Narrative:

I was returning to lwm from teb at XX30 after working all day in new york city. I make this trip several times a month have a set departure in VFR to keep me clear of the TCA and air traffic area. As I was heading up the left bank of the hudson river at 1500 ft I adjusted course to the tapan-zee bridge, from which I normally start a climb direct to the cmk VOR. It was just before the tapan-zee bridge that I encountered snow. This was not expected until after midnight and it was disorienting since I keep all lights on (landing, strobes) until well out of ny airspace. My landing light caused a 'tunnel effect' of horizontal snow. The strobes caused distracting 'bursts' of snow. Visibility was good to the ground somewhat forward. I considered turning off my landing light but I welcomed the measuring of snow density since I was considering turning back or landing. I decided against my normal climb and concentrated on flying straight and level. The snow grew less dense and was gone altogether after 20 mins, I climbed to 3500 ft for the duration of the trip. On approach to lwm I was contacted by boston TRACON and they gave me a phone number to call... After talking with them and ny TRACON they indicated that I may have been inside the white plains air traffic area and caused an medium large transport on final to execute a missed approach. I did not see any near airplanes but I did have a crosswind that could have put me in the air traffic area. My first thoughts at the time were not holding a wind correction angle. I learned several things: snow at night with lights is much more dramatic than rain or in the day. I need to give a wider berth (more margin) around air traffic area's TCA's and arsa's. I should make a request for flight following!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA FLIES AT NIGHT, IN SNOW, LIGHTS ON, PENETRATES ATA CAUSES MLG TO MAP.

Narrative: I WAS RETURNING TO LWM FROM TEB AT XX30 AFTER WORKING ALL DAY IN NEW YORK CITY. I MAKE THIS TRIP SEVERAL TIMES A MONTH HAVE A SET DEP IN VFR TO KEEP ME CLR OF THE TCA AND ATA. AS I WAS HDG UP THE L BANK OF THE HUDSON RIVER AT 1500 FT I ADJUSTED COURSE TO THE TAPAN-ZEE BRIDGE, FROM WHICH I NORMALLY START A CLB DIRECT TO THE CMK VOR. IT WAS JUST BEFORE THE TAPAN-ZEE BRIDGE THAT I ENCOUNTERED SNOW. THIS WAS NOT EXPECTED UNTIL AFTER MIDNIGHT AND IT WAS DISORIENTING SINCE I KEEP ALL LIGHTS ON (LNDG, STROBES) UNTIL WELL OUT OF NY AIRSPACE. MY LNDG LIGHT CAUSED A 'TUNNEL EFFECT' OF HORIZONTAL SNOW. THE STROBES CAUSED DISTRACTING 'BURSTS' OF SNOW. VISIBILITY WAS GOOD TO THE GND SOMEWHAT FORWARD. I CONSIDERED TURNING OFF MY LNDG LIGHT BUT I WELCOMED THE MEASURING OF SNOW DENSITY SINCE I WAS CONSIDERING TURNING BACK OR LNDG. I DECIDED AGAINST MY NORMAL CLB AND CONCENTRATED ON FLYING STRAIGHT AND LEVEL. THE SNOW GREW LESS DENSE AND WAS GONE ALTOGETHER AFTER 20 MINS, I CLBED TO 3500 FT FOR THE DURATION OF THE TRIP. ON APCH TO LWM I WAS CONTACTED BY BOSTON TRACON AND THEY GAVE ME A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL... AFTER TALKING WITH THEM AND NY TRACON THEY INDICATED THAT I MAY HAVE BEEN INSIDE THE WHITE PLAINS ATA AND CAUSED AN MLG ON FINAL TO EXECUTE A MISSED APCH. I DID NOT SEE ANY NEAR AIRPLANES BUT I DID HAVE A XWIND THAT COULD HAVE PUT ME IN THE ATA. MY FIRST THOUGHTS AT THE TIME WERE NOT HOLDING A WIND CORRECTION ANGLE. I LEARNED SEVERAL THINGS: SNOW AT NIGHT WITH LIGHTS IS MUCH MORE DRAMATIC THAN RAIN OR IN THE DAY. I NEED TO GIVE A WIDER BERTH (MORE MARGIN) AROUND ATA'S TCA'S AND ARSA'S. I SHOULD MAKE A REQUEST FOR FLT FOLLOWING!

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.