Narrative:

I departed N52 and was en route to bdr. I estimated flight time would be 45 mins. A standard WX briefing obtained approximately 1 hour prior to departure reported both current and forecast WX to be good for VFR flight. Within about a min and a half after liftoff, I attempted to contact ny approach control to obtain clearance into the ny TCA. I was flying on a magnetic heading of about 60 degrees. Winds aloft were fairly strong at about 22 KTS from the southwest. Several attempts to establish contact were futile. No one replied. I changed frequencys and continued attempts to contact ny approach control but still with no success. Prior to entering the morristown air traffic area, I established contact with morristown tower, obtained clearance through its air traffic area, and proceeded via pilotage towards cdw. Likewise, I established contact with caldwell tower and was approved to transit its air traffic area. It was at this point that the trouble began. While heading towards what I thought to be cdw, it turned out that I was actually heading toward teb. As I flew over runway 6 I called cdw tower to give them a position report, when the tower informed me there was no runway 6 at cdw. I asked cdw tower to standby, checked my chart to see where else I might be, and deduced that I was probably over teb. A quick check in my airport/facility directory confirmed that there was a runway 6 at teb. Suspecting that I was now over teb, I resumed contact with cdw tower, informed them of my suspicion, obtained frequency change approval from cdw, then attempted to contact teb tower. I banked left, established a northerly direction of flight so that I could parallel the hudson river. My plan was to continue flying north until I could see the tappan zee bridge, a prominent and familiar landmark. Also in my plan was to continue attempts to contact either teb tower or ny approach control so that I could give them a position report. Numerous calls again went unanswered. As it turned out, I was not able to establish contact with anyone so I proceeded over land on the nj side towards the tappan zee bridge at about 1700 ft, unfortunately well within the ny TCA. At a position approximately 1 mi north of the tappan zee bridge, I called westchester tower requesting transit through its air traffic area, established contact with the tower and gave the tower my position report. Initially, the tower was unable to locate me on its radar, advised me to stay clear of its air traffic area, but shortly thereafter (within about 1 min) did locate me on radar and issued a clearance to me for transit through its air traffic area. Within another min, westchester tower advised me that ny control had informed westchester tower that I had violated the teb air traffic area and the ny TCA as well. Westchester tower gave me a telephone number to ny TRACON and suggested that I call and explain the circumstances to ny TRACON upon landing at bridgeport. After landing at bridgeport, I called ny TRACON, idented myself only by aircraft tail number and was nonchalantly told that I would be 'receiving something in the mail from the local FSDO.' no one asked for my name or any information at all.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA EXPERIENCES RADIO PROBLEMS AND INADVERTENTLY PENETRATES TCA AND ATA WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION.

Narrative: I DEPARTED N52 AND WAS ENRTE TO BDR. I ESTIMATED FLT TIME WOULD BE 45 MINS. A STANDARD WX BRIEFING OBTAINED APPROX 1 HR PRIOR TO DEP RPTED BOTH CURRENT AND FORECAST WX TO BE GOOD FOR VFR FLT. WITHIN ABOUT A MIN AND A HALF AFTER LIFTOFF, I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT NY APCH CTL TO OBTAIN CLRNC INTO THE NY TCA. I WAS FLYING ON A MAGNETIC HDG OF ABOUT 60 DEGS. WINDS ALOFT WERE FAIRLY STRONG AT ABOUT 22 KTS FROM THE SW. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO ESTABLISH CONTACT WERE FUTILE. NO ONE REPLIED. I CHANGED FREQS AND CONTINUED ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT NY APCH CTL BUT STILL WITH NO SUCCESS. PRIOR TO ENTERING THE MORRISTOWN ATA, I ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH MORRISTOWN TWR, OBTAINED CLRNC THROUGH ITS ATA, AND PROCEEDED VIA PILOTAGE TOWARDS CDW. LIKEWISE, I ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH CALDWELL TWR AND WAS APPROVED TO TRANSIT ITS ATA. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT THE TROUBLE BEGAN. WHILE HDG TOWARDS WHAT I THOUGHT TO BE CDW, IT TURNED OUT THAT I WAS ACTUALLY HDG TOWARD TEB. AS I FLEW OVER RWY 6 I CALLED CDW TWR TO GIVE THEM A POS RPT, WHEN THE TWR INFORMED ME THERE WAS NO RWY 6 AT CDW. I ASKED CDW TWR TO STANDBY, CHKED MY CHART TO SEE WHERE ELSE I MIGHT BE, AND DEDUCED THAT I WAS PROBABLY OVER TEB. A QUICK CHK IN MY ARPT/FACILITY DIRECTORY CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS A RWY 6 AT TEB. SUSPECTING THAT I WAS NOW OVER TEB, I RESUMED CONTACT WITH CDW TWR, INFORMED THEM OF MY SUSPICION, OBTAINED FREQ CHANGE APPROVAL FROM CDW, THEN ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT TEB TWR. I BANKED L, ESTABLISHED A NORTHERLY DIRECTION OF FLT SO THAT I COULD PARALLEL THE HUDSON RIVER. MY PLAN WAS TO CONTINUE FLYING N UNTIL I COULD SEE THE TAPPAN ZEE BRIDGE, A PROMINENT AND FAMILIAR LANDMARK. ALSO IN MY PLAN WAS TO CONTINUE ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT EITHER TEB TWR OR NY APCH CTL SO THAT I COULD GIVE THEM A POS RPT. NUMEROUS CALLS AGAIN WENT UNANSWERED. AS IT TURNED OUT, I WAS NOT ABLE TO ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH ANYONE SO I PROCEEDED OVER LAND ON THE NJ SIDE TOWARDS THE TAPPAN ZEE BRIDGE AT ABOUT 1700 FT, UNFORTUNATELY WELL WITHIN THE NY TCA. AT A POS APPROX 1 MI N OF THE TAPPAN ZEE BRIDGE, I CALLED WESTCHESTER TWR REQUESTING TRANSIT THROUGH ITS ATA, ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH THE TWR AND GAVE THE TWR MY POS RPT. INITIALLY, THE TWR WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE ME ON ITS RADAR, ADVISED ME TO STAY CLR OF ITS ATA, BUT SHORTLY THEREAFTER (WITHIN ABOUT 1 MIN) DID LOCATE ME ON RADAR AND ISSUED A CLRNC TO ME FOR TRANSIT THROUGH ITS ATA. WITHIN ANOTHER MIN, WESTCHESTER TWR ADVISED ME THAT NY CTL HAD INFORMED WESTCHESTER TWR THAT I HAD VIOLATED THE TEB ATA AND THE NY TCA AS WELL. WESTCHESTER TWR GAVE ME A TELEPHONE NUMBER TO NY TRACON AND SUGGESTED THAT I CALL AND EXPLAIN THE CIRCUMSTANCES TO NY TRACON UPON LNDG AT BRIDGEPORT. AFTER LNDG AT BRIDGEPORT, I CALLED NY TRACON, IDENTED MYSELF ONLY BY ACFT TAIL NUMBER AND WAS NONCHALANTLY TOLD THAT I WOULD BE 'RECEIVING SOMETHING IN THE MAIL FROM THE LCL FSDO.' NO ONE ASKED FOR MY NAME OR ANY INFO AT ALL.

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.