Narrative:

I inadvertently entered the essex county air traffic area west/O a clearance. We had departed danbury, ct, en route to essex county airport in northern nj. Due to a last min grounding of the airplane I had reserved (which was LORAN equipped) I had to take a different airplane (west/O LORAN) and delay my departure by 2 1/2 hours resulting in a night departure. As we neared essex county airport, I believed I had it in sight and called essex co tower when 9 mi northeast. They told me to report a 4 mi final for runway 22. When I did this they reported not having me in sight and asked me to blink my landing light and report 3 mi out. When they still didn't have me in sight 3 mi out, I began to suspect it wasn't essex co I was on final for. (It turns out, I had flown into essex co air traffic area and was on a 3 mi final at nearby morristown airport). At this point, the controllers at essex co saw me and confirmed this by having me turn off my navigation lights. The controllers then told me to contact morristown airport. I then received a clearance to land from morristown and landed uneventfully. Contributing factos: both essex co and morristown are on the 145 degree right off the carmel VOR (which I was tracking) and they are only 7 mi apart. Essex county has a lighted runway 22. Morristown has a lighted runway 23. Grounding of LORAN equipped plane delayed departure 2 1/2 hours causing a night departure/arrival (I had wanted to do the flight in daylight) and forced me to take an aircraft west/O LORAN. City congestion made night sighting of airport difficult. There are about 10 airports with rotating beacons within 15 mi of essex co. I had never been to this airport before. Complexity of airspace under ny TCA. Inability to fly over air traffic area's due to floor of TCA at 3000' MSL.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA UNAUTH PENETRATION OF CWQ ATA.

Narrative: I INADVERTENTLY ENTERED THE ESSEX COUNTY ATA W/O A CLRNC. WE HAD DEPARTED DANBURY, CT, ENRTE TO ESSEX COUNTY ARPT IN NORTHERN NJ. DUE TO A LAST MIN GNDING OF THE AIRPLANE I HAD RESERVED (WHICH WAS LORAN EQUIPPED) I HAD TO TAKE A DIFFERENT AIRPLANE (W/O LORAN) AND DELAY MY DEP BY 2 1/2 HRS RESULTING IN A NIGHT DEP. AS WE NEARED ESSEX COUNTY ARPT, I BELIEVED I HAD IT IN SIGHT AND CALLED ESSEX CO TWR WHEN 9 MI NE. THEY TOLD ME TO RPT A 4 MI FINAL FOR RWY 22. WHEN I DID THIS THEY RPTED NOT HAVING ME IN SIGHT AND ASKED ME TO BLINK MY LNDG LIGHT AND RPT 3 MI OUT. WHEN THEY STILL DIDN'T HAVE ME IN SIGHT 3 MI OUT, I BEGAN TO SUSPECT IT WASN'T ESSEX CO I WAS ON FINAL FOR. (IT TURNS OUT, I HAD FLOWN INTO ESSEX CO ATA AND WAS ON A 3 MI FINAL AT NEARBY MORRISTOWN ARPT). AT THIS POINT, THE CTLRS AT ESSEX CO SAW ME AND CONFIRMED THIS BY HAVING ME TURN OFF MY NAV LIGHTS. THE CTLRS THEN TOLD ME TO CONTACT MORRISTOWN ARPT. I THEN RECEIVED A CLRNC TO LAND FROM MORRISTOWN AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. CONTRIBUTING FACTOS: BOTH ESSEX CO AND MORRISTOWN ARE ON THE 145 DEG R OFF THE CARMEL VOR (WHICH I WAS TRACKING) AND THEY ARE ONLY 7 MI APART. ESSEX COUNTY HAS A LIGHTED RWY 22. MORRISTOWN HAS A LIGHTED RWY 23. GNDING OF LORAN EQUIPPED PLANE DELAYED DEP 2 1/2 HRS CAUSING A NIGHT DEP/ARR (I HAD WANTED TO DO THE FLT IN DAYLIGHT) AND FORCED ME TO TAKE AN ACFT W/O LORAN. CITY CONGESTION MADE NIGHT SIGHTING OF ARPT DIFFICULT. THERE ARE ABOUT 10 ARPTS WITH ROTATING BEACONS WITHIN 15 MI OF ESSEX CO. I HAD NEVER BEEN TO THIS ARPT BEFORE. COMPLEXITY OF AIRSPACE UNDER NY TCA. INABILITY TO FLY OVER ATA'S DUE TO FLOOR OF TCA AT 3000' MSL.

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.