Narrative:

I was flying small aircraft north through the ny VFR corridor up the hudson river. I contacted ewr tower south of the verrazano narrows bridge and received flight following until the george washington bridge. I continued north up the river under the ny TCA and clear of the westchester air traffic area heading nne over danbury, ct, and on to simsbury, ct. After receiving clearance from danbury tower to transition the danbury air traffic area, the tower called and asked me to identify, and subsequently asked for the name of the pilot and the aircraft home base. When I inquired as to why this information was requested, danbury tower said that ZNY wanted to talk to me. When asked if ny wanted me to call them, danbury tower said no, that ny would contact me. After thinking about this, I decided that a possible mode C error might have prompted ny to contact danbury. Recently an approach controller had said he had received an intermittent readout of the mode C. I can think of no other reason that ny would be concerned as this was an uneventful transition of the VFR corridor and under the TCA floor. No contact has been received from ny as of this writing. This event has made me realize that a questionable mode C transponder should not be flown in a busy airspace such as ny west/O being checked and determined to be perfectly functional. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter flies this area frequently and is very knowledgeable about chkpoints and altitudes, position relative to direction of flight, and frequencys to contact for flight advisories. Even mentioned that one avoids conflict with helicopter's by remaining above 800'. Not a published procedure, but well understood by lcls.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA FLIES HUDSON RIVER CORRIDOR BELOW TCA FLOOR. IS ASKED FOR CERTIFICATE INFORMATION ON LNDG IN CT.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING SMA N THROUGH THE NY VFR CORRIDOR UP THE HUDSON RIVER. I CONTACTED EWR TWR S OF THE VERRAZANO NARROWS BRIDGE AND RECEIVED FLT FOLLOWING UNTIL THE GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE. I CONTINUED N UP THE RIVER UNDER THE NY TCA AND CLR OF THE WESTCHESTER ATA HDG NNE OVER DANBURY, CT, AND ON TO SIMSBURY, CT. AFTER RECEIVING CLRNC FROM DANBURY TWR TO TRANSITION THE DANBURY ATA, THE TWR CALLED AND ASKED ME TO IDENT, AND SUBSEQUENTLY ASKED FOR THE NAME OF THE PLT AND THE ACFT HOME BASE. WHEN I INQUIRED AS TO WHY THIS INFO WAS REQUESTED, DANBURY TWR SAID THAT ZNY WANTED TO TALK TO ME. WHEN ASKED IF NY WANTED ME TO CALL THEM, DANBURY TWR SAID NO, THAT NY WOULD CONTACT ME. AFTER THINKING ABOUT THIS, I DECIDED THAT A POSSIBLE MODE C ERROR MIGHT HAVE PROMPTED NY TO CONTACT DANBURY. RECENTLY AN APCH CTLR HAD SAID HE HAD RECEIVED AN INTERMITTENT READOUT OF THE MODE C. I CAN THINK OF NO OTHER REASON THAT NY WOULD BE CONCERNED AS THIS WAS AN UNEVENTFUL TRANSITION OF THE VFR CORRIDOR AND UNDER THE TCA FLOOR. NO CONTACT HAS BEEN RECEIVED FROM NY AS OF THIS WRITING. THIS EVENT HAS MADE ME REALIZE THAT A QUESTIONABLE MODE C XPONDER SHOULD NOT BE FLOWN IN A BUSY AIRSPACE SUCH AS NY W/O BEING CHKED AND DETERMINED TO BE PERFECTLY FUNCTIONAL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR FLIES THIS AREA FREQUENTLY AND IS VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT CHKPOINTS AND ALTS, POS RELATIVE TO DIRECTION OF FLT, AND FREQS TO CONTACT FOR FLT ADVISORIES. EVEN MENTIONED THAT ONE AVOIDS CONFLICT WITH HELI'S BY REMAINING ABOVE 800'. NOT A PUBLISHED PROC, BUT WELL UNDERSTOOD BY LCLS.

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.