Narrative:

I am an spi. I was on a long solo x-county rip from teb to hfd to ewb and back to teb. The trip from teb to hfd was uneventful. I departed runway 20 at hartford and requested an east departure. I was cruising at 4500' and intended flying over the pvd arsa. I could not raise approach on 135.4 nor 125.9. I did not see green state airport at the expected time and thought I had passed to the south, so I turned in a north direction. I saw a large bay and wrongly assumed that I was approaching narraganset bay. While changing frequency I overhear ocean approach on 118.45 and contacted them giving them my call #, position over the bay, altitude and destination of new bedford, ma. I was told to squawk XXXX. 30 mins later I was told that radar advisories were terminated and to return to squawking 1200. I assumed that I was on the correct heading to new bedford. Some time later I saw an airport with runways oriented similar to new bedford. Obviously I could not get the ATIS on 126.85 nor the tower on 118.1. I suspected radio problems and squawked 7700 and 7600. I circled over the airport and landed on runway 32. Off the active I tried unsuccessfully to reach the ground controller. I taxied to the ramp, and once inside I asked for a phone to call the tower and explain my lack of radio contact. I was told that there was no tower that I was at sanford airport in me. I immediately realized I must have flown through the bos TCA. I am sorry for any problems I may have created for the controllers and pilots in the bos area and would like to apologize to them. My errors in no way reflect upon the quality of my instruction I received. It was solely my mistake, which I regret and assure you will never happen again. I now realize I should have gotten an updated winds aloft report at hartford. Winds aloft must have been significantly different from those forecast at the time of my initial departure. I should not have continued on west/O verifying the landmarks I expected to see using pilotage. I should have used VOR navigation as a backup when I did not see green state airport. I could have contacted FSS and asked for a DF steer, or I could have declared I was lost, but at no time did I actually feel that I was lost.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SPI TRANSITS TCA WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: I AM AN SPI. I WAS ON A LONG SOLO X-COUNTY RIP FROM TEB TO HFD TO EWB AND BACK TO TEB. THE TRIP FROM TEB TO HFD WAS UNEVENTFUL. I DEPARTED RWY 20 AT HARTFORD AND REQUESTED AN E DEP. I WAS CRUISING AT 4500' AND INTENDED FLYING OVER THE PVD ARSA. I COULD NOT RAISE APCH ON 135.4 NOR 125.9. I DID NOT SEE GREEN STATE ARPT AT THE EXPECTED TIME AND THOUGHT I HAD PASSED TO THE S, SO I TURNED IN A N DIRECTION. I SAW A LARGE BAY AND WRONGLY ASSUMED THAT I WAS APCHING NARRAGANSET BAY. WHILE CHANGING FREQ I OVERHEAR OCEAN APCH ON 118.45 AND CONTACTED THEM GIVING THEM MY CALL #, POS OVER THE BAY, ALT AND DEST OF NEW BEDFORD, MA. I WAS TOLD TO SQUAWK XXXX. 30 MINS LATER I WAS TOLD THAT RADAR ADVISORIES WERE TERMINATED AND TO RETURN TO SQUAWKING 1200. I ASSUMED THAT I WAS ON THE CORRECT HDG TO NEW BEDFORD. SOME TIME LATER I SAW AN ARPT WITH RWYS ORIENTED SIMILAR TO NEW BEDFORD. OBVIOUSLY I COULD NOT GET THE ATIS ON 126.85 NOR THE TWR ON 118.1. I SUSPECTED RADIO PROBS AND SQUAWKED 7700 AND 7600. I CIRCLED OVER THE ARPT AND LANDED ON RWY 32. OFF THE ACTIVE I TRIED UNSUCCESSFULLY TO REACH THE GND CTLR. I TAXIED TO THE RAMP, AND ONCE INSIDE I ASKED FOR A PHONE TO CALL THE TWR AND EXPLAIN MY LACK OF RADIO CONTACT. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO TWR THAT I WAS AT SANFORD ARPT IN ME. I IMMEDIATELY REALIZED I MUST HAVE FLOWN THROUGH THE BOS TCA. I AM SORRY FOR ANY PROBS I MAY HAVE CREATED FOR THE CTLRS AND PLTS IN THE BOS AREA AND WOULD LIKE TO APOLOGIZE TO THEM. MY ERRORS IN NO WAY REFLECT UPON THE QUALITY OF MY INSTRUCTION I RECEIVED. IT WAS SOLELY MY MISTAKE, WHICH I REGRET AND ASSURE YOU WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. I NOW REALIZE I SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN AN UPDATED WINDS ALOFT RPT AT HARTFORD. WINDS ALOFT MUST HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT FROM THOSE FORECAST AT THE TIME OF MY INITIAL DEP. I SHOULD NOT HAVE CONTINUED ON W/O VERIFYING THE LANDMARKS I EXPECTED TO SEE USING PILOTAGE. I SHOULD HAVE USED VOR NAV AS A BACKUP WHEN I DID NOT SEE GREEN STATE ARPT. I COULD HAVE CONTACTED FSS AND ASKED FOR A DF STEER, OR I COULD HAVE DECLARED I WAS LOST, BUT AT NO TIME DID I ACTUALLY FEEL THAT I WAS LOST.

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.