Narrative:

My home town lies between pne and nxx air traffic area's. I often circle my home while on local flts. Familiarity with local traffic flows and patterns (nxx traffic for runway 33 is usually 1500/2000 ft AGL over my home) has bred contempt for the need to communication with nxx. In addition, there is a question as to who's air traffic area I'm in while circling. Because I'm talking with pne tower on departure and advise them of the circling, contact with nxx is not usually made. During a recent local flight, returning from the north to pne, I penetrated nxx air traffic area without clearance. I was well east of extended runway 33 centerline and monitoring nxx tower frequency. I spotted an mlt on final to nxx runway 33 as I was heading towards my home town. There was no immediate threat, but I did alter course farther to the east. Initial contact with pne tower netted an immediate 'identify please' after which I was informed I had penetrated nxx airspace and that they had traffic on final. Again, there was no immediate threat. However, I later realized a couple of problems I could have caused. First, in addition to their approach, the mlt crew had to look for 'unverified' traffic. If the mlt was IFR, phl approach would probably provide separation. (Though monitoring, I never heard nxx tower say anything to the mlt about my presence so it must have been phl approach calling me as traffic.) it would have been so easy to pick up the microphone and inform nxx of my position and intentions. Familiarity, complacency and laziness led to this incursion, a simple 10 second conversation with nxx tower could have avoided all this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTHORIZED PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE.

Narrative: MY HOME TOWN LIES BTWN PNE AND NXX ATA'S. I OFTEN CIRCLE MY HOME WHILE ON LCL FLTS. FAMILIARITY WITH LCL TFC FLOWS AND PATTERNS (NXX TFC FOR RWY 33 IS USUALLY 1500/2000 FT AGL OVER MY HOME) HAS BRED CONTEMPT FOR THE NEED TO COM WITH NXX. IN ADDITION, THERE IS A QUESTION AS TO WHO'S ATA I'M IN WHILE CIRCLING. BECAUSE I'M TALKING WITH PNE TWR ON DEP AND ADVISE THEM OF THE CIRCLING, CONTACT WITH NXX IS NOT USUALLY MADE. DURING A RECENT LCL FLT, RETURNING FROM THE N TO PNE, I PENETRATED NXX ATA WITHOUT CLRNC. I WAS WELL E OF EXTENDED RWY 33 CENTERLINE AND MONITORING NXX TWR FREQ. I SPOTTED AN MLT ON FINAL TO NXX RWY 33 AS I WAS HDG TOWARDS MY HOME TOWN. THERE WAS NO IMMEDIATE THREAT, BUT I DID ALTER COURSE FARTHER TO THE E. INITIAL CONTACT WITH PNE TWR NETTED AN IMMEDIATE 'IDENT PLEASE' AFTER WHICH I WAS INFORMED I HAD PENETRATED NXX AIRSPACE AND THAT THEY HAD TFC ON FINAL. AGAIN, THERE WAS NO IMMEDIATE THREAT. HOWEVER, I LATER REALIZED A COUPLE OF PROBLEMS I COULD HAVE CAUSED. FIRST, IN ADDITION TO THEIR APCH, THE MLT CREW HAD TO LOOK FOR 'UNVERIFIED' TFC. IF THE MLT WAS IFR, PHL APCH WOULD PROBABLY PROVIDE SEPARATION. (THOUGH MONITORING, I NEVER HEARD NXX TWR SAY ANYTHING TO THE MLT ABOUT MY PRESENCE SO IT MUST HAVE BEEN PHL APCH CALLING ME AS TFC.) IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SO EASY TO PICK UP THE MICROPHONE AND INFORM NXX OF MY POS AND INTENTIONS. FAMILIARITY, COMPLACENCY AND LAZINESS LED TO THIS INCURSION, A SIMPLE 10 SECOND CONVERSATION WITH NXX TWR COULD HAVE AVOIDED ALL THIS.

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.