Narrative:

I was the PIC of a helicopter flying from jra to teb (about 6 mi). We left jra and the radios were tuned to 123.05, as is the custom in the uncontrolled environment of the heliports. Over the middle of the river my copilot established communication with teb tower (or so we thought) for entry into the air traffic area. He reported over the 'tunnel' (lincoln tunnel) and asked for the sierra route inbound (a helicopter VFR route). This was acknowledged by the tower and were told to proceed. We proceeded into the air traffic area. My copilot next called georges, a reporting point on the sierra route, and got a questionable reply from the tower. The communication frequency was extremely busy. The first officer now noticed that we had the radio tuned to 119.6, which is the frequency for hpn instead of the proper frequency 119.5 for teb (the air traffic area in which we were located). When we discovered the error we were already in the air traffic area. I immediately did a 180 degree turn to exit the immediate area of the airport and switched to the appropriate frequency. We tried to establish communication with the tower (teb) as we departed that air traffic area, but the frequency was extremely busy as teb normally is. We completely exited the air traffic area and then established communication with the tower before reentering the air traffic area teb. Contributing factors: proximity of teb and hpn tower (20 mi) and the similarities of frequency (119.5 vs 119.7). Both hpn and teb have helicopter VFR routes (both also have a sierra route). Extremely busy nature of the communication allowed both the tower and our crew to accept the reports we were given. Name changes to one or both helicopter special routes would help.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF HELICOPTER PENETRATED TEB ATA WITHOUT CONTACTING TWR CTLR.

Narrative: I WAS THE PIC OF A HELI FLYING FROM JRA TO TEB (ABOUT 6 MI). WE LEFT JRA AND THE RADIOS WERE TUNED TO 123.05, AS IS THE CUSTOM IN THE UNCONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT OF THE HELIPORTS. OVER THE MIDDLE OF THE RIVER MY COPLT ESTABLISHED COM WITH TEB TWR (OR SO WE THOUGHT) FOR ENTRY INTO THE ATA. HE RPTED OVER THE 'TUNNEL' (LINCOLN TUNNEL) AND ASKED FOR THE SIERRA RTE INBND (A HELI VFR RTE). THIS WAS ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE TWR AND WERE TOLD TO PROCEED. WE PROCEEDED INTO THE ATA. MY COPLT NEXT CALLED GEORGES, A RPTING POINT ON THE SIERRA RTE, AND GOT A QUESTIONABLE REPLY FROM THE TWR. THE COM FREQ WAS EXTREMELY BUSY. THE F/O NOW NOTICED THAT WE HAD THE RADIO TUNED TO 119.6, WHICH IS THE FREQ FOR HPN INSTEAD OF THE PROPER FREQ 119.5 FOR TEB (THE ATA IN WHICH WE WERE LOCATED). WHEN WE DISCOVERED THE ERROR WE WERE ALREADY IN THE ATA. I IMMEDIATELY DID A 180 DEG TURN TO EXIT THE IMMEDIATE AREA OF THE ARPT AND SWITCHED TO THE APPROPRIATE FREQ. WE TRIED TO ESTABLISH COM WITH THE TWR (TEB) AS WE DEPARTED THAT ATA, BUT THE FREQ WAS EXTREMELY BUSY AS TEB NORMALLY IS. WE COMPLETELY EXITED THE ATA AND THEN ESTABLISHED COM WITH THE TWR BEFORE REENTERING THE ATA TEB. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: PROX OF TEB AND HPN TWR (20 MI) AND THE SIMILARITIES OF FREQ (119.5 VS 119.7). BOTH HPN AND TEB HAVE HELI VFR ROUTES (BOTH ALSO HAVE A SIERRA RTE). EXTREMELY BUSY NATURE OF THE COM ALLOWED BOTH THE TWR AND OUR CREW TO ACCEPT THE RPTS WE WERE GIVEN. NAME CHANGES TO ONE OR BOTH HELI SPECIAL ROUTES WOULD HELP.

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.