Narrative:

1 week after my sightseeing flight up the hudson river VFR corridor at night, I was notified that an investigation was initiated by the ny TRACON for a TCA airspace violation by the aircraft I was flying that night. I looked into this matter carefully and, after personally reviewing both the facts presented by the ny TRACON and my own flight notes, I must conclude that I may have in fact violated the lga sector airspace. On this flight route that I've used before during the day, I embarked for the first time at night. I was night current to carry passenger at night in this aircraft and had a friend with me. The route basically involved taking off from frg and flying south toward jones beach. Then we would fly west over the beach at or below 500' toward the verrazano bridge. At this pint the route is nward up the hudson at or below 1100' until reaching the alpine tower. Then the direction of flight is eward below 3000' to the northport vicinity and south from there to frg again for landing. Because this flight would be at night, my intention was to intercept the 5 degree right from lga rather than looking for the alpine tower as the 11-mi-away-from-lga indicator for the turn east. That night, after takeoff, I contacted jfk tower over jones beach for flight following. Jfk terminated radar service once I reached the waters south of the verrazano bridge. I did not contact any ATC facility as I proceeded nward. I stayed below 1100' until north of the george washington bridge. After about 3 mins of continued flight nward, I believed I was far enough north, based on the VOR and pilotage, to safely turn east and climb to 2800'. However, 2 problems arose: 1) I was wrong about how far away from lga I was (actually 8 mi, not 11 mi out), and 2) I further aggravated the situation by letting my altitude increase to as much as 3300' (which is definitely a violation of the 3000' limit within 20 mi of the ny TCA airports). Additionally, the record shows that I came within 2 mi of a base-to-final jet inbound to lga runway 22 at 2500'. The jet was immediately assigned an altitude of 2000'. The ny TRACON flagged my aircraft as a violator and followed me back to frg where I landed. Although no major incident occurred, my oversight could have had much more serious results. 1) I was listening on lga's tower frequency--I should have made contact with them; 2) I should have been much more careful with regard to my position relative to the latitude limit of the TCA; 3) I should have kept much better control of my altitude (+/-100' rather than +/-500') while in the area of such critical airspace. I did well to contact jfk on the south leg of my flight; I really should have continued the precedent by calling lga before the north leg.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA AT NIGHT INADVERTENTLY PENETRATED TCA IN PROX OF LGA.

Narrative: 1 WK AFTER MY SIGHTSEEING FLT UP THE HUDSON RIVER VFR CORRIDOR AT NIGHT, I WAS NOTIFIED THAT AN INVESTIGATION WAS INITIATED BY THE NY TRACON FOR A TCA AIRSPACE VIOLATION BY THE ACFT I WAS FLYING THAT NIGHT. I LOOKED INTO THIS MATTER CAREFULLY AND, AFTER PERSONALLY REVIEWING BOTH THE FACTS PRESENTED BY THE NY TRACON AND MY OWN FLT NOTES, I MUST CONCLUDE THAT I MAY HAVE IN FACT VIOLATED THE LGA SECTOR AIRSPACE. ON THIS FLT ROUTE THAT I'VE USED BEFORE DURING THE DAY, I EMBARKED FOR THE FIRST TIME AT NIGHT. I WAS NIGHT CURRENT TO CARRY PAX AT NIGHT IN THIS ACFT AND HAD A FRIEND WITH ME. THE ROUTE BASICALLY INVOLVED TAKING OFF FROM FRG AND FLYING S TOWARD JONES BEACH. THEN WE WOULD FLY W OVER THE BEACH AT OR BELOW 500' TOWARD THE VERRAZANO BRIDGE. AT THIS PINT THE ROUTE IS NWARD UP THE HUDSON AT OR BELOW 1100' UNTIL REACHING THE ALPINE TWR. THEN THE DIRECTION OF FLT IS EWARD BELOW 3000' TO THE NORTHPORT VICINITY AND S FROM THERE TO FRG AGAIN FOR LNDG. BECAUSE THIS FLT WOULD BE AT NIGHT, MY INTENTION WAS TO INTERCEPT THE 5 DEG R FROM LGA RATHER THAN LOOKING FOR THE ALPINE TWR AS THE 11-MI-AWAY-FROM-LGA INDICATOR FOR THE TURN E. THAT NIGHT, AFTER TKOF, I CONTACTED JFK TWR OVER JONES BEACH FOR FLT FOLLOWING. JFK TERMINATED RADAR SVC ONCE I REACHED THE WATERS S OF THE VERRAZANO BRIDGE. I DID NOT CONTACT ANY ATC FAC AS I PROCEEDED NWARD. I STAYED BELOW 1100' UNTIL N OF THE GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE. AFTER ABOUT 3 MINS OF CONTINUED FLT NWARD, I BELIEVED I WAS FAR ENOUGH N, BASED ON THE VOR AND PILOTAGE, TO SAFELY TURN E AND CLB TO 2800'. HOWEVER, 2 PROBS AROSE: 1) I WAS WRONG ABOUT HOW FAR AWAY FROM LGA I WAS (ACTUALLY 8 MI, NOT 11 MI OUT), AND 2) I FURTHER AGGRAVATED THE SITUATION BY LETTING MY ALT INCREASE TO AS MUCH AS 3300' (WHICH IS DEFINITELY A VIOLATION OF THE 3000' LIMIT WITHIN 20 MI OF THE NY TCA ARPTS). ADDITIONALLY, THE RECORD SHOWS THAT I CAME WITHIN 2 MI OF A BASE-TO-FINAL JET INBND TO LGA RWY 22 AT 2500'. THE JET WAS IMMEDIATELY ASSIGNED AN ALT OF 2000'. THE NY TRACON FLAGGED MY ACFT AS A VIOLATOR AND FOLLOWED ME BACK TO FRG WHERE I LANDED. ALTHOUGH NO MAJOR INCIDENT OCCURRED, MY OVERSIGHT COULD HAVE HAD MUCH MORE SERIOUS RESULTS. 1) I WAS LISTENING ON LGA'S TWR FREQ--I SHOULD HAVE MADE CONTACT WITH THEM; 2) I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE CAREFUL WITH REGARD TO MY POS RELATIVE TO THE LAT LIMIT OF THE TCA; 3) I SHOULD HAVE KEPT MUCH BETTER CTL OF MY ALT (+/-100' RATHER THAN +/-500') WHILE IN THE AREA OF SUCH CRITICAL AIRSPACE. I DID WELL TO CONTACT JFK ON THE S LEG OF MY FLT; I REALLY SHOULD HAVE CONTINUED THE PRECEDENT BY CALLING LGA BEFORE THE N LEG.

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.