Narrative:

We were landing at linden, nj, about 5 or so mi south of ewr. We'd been cleared into the TCA and were tracking the newark NDB too linden. When we got close, the ny approach controller had us do a series of dscnts. The final one being 'descend below the floor of the TCA.' we descended and he called us clear at about 1300 MSL (about 10-15? Mi south of linden). We were unfamiliar with the area and told control so, and still had no airport in sight. The sectionals and TCA charts had just a blob of yellow for the area we were overflying. We were about to advise approach unable to descend below the next (lowest) tier of the TCA (about 800 MSL, 500 in some areas). Since no airport in sight and we felt it unsafe to cruise so low over a dense city with many towers poking up here and there. Then we saw 1 patch of 'open area' in all the concrete and thought it was linden. We descended and informed my approach 'airport in sight.' it turned out to be rahway prison. After a frantic 30-45 seconds of looking for the airport, we saw runway 9. Unicom didn't answer 3 calls and we proceeded to land. We ended up going around (too fast) and then a child (maybe 10-12) comes on unicom, calls the wrong runway but finally gives us airport information, we enter the pattern and land. I think better TCA maps, with features (restaurants, prisons, etc.) clearly and frequently marked, (especially near TCA floor altitude changes) and perhaps 'unofficial' approachs to airports so close to major airports (ewr, etc.) would greatly improve safety of cities below, traffic in the skies, and busy traffic areas.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LOW TIME SMA PLT GOT DISORIENTED WHILE TRYING TO LAND AT LDJ. HE FLEW LOW OVER RAHWAY PRISON.

Narrative: WE WERE LNDG AT LINDEN, NJ, ABOUT 5 OR SO MI S OF EWR. WE'D BEEN CLRED INTO THE TCA AND WERE TRACKING THE NEWARK NDB TOO LINDEN. WHEN WE GOT CLOSE, THE NY APCH CTLR HAD US DO A SERIES OF DSCNTS. THE FINAL ONE BEING 'DSND BELOW THE FLOOR OF THE TCA.' WE DSNDED AND HE CALLED US CLR AT ABOUT 1300 MSL (ABOUT 10-15? MI S OF LINDEN). WE WERE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AND TOLD CTL SO, AND STILL HAD NO ARPT IN SIGHT. THE SECTIONALS AND TCA CHARTS HAD JUST A BLOB OF YELLOW FOR THE AREA WE WERE OVERFLYING. WE WERE ABOUT TO ADVISE APCH UNABLE TO DSND BELOW THE NEXT (LOWEST) TIER OF THE TCA (ABOUT 800 MSL, 500 IN SOME AREAS). SINCE NO ARPT IN SIGHT AND WE FELT IT UNSAFE TO CRUISE SO LOW OVER A DENSE CITY WITH MANY TWRS POKING UP HERE AND THERE. THEN WE SAW 1 PATCH OF 'OPEN AREA' IN ALL THE CONCRETE AND THOUGHT IT WAS LINDEN. WE DSNDED AND INFORMED MY APCH 'ARPT IN SIGHT.' IT TURNED OUT TO BE RAHWAY PRISON. AFTER A FRANTIC 30-45 SECONDS OF LOOKING FOR THE ARPT, WE SAW RUNWAY 9. UNICOM DIDN'T ANSWER 3 CALLS AND WE PROCEEDED TO LAND. WE ENDED UP GOING AROUND (TOO FAST) AND THEN A CHILD (MAYBE 10-12) COMES ON UNICOM, CALLS THE WRONG RWY BUT FINALLY GIVES US ARPT INFO, WE ENTER THE PATTERN AND LAND. I THINK BETTER TCA MAPS, WITH FEATURES (RESTAURANTS, PRISONS, ETC.) CLRLY AND FREQUENTLY MARKED, (ESPECIALLY NEAR TCA FLOOR ALT CHANGES) AND PERHAPS 'UNOFFICIAL' APCHS TO ARPTS SO CLOSE TO MAJOR ARPTS (EWR, ETC.) WOULD GREATLY IMPROVE SAFETY OF CITIES BELOW, TFC IN THE SKIES, AND BUSY TFC AREAS.

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.