Narrative:

I was on a local flight from allaire airport (blm) to teterboro (teb). Conditions were excellent VFR. In the vicinity of colts neck VOR (col) prior to the new york TCA, I requested a TCA clearance from new york approach to maintain 2500' landing teb. After appropriate transponder code and radar identify, I was told 'descend to 2000', proceed direct to the verrazano bridge.' I did so, and soon passed beneath the outer tier of the TCA to enter the TCA north of sandy hook. At the verrazano bridge I was advised to proceed up the hudson river, descend to 1400', and contact newark tower. I did this and was further followed up the river. I remained in the TCA, abeam newark airport, under radar surveillance until just north of the world trade center. Abeam of the world trade center there is an area of guaranteed communication blackout. I suspect large transmitters on the world trade center are responsible for loss of all communication in this area. (This fact, known to local pilots, should be a note on the VFR TCA chart.) further up the river, newark tower informed me, 'you are now below the TCA, squawk VFR, contact teterboro tower before entering the air traffic area, do not penetrate the TCA.' I requested a handoff to teb tower, and was told 'teterboro is a VFR airport and cannot take a handoff.' a review of a new york TCA map will show that at 1400' I occupied a small piece of airspace bounded by lower TCA sectors immediately fore and aft the aircraft. The only escape at 1400' is a turn southeast proceeding directly over the heart of downtown manhattan. This difficult route passes between the empire state bldg and the world trade center dodging other skyscrapers to maintain the minimum safe distance and altitudes. Proceeding northwest would penetrate the teb air traffic area. I chose to rapidly descend to 1100' which allowed me to stay over the hudson river and still remain outside the TCA. I think I descended fast enough to miss the TCA, but I'm not sure. I then contacted teb tower and entered the air traffic area once communications were established. Once on the ground I called new york approach and spoke to a supervisor. He indicated newark tower could not hand off to teb tower because of radar incompatibility, but he agreed the handling could be improved in such circumstances. Considering I indicated my destination and willingness to accept any reasonable route to teb, when I first called up the TCA, it is an unsafe procedure to lead a pilot into a box canyon, and they expect him to figure his own way out. I do not ask to be led by the nose, but in return for TCA compliance, I expect safe handling, and an appropriate handoff to a tower airport beneath the TCA. I was also displeased in retrospect I had received a transponder code, was alerted as to radar contact, told to descend and take up a specified course, but I spoke to newark tower, and they voiced no complaint I had violated TCA airspace.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA LNDG TEB GETS TCA CLRNC THEN DESCENDS BELOW TCA UP TO EDGE OF TEB ARPT TRAFFIC AREA WHEREUPON ATC DROPS SERVICE WITHOUT HANDING HIM OFF TO THE TEB TWR.

Narrative: I WAS ON A LCL FLT FROM ALLAIRE ARPT (BLM) TO TETERBORO (TEB). CONDITIONS WERE EXCELLENT VFR. IN THE VICINITY OF COLTS NECK VOR (COL) PRIOR TO THE NEW YORK TCA, I REQUESTED A TCA CLRNC FROM NEW YORK APCH TO MAINTAIN 2500' LNDG TEB. AFTER APPROPRIATE XPONDER CODE AND RADAR IDENT, I WAS TOLD 'DSND TO 2000', PROCEED DIRECT TO THE VERRAZANO BRIDGE.' I DID SO, AND SOON PASSED BENEATH THE OUTER TIER OF THE TCA TO ENTER THE TCA N OF SANDY HOOK. AT THE VERRAZANO BRIDGE I WAS ADVISED TO PROCEED UP THE HUDSON RIVER, DSND TO 1400', AND CONTACT NEWARK TWR. I DID THIS AND WAS FURTHER FOLLOWED UP THE RIVER. I REMAINED IN THE TCA, ABEAM NEWARK ARPT, UNDER RADAR SURVEILLANCE UNTIL JUST N OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER. ABEAM OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER THERE IS AN AREA OF GUARANTEED COM BLACKOUT. I SUSPECT LARGE XMITTERS ON THE WORLD TRADE CENTER ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR LOSS OF ALL COM IN THIS AREA. (THIS FACT, KNOWN TO LCL PLTS, SHOULD BE A NOTE ON THE VFR TCA CHART.) FURTHER UP THE RIVER, NEWARK TWR INFORMED ME, 'YOU ARE NOW BELOW THE TCA, SQUAWK VFR, CONTACT TETERBORO TWR BEFORE ENTERING THE ATA, DO NOT PENETRATE THE TCA.' I REQUESTED A HANDOFF TO TEB TWR, AND WAS TOLD 'TETERBORO IS A VFR ARPT AND CANNOT TAKE A HANDOFF.' A REVIEW OF A NEW YORK TCA MAP WILL SHOW THAT AT 1400' I OCCUPIED A SMALL PIECE OF AIRSPACE BOUNDED BY LOWER TCA SECTORS IMMEDIATELY FORE AND AFT THE ACFT. THE ONLY ESCAPE AT 1400' IS A TURN SE PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OVER THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN MANHATTAN. THIS DIFFICULT ROUTE PASSES BETWEEN THE EMPIRE STATE BLDG AND THE WORLD TRADE CENTER DODGING OTHER SKYSCRAPERS TO MAINTAIN THE MINIMUM SAFE DISTANCE AND ALTS. PROCEEDING NW WOULD PENETRATE THE TEB ATA. I CHOSE TO RAPIDLY DSND TO 1100' WHICH ALLOWED ME TO STAY OVER THE HUDSON RIVER AND STILL REMAIN OUTSIDE THE TCA. I THINK I DESCENDED FAST ENOUGH TO MISS THE TCA, BUT I'M NOT SURE. I THEN CONTACTED TEB TWR AND ENTERED THE ATA ONCE COMS WERE ESTABLISHED. ONCE ON THE GND I CALLED NEW YORK APCH AND SPOKE TO A SUPVR. HE INDICATED NEWARK TWR COULD NOT HAND OFF TO TEB TWR BECAUSE OF RADAR INCOMPATIBILITY, BUT HE AGREED THE HANDLING COULD BE IMPROVED IN SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES. CONSIDERING I INDICATED MY DEST AND WILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT ANY REASONABLE ROUTE TO TEB, WHEN I FIRST CALLED UP THE TCA, IT IS AN UNSAFE PROC TO LEAD A PLT INTO A BOX CANYON, AND THEY EXPECT HIM TO FIGURE HIS OWN WAY OUT. I DO NOT ASK TO BE LED BY THE NOSE, BUT IN RETURN FOR TCA COMPLIANCE, I EXPECT SAFE HANDLING, AND AN APPROPRIATE HANDOFF TO A TWR ARPT BENEATH THE TCA. I WAS ALSO DISPLEASED IN RETROSPECT I HAD RECEIVED A XPONDER CODE, WAS ALERTED AS TO RADAR CONTACT, TOLD TO DSND AND TAKE UP A SPECIFIED COURSE, BUT I SPOKE TO NEWARK TWR, AND THEY VOICED NO COMPLAINT I HAD VIOLATED TCA AIRSPACE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.