Narrative:

I was travelling from hya to N52. Made contact with ny approach over hvn for radar advisories. Over bdr requested direct routing through ny class B airspace. I was told to wait for possible clearance. I was handed off to another frequency 10 mi east of hpn. On asking about class B clearance, I was told to remain south of hpn and clear of class B airspace. I was specifically told that I didn't have a clearance thorough class B airspace. I was about 5 mi south of hpn when approach informed me that I was in hpn airspace and to turn to a heading of 180 degrees which I complied with. The heading was taking us directly into the class B airspace tier with a floor of 1500 ft. By ascertaining that we might be close to the class B airspace (for which we didn't have a clearance) by visual chkpointing with george washington bridge, I turned to a heading of 240 degrees, after travelling on a heading of 180 degree for a while. The approach ordered us again to turn to a heading of 180 degrees which I again complied with but turned west again since I was positive that we were right at the edge of the TCA. I was assuming responsibility for not doing a class B incursion. The approach rebuked us again and made us turn to 180 degrees immediately followed by a turn to 210 and then finally to 240. I complied with all subsequent instructions. However, from my visual observation of the path with respect to the george washington bridge and the tappan zee bridge, I cannot be certain at all that the approach did not vector us through the class B airspace after explicitly denying clearance. I find this entire episode highly unsatisfactory from an aviation safety point of view. It is additional distraction for the PF (not to mention the possibility of FAA action) as well as a problem for the ATC in not being able to rely on the track of the plane for which they have provided instructions. It could have been avoided with better communication of instructions from both sides. On my part, the need to handle the turbulence keeping an eye on the scattered virga in the area, as well as the volume of ATC communication on that frequency, prevented me from informing the ATC immediately after or even before deviating from instructions. The ATC instruction to head towards class B airspace conflicted with the instructions to stay clear of the airspace. The situation could have been avoided if either the ATC had given us class B clearance (regardless of whether they actually vectored us into the airspace or not) or indicated their intentions to keep us out of the class B airspace while providing vectors.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ATTEMPTING TRANSIT THROUGH CLASS B AIRSPACE MAY HAVE ENTERED CLASS D AIRSPACE OF ANOTHER ARPT.

Narrative: I WAS TRAVELLING FROM HYA TO N52. MADE CONTACT WITH NY APCH OVER HVN FOR RADAR ADVISORIES. OVER BDR REQUESTED DIRECT ROUTING THROUGH NY CLASS B AIRSPACE. I WAS TOLD TO WAIT FOR POSSIBLE CLRNC. I WAS HANDED OFF TO ANOTHER FREQ 10 MI E OF HPN. ON ASKING ABOUT CLASS B CLRNC, I WAS TOLD TO REMAIN S OF HPN AND CLR OF CLASS B AIRSPACE. I WAS SPECIFICALLY TOLD THAT I DIDN'T HAVE A CLRNC THOROUGH CLASS B AIRSPACE. I WAS ABOUT 5 MI S OF HPN WHEN APCH INFORMED ME THAT I WAS IN HPN AIRSPACE AND TO TURN TO A HDG OF 180 DEGS WHICH I COMPLIED WITH. THE HDG WAS TAKING US DIRECTLY INTO THE CLASS B AIRSPACE TIER WITH A FLOOR OF 1500 FT. BY ASCERTAINING THAT WE MIGHT BE CLOSE TO THE CLASS B AIRSPACE (FOR WHICH WE DIDN'T HAVE A CLRNC) BY VISUAL CHKPOINTING WITH GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE, I TURNED TO A HDG OF 240 DEGS, AFTER TRAVELLING ON A HDG OF 180 DEG FOR A WHILE. THE APCH ORDERED US AGAIN TO TURN TO A HDG OF 180 DEGS WHICH I AGAIN COMPLIED WITH BUT TURNED W AGAIN SINCE I WAS POSITIVE THAT WE WERE RIGHT AT THE EDGE OF THE TCA. I WAS ASSUMING RESPONSIBILITY FOR NOT DOING A CLASS B INCURSION. THE APCH REBUKED US AGAIN AND MADE US TURN TO 180 DEGS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY A TURN TO 210 AND THEN FINALLY TO 240. I COMPLIED WITH ALL SUBSEQUENT INSTRUCTIONS. HOWEVER, FROM MY VISUAL OBSERVATION OF THE PATH WITH RESPECT TO THE GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE AND THE TAPPAN ZEE BRIDGE, I CANNOT BE CERTAIN AT ALL THAT THE APCH DID NOT VECTOR US THROUGH THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AFTER EXPLICITLY DENYING CLRNC. I FIND THIS ENTIRE EPISODE HIGHLY UNSATISFACTORY FROM AN AVIATION SAFETY POINT OF VIEW. IT IS ADDITIONAL DISTR FOR THE PF (NOT TO MENTION THE POSSIBILITY OF FAA ACTION) AS WELL AS A PROB FOR THE ATC IN NOT BEING ABLE TO RELY ON THE TRACK OF THE PLANE FOR WHICH THEY HAVE PROVIDED INSTRUCTIONS. IT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED WITH BETTER COM OF INSTRUCTIONS FROM BOTH SIDES. ON MY PART, THE NEED TO HANDLE THE TURB KEEPING AN EYE ON THE SCATTERED VIRGA IN THE AREA, AS WELL AS THE VOLUME OF ATC COM ON THAT FREQ, PREVENTED ME FROM INFORMING THE ATC IMMEDIATELY AFTER OR EVEN BEFORE DEVIATING FROM INSTRUCTIONS. THE ATC INSTRUCTION TO HEAD TOWARDS CLASS B AIRSPACE CONFLICTED WITH THE INSTRUCTIONS TO STAY CLR OF THE AIRSPACE. THE SIT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF EITHER THE ATC HAD GIVEN US CLASS B CLRNC (REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY ACTUALLY VECTORED US INTO THE AIRSPACE OR NOT) OR INDICATED THEIR INTENTIONS TO KEEP US OUT OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE WHILE PROVIDING VECTORS.

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.