us that we were in lga's airspace and that in the future we were to contact lga TCA before entering this airspace. We told TCA that we were 1100' and that we were in the exclusion area. By this time we were at the east side of the williamsburg bridge and were clear of the exclusion and TCA when jfk cleared us into their TCA. How accurate is the radar in determining our exact position along the edge of the east river? The exclusion area is normally congested with helicopter and sea plane traffic and we need to be able to use the entire space available west/O worrying about upsetting our TCA neighbors.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CORPORATE HELICOPTER INADVERTENTLY ENTERS THE NEW YORK TCA.

Narrative: AFTER DEPARTING 6N4 WE CLBED TO 1100' AND FLEW SBND ON THE E EDGE OF THE EAST RIVER. THIS AREA IS DESIGNATED THE EAST RIVER EXCLUSION AREA. ABOUT 1 MI S OF THE QUEENSBORO BRIDGE WE CONTACTED JFK TCA ON 125.25. THEY ADVISED US TO CONTACT JFK TWR ON 119.1. ABOUT 1/2 MI N OF THE WILLIAMSBURG BRIDGE WE MADE CONTACT. AT THIS TIME TWR ASKED US TO RPT OUR ALT AND TOLD US THAT WE WERE IN LGA'S AIRSPACE AND THAT IN THE FUTURE WE WERE TO CONTACT LGA TCA BEFORE ENTERING THIS AIRSPACE. WE TOLD TCA THAT WE WERE 1100' AND THAT WE WERE IN THE EXCLUSION AREA. BY THIS TIME WE WERE AT THE E SIDE OF THE WILLIAMSBURG BRIDGE AND WERE CLR OF THE EXCLUSION AND TCA WHEN JFK CLRED US INTO THEIR TCA. HOW ACCURATE IS THE RADAR IN DETERMINING OUR EXACT POS ALONG THE EDGE OF THE EAST RIVER? THE EXCLUSION AREA IS NORMALLY CONGESTED WITH HELI AND SEA PLANE TFC AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO USE THE ENTIRE SPACE AVAILABLE W/O WORRYING ABOUT UPSETTING OUR TCA NEIGHBORS.

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.