Narrative:

I was practicing slow flight and stalls at 4000' AGL in brookhaven airport's practice area along the south shore of long island. I flew east toward the foa air traffic area, then turned west and into the wind to avoid drift and remain clear of the air traffic area. There is not much practice space anymore locally. After a power-on stall, the aircraft broke left into an inadvertent spin. Recovery was immediate and by the book, but I had lost more than 1000' and was pointed in the opp direction, toward fok! As soon as I had my flying speed I cleared for traffic and turned immediately back to the west. I noted my position for later reference, to determine whether I had transgressed into the fok air traffic area. This position was 5 NM out from fok, over the water, to the southwest at closest approach. Still outside the air traffic area, but very close! I am reporting this because many pilots underestimate the effect of winds aloft when in slow flight--there is a lot of drift. My main mistake was not giving suffolk tower a call to tell them where I was and what I was doing. Although I normally do, I was heading in the opp direction, and wanted to concentrate on scanning for traffic rather than monitoring a radio frequency. But in retrospect, at such a low indicated airspeed in a brisk headwind I was probably at near 0 gndspd! So there was really no excuse, and I have learned from the experience.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT REPORTS GETTING INTO AN INADVERTENT SPIN AND MAY HAVE PENETRATED A NEARBY ATA DUE TO WINDS ALOFT.

Narrative: I WAS PRACTICING SLOW FLT AND STALLS AT 4000' AGL IN BROOKHAVEN ARPT'S PRACTICE AREA ALONG THE S SHORE OF LONG ISLAND. I FLEW E TOWARD THE FOA ATA, THEN TURNED W AND INTO THE WIND TO AVOID DRIFT AND REMAIN CLR OF THE ATA. THERE IS NOT MUCH PRACTICE SPACE ANYMORE LOCALLY. AFTER A PWR-ON STALL, THE ACFT BROKE LEFT INTO AN INADVERTENT SPIN. RECOVERY WAS IMMEDIATE AND BY THE BOOK, BUT I HAD LOST MORE THAN 1000' AND WAS POINTED IN THE OPP DIRECTION, TOWARD FOK! AS SOON AS I HAD MY FLYING SPD I CLRED FOR TFC AND TURNED IMMEDIATELY BACK TO THE W. I NOTED MY POS FOR LATER REF, TO DETERMINE WHETHER I HAD TRANSGRESSED INTO THE FOK ATA. THIS POS WAS 5 NM OUT FROM FOK, OVER THE WATER, TO THE SW AT CLOSEST APCH. STILL OUTSIDE THE ATA, BUT VERY CLOSE! I AM RPTING THIS BECAUSE MANY PLTS UNDERESTIMATE THE EFFECT OF WINDS ALOFT WHEN IN SLOW FLT--THERE IS A LOT OF DRIFT. MY MAIN MISTAKE WAS NOT GIVING SUFFOLK TWR A CALL TO TELL THEM WHERE I WAS AND WHAT I WAS DOING. ALTHOUGH I NORMALLY DO, I WAS HDG IN THE OPP DIRECTION, AND WANTED TO CONCENTRATE ON SCANNING FOR TFC RATHER THAN MONITORING A RADIO FREQ. BUT IN RETROSPECT, AT SUCH A LOW INDICATED AIRSPD IN A BRISK HEADWIND I WAS PROBABLY AT NEAR 0 GNDSPD! SO THERE WAS REALLY NO EXCUSE, AND I HAVE LEARNED FROM THE EXPERIENCE.

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.