Narrative:

I departed teb runway 24 at about XY35 am local time on a VFR flight direct to ith. Magnetic heading for the flight was approximately 325 degrees. I turned on course at about 800 ft MSL, and climbed to 1200 ft MSL. I was about 1 mi southwest of teb at this time. I realized that I would have to fly a more northerly course in order to intercept my originally intended course. I did so, and then checked the LORAN, which I believed indicated that I was now a couple of mi north of my originally intended course. At this point, I turned back to the heading 325 degrees. After turning back to this heading, I noticed that I was over a quarry. I also noticed cdw to my left. I may have been within the air traffic area for cdw without authorization, as it appeared to be closer than 5 statute mi from my location. In addition, a couple of mins later, I saw lincoln park airport (NO7) directly ahead. I was still at 1200 ft MSL, and approaching the pattern for lincoln park field. I turned to the north and initiated a climb to avoid flying through lincoln park's traffic pattern. After reviewing the charts, as well as my memory, I realize that I was more than likely in the air traffic area for essex county at some point, as I would not have come upon lincoln park, on that heading, otherwise. Factors contributing to this mistake were as follows: 1) I failed to account for the distance covered during my initial climb out. The course that I plotted was from the center of teb, not from 1 mi southwest. 2) I was not familiar enough with the LORAN, nor was I used to using one. I misread the CDI readout that the LORAN provided, thus believing that I was north of course when I was really south. 3) I did not use teb VOR to fly an outbound radial. This is what I normally use, and it would have served as a good verification of position, and would have ensured that I intercepted and remained on my originally intended course. This would have eliminated the potential for entering essex county airport's air traffic area. The moral here is, as I see it: use all navigation equipment that is available, but do not rely on something that we have not been trained on. Also, allow for climb out, and leave larger buffers between aircraft position and airspace we want to avoid.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE. PROX OF ATA.

Narrative: I DEPARTED TEB RWY 24 AT ABOUT XY35 AM LCL TIME ON A VFR FLT DIRECT TO ITH. MAGNETIC HDG FOR THE FLT WAS APPROX 325 DEGS. I TURNED ON COURSE AT ABOUT 800 FT MSL, AND CLBED TO 1200 FT MSL. I WAS ABOUT 1 MI SW OF TEB AT THIS TIME. I REALIZED THAT I WOULD HAVE TO FLY A MORE NORTHERLY COURSE IN ORDER TO INTERCEPT MY ORIGINALLY INTENDED COURSE. I DID SO, AND THEN CHKED THE LORAN, WHICH I BELIEVED INDICATED THAT I WAS NOW A COUPLE OF MI N OF MY ORIGINALLY INTENDED COURSE. AT THIS POINT, I TURNED BACK TO THE HDG 325 DEGS. AFTER TURNING BACK TO THIS HDG, I NOTICED THAT I WAS OVER A QUARRY. I ALSO NOTICED CDW TO MY L. I MAY HAVE BEEN WITHIN THE ATA FOR CDW WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION, AS IT APPEARED TO BE CLOSER THAN 5 STATUTE MI FROM MY LOCATION. IN ADDITION, A COUPLE OF MINS LATER, I SAW LINCOLN PARK ARPT (NO7) DIRECTLY AHEAD. I WAS STILL AT 1200 FT MSL, AND APCHING THE PATTERN FOR LINCOLN PARK FIELD. I TURNED TO THE N AND INITIATED A CLB TO AVOID FLYING THROUGH LINCOLN PARK'S TFC PATTERN. AFTER REVIEWING THE CHARTS, AS WELL AS MY MEMORY, I REALIZE THAT I WAS MORE THAN LIKELY IN THE ATA FOR ESSEX COUNTY AT SOME POINT, AS I WOULD NOT HAVE COME UPON LINCOLN PARK, ON THAT HDG, OTHERWISE. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS MISTAKE WERE AS FOLLOWS: 1) I FAILED TO ACCOUNT FOR THE DISTANCE COVERED DURING MY INITIAL CLBOUT. THE COURSE THAT I PLOTTED WAS FROM THE CTR OF TEB, NOT FROM 1 MI SW. 2) I WAS NOT FAMILIAR ENOUGH WITH THE LORAN, NOR WAS I USED TO USING ONE. I MISREAD THE CDI READOUT THAT THE LORAN PROVIDED, THUS BELIEVING THAT I WAS N OF COURSE WHEN I WAS REALLY S. 3) I DID NOT USE TEB VOR TO FLY AN OUTBOUND RADIAL. THIS IS WHAT I NORMALLY USE, AND IT WOULD HAVE SERVED AS A GOOD VERIFICATION OF POS, AND WOULD HAVE ENSURED THAT I INTERCEPTED AND REMAINED ON MY ORIGINALLY INTENDED COURSE. THIS WOULD HAVE ELIMINATED THE POTENTIAL FOR ENTERING ESSEX COUNTY ARPT'S ATA. THE MORAL HERE IS, AS I SEE IT: USE ALL NAV EQUIP THAT IS AVAILABLE, BUT DO NOT RELY ON SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN TRAINED ON. ALSO, ALLOW FOR CLBOUT, AND LEAVE LARGER BUFFERS BTWN ACFT POS AND AIRSPACE WE WANT TO AVOID.

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.