Narrative:

We left pvd at XA20 pm on schedule for ewr. It was reported mostly clear in ewr, with 20 KTS thin broken, surface winds 250 degrees at 17 KTS. I was assuming they'd be using runway 22L and potentially runway 11 for arrs, and runway 22R and probably runway 29 for departures. Usually a no brainer VFR. My plan was to go down the sound and be at 2500 ft 20 mi from lga and hope they'd give us the usual: glenn cove- throg's nect-tower cabin attendant-central park-down the (hudson) river-statue-right traffic over the field for 11. If we didn't get the usual, then we'd do the standard backup plan: proceed in between class B and hpn class D (6 mi corridor) to alpine tower-patterson NDB and hold, usually at 2500 ft as directed by ATC, but sometimes at 2800 ft if ATC wasn't talking to you (in order to stay clear of essex county's class D, (27) indicated on sectional). We get to 22 mi from lga at 2500 ft, ATC tells us they're not able to work us over lga, cleared into class B at 2500 ft, go to patterson and hold. Okay, no big deal. I remembered that I could have saved us this trouble if I had made my normal call to ewr tower 60 mi out to see if they're accepting traffic down the river. This would have saved us the trouble of getting low, under class B, trying to work our way to alpine tower without bumping into anything. No big deal though they're still talking to us, the winds are light (ie, no arrival problems), they're going to put us in line for runway 22L, I've done this a thousand times before. We get to patterson, ATC tells us they can't get a handoff, also that there's traffic at 11, 12, and 2 O'clock (one of the traffic was company trying to do the same thing, but talking on a different frequency). We find them all, and proceed on an assigned heading of 340 degrees, then we're told to proceed to sax, stay out of the way, and squawk 1200. Try ATC on 127.6. This guy's really busy - it caught me by surprise. We manage to get his attention. He tells they are not accepting any VFR traffic. Normally, they tell you to hold and that they'd get back to you and somehow work you in. We had told them already that we could take runway 11, but it was ignored. By now we're out over sax, roughly 33 mi north/northwest of ewr. I had never been totally shut down like that. Somehow we're down to 2000 ft out over a ridge, heading west. Sax is the normal arrival point, what's the big deal. I say to my first officer: 'we are where we're supposed to be, we would have ben here IFR or VFR, I couldn't believe this game they were playing. This is baby stuff.' by not my first officer is a little bewildered, but calm. I'm still very calm, but with a sinking feeling in my stomach. I'm flying, he's working the radio, sort of. Although very competent, he's not sure what to say or do. He senses that I'm sort of in quandary. I suggest I'd give ewr tower a call, maybe they can work us in. I tell them we can take runway 11. He says no. I ask him again, maybe he can at least put our name in hat for a slot on arrival. He comes back and asks if we can take runway 11. (I say to myself, is nobody listening - we've told everybody so far that we can take runway 11). I say yes. Okay, he says, report 10 mi northwest. I ask: do you want us at 2000 ft? He hesitates, and says yes. I had asked because that was the normal arrival altitude for runway 11 when within roughly 10 mi. Okay, big relief. I pick up about a 190 degrees heading, pick up the speed to 210 KTS, and ask my first officer to start looking on the map to see how far out essex county was from teb so that we could stay clear. He didn't know how to determine rough distances quickly and easily on the sectional chart. Feeling a little flustered, he would divert his attention outside at least to look for the airports. I was thinking I knew we would be close to either essex county or morristown, it was hard to make out any landmarks from this low altitude. In the front of my mind, ATC had told us 2000 ft so at least we were safe if we went through a class D, in the back of my mind, I knew we were VFR, an supposed to navigation clear of any airspace since we weren't talking to the controling approach frequency. Then my first officer spots both airports, we're probably within 4 plus or minus mi in between both airports. We're easily in their airspace since I'm at 2000 ft. I make a quick (but hesitated, am I not supposed to be at 2000 ft?) climb to 2700 ft (I should have at 2800 ft). We pass both airports, and continue heading south. I'm starting to feel really frazzled, feeling like I've just really screwed up, and feeling disoriented. I knew I wasn't prepared. I've got ewr visually, and we're using the localizer for DME information. I've descended to 2500 ft (I don't know why), and we call 10 mi northwest (to get his attention early, even though we were about 12 mi northwest), and start a descent to 2000 ft. ATC acknowledges us and works us into runway 11 without a hitch, just ahead of company who ended up getting cleared down the river for runway 11. I hadn't been to ewr in over 5 months VFR from the north, and my 2 week old first officer had certainly never been there. I took for granted it was a routine flight and hadn't bothered to visualize my game plan. I forgot it was rush hour. I didn't take into consideration I had a new first officer. My attitude was that I'd done this many times and thought I'd seen it all, besides, there's always a way out. In the future, before going VFR to ewr, I will thoroughly review all charts, consider who I'm flying with, and thoroughly visualize my game plan. Also, there are capts in our company that have a lot more experience with ewr. I plan to review the incident with them and ask for suggestions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX LTT INADVERTENTLY PENETRATED AN ARPT AREA CLASS D AIRSPACE ENRTE VFR TO A LARGE METRO ARPT IN A HIGHLY CONGESTED AREA.

Narrative: WE LEFT PVD AT XA20 PM ON SCHEDULE FOR EWR. IT WAS RPTED MOSTLY CLR IN EWR, WITH 20 KTS THIN BROKEN, SURFACE WINDS 250 DEGS AT 17 KTS. I WAS ASSUMING THEY'D BE USING RWY 22L AND POTENTIALLY RWY 11 FOR ARRS, AND RWY 22R AND PROBABLY RWY 29 FOR DEPS. USUALLY A NO BRAINER VFR. MY PLAN WAS TO GO DOWN THE SOUND AND BE AT 2500 FT 20 MI FROM LGA AND HOPE THEY'D GIVE US THE USUAL: GLENN COVE- THROG'S NECT-TWR CAB-CENTRAL PARK-DOWN THE (HUDSON) RIVER-STATUE-R TFC OVER THE FIELD FOR 11. IF WE DIDN'T GET THE USUAL, THEN WE'D DO THE STANDARD BACKUP PLAN: PROCEED IN BTWN CLASS B AND HPN CLASS D (6 MI CORRIDOR) TO ALPINE TWR-PATTERSON NDB AND HOLD, USUALLY AT 2500 FT AS DIRECTED BY ATC, BUT SOMETIMES AT 2800 FT IF ATC WASN'T TALKING TO YOU (IN ORDER TO STAY CLR OF ESSEX COUNTY'S CLASS D, (27) INDICATED ON SECTIONAL). WE GET TO 22 MI FROM LGA AT 2500 FT, ATC TELLS US THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO WORK US OVER LGA, CLRED INTO CLASS B AT 2500 FT, GO TO PATTERSON AND HOLD. OKAY, NO BIG DEAL. I REMEMBERED THAT I COULD HAVE SAVED US THIS TROUBLE IF I HAD MADE MY NORMAL CALL TO EWR TWR 60 MI OUT TO SEE IF THEY'RE ACCEPTING TFC DOWN THE RIVER. THIS WOULD HAVE SAVED US THE TROUBLE OF GETTING LOW, UNDER CLASS B, TRYING TO WORK OUR WAY TO ALPINE TWR WITHOUT BUMPING INTO ANYTHING. NO BIG DEAL THOUGH THEY'RE STILL TALKING TO US, THE WINDS ARE LIGHT (IE, NO ARR PROBS), THEY'RE GOING TO PUT US IN LINE FOR RWY 22L, I'VE DONE THIS A THOUSAND TIMES BEFORE. WE GET TO PATTERSON, ATC TELLS US THEY CAN'T GET A HDOF, ALSO THAT THERE'S TFC AT 11, 12, AND 2 O'CLOCK (ONE OF THE TFC WAS COMPANY TRYING TO DO THE SAME THING, BUT TALKING ON A DIFFERENT FREQ). WE FIND THEM ALL, AND PROCEED ON AN ASSIGNED HDG OF 340 DEGS, THEN WE'RE TOLD TO PROCEED TO SAX, STAY OUT OF THE WAY, AND SQUAWK 1200. TRY ATC ON 127.6. THIS GUY'S REALLY BUSY - IT CAUGHT ME BY SURPRISE. WE MANAGE TO GET HIS ATTN. HE TELLS THEY ARE NOT ACCEPTING ANY VFR TFC. NORMALLY, THEY TELL YOU TO HOLD AND THAT THEY'D GET BACK TO YOU AND SOMEHOW WORK YOU IN. WE HAD TOLD THEM ALREADY THAT WE COULD TAKE RWY 11, BUT IT WAS IGNORED. BY NOW WE'RE OUT OVER SAX, ROUGHLY 33 MI N/NW OF EWR. I HAD NEVER BEEN TOTALLY SHUT DOWN LIKE THAT. SOMEHOW WE'RE DOWN TO 2000 FT OUT OVER A RIDGE, HDG W. SAX IS THE NORMAL ARR POINT, WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL. I SAY TO MY FO: 'WE ARE WHERE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE, WE WOULD HAVE BEN HERE IFR OR VFR, I COULDN'T BELIEVE THIS GAME THEY WERE PLAYING. THIS IS BABY STUFF.' BY NOT MY FO IS A LITTLE BEWILDERED, BUT CALM. I'M STILL VERY CALM, BUT WITH A SINKING FEELING IN MY STOMACH. I'M FLYING, HE'S WORKING THE RADIO, SORT OF. ALTHOUGH VERY COMPETENT, HE'S NOT SURE WHAT TO SAY OR DO. HE SENSES THAT I'M SORT OF IN QUANDARY. I SUGGEST I'D GIVE EWR TWR A CALL, MAYBE THEY CAN WORK US IN. I TELL THEM WE CAN TAKE RWY 11. HE SAYS NO. I ASK HIM AGAIN, MAYBE HE CAN AT LEAST PUT OUR NAME IN HAT FOR A SLOT ON ARR. HE COMES BACK AND ASKS IF WE CAN TAKE RWY 11. (I SAY TO MYSELF, IS NOBODY LISTENING - WE'VE TOLD EVERYBODY SO FAR THAT WE CAN TAKE RWY 11). I SAY YES. OKAY, HE SAYS, RPT 10 MI NW. I ASK: DO YOU WANT US AT 2000 FT? HE HESITATES, AND SAYS YES. I HAD ASKED BECAUSE THAT WAS THE NORMAL ARR ALT FOR RWY 11 WHEN WITHIN ROUGHLY 10 MI. OKAY, BIG RELIEF. I PICK UP ABOUT A 190 DEGS HDG, PICK UP THE SPD TO 210 KTS, AND ASK MY FO TO START LOOKING ON THE MAP TO SEE HOW FAR OUT ESSEX COUNTY WAS FROM TEB SO THAT WE COULD STAY CLR. HE DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO DETERMINE ROUGH DISTANCES QUICKLY AND EASILY ON THE SECTIONAL CHART. FEELING A LITTLE FLUSTERED, HE WOULD DIVERT HIS ATTN OUTSIDE AT LEAST TO LOOK FOR THE ARPTS. I WAS THINKING I KNEW WE WOULD BE CLOSE TO EITHER ESSEX COUNTY OR MORRISTOWN, IT WAS HARD TO MAKE OUT ANY LANDMARKS FROM THIS LOW ALT. IN THE FRONT OF MY MIND, ATC HAD TOLD US 2000 FT SO AT LEAST WE WERE SAFE IF WE WENT THROUGH A CLASS D, IN THE BACK OF MY MIND, I KNEW WE WERE VFR, AN SUPPOSED TO NAV CLR OF ANY AIRSPACE SINCE WE WEREN'T TALKING TO THE CTLING APCH FREQ. THEN MY FO SPOTS BOTH ARPTS, WE'RE PROBABLY WITHIN 4 PLUS OR MINUS MI IN BTWN BOTH ARPTS. WE'RE EASILY IN THEIR AIRSPACE SINCE I'M AT 2000 FT. I MAKE A QUICK (BUT HESITATED, AM I NOT SUPPOSED TO BE AT 2000 FT?) CLB TO 2700 FT (I SHOULD HAVE AT 2800 FT). WE PASS BOTH ARPTS, AND CONTINUE HDG S. I'M STARTING TO FEEL REALLY FRAZZLED, FEELING LIKE I'VE JUST REALLY SCREWED UP, AND FEELING DISORIENTED. I KNEW I WASN'T PREPARED. I'VE GOT EWR VISUALLY, AND WE'RE USING THE LOC FOR DME INFO. I'VE DSNDED TO 2500 FT (I DON'T KNOW WHY), AND WE CALL 10 MI NW (TO GET HIS ATTN EARLY, EVEN THOUGH WE WERE ABOUT 12 MI NW), AND START A DSCNT TO 2000 FT. ATC ACKNOWLEDGES US AND WORKS US INTO RWY 11 WITHOUT A HITCH, JUST AHEAD OF COMPANY WHO ENDED UP GETTING CLRED DOWN THE RIVER FOR RWY 11. I HADN'T BEEN TO EWR IN OVER 5 MONTHS VFR FROM THE N, AND MY 2 WK OLD FO HAD CERTAINLY NEVER BEEN THERE. I TOOK FOR GRANTED IT WAS A ROUTINE FLT AND HADN'T BOTHERED TO VISUALIZE MY GAME PLAN. I FORGOT IT WAS RUSH HR. I DIDN'T TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION I HAD A NEW FO. MY ATTITUDE WAS THAT I'D DONE THIS MANY TIMES AND THOUGHT I'D SEEN IT ALL, BESIDES, THERE'S ALWAYS A WAY OUT. IN THE FUTURE, BEFORE GOING VFR TO EWR, I WILL THOROUGHLY REVIEW ALL CHARTS, CONSIDER WHO I'M FLYING WITH, AND THOROUGHLY VISUALIZE MY GAME PLAN. ALSO, THERE ARE CAPTS IN OUR COMPANY THAT HAVE A LOT MORE EXPERIENCE WITH EWR. I PLAN TO REVIEW THE INCIDENT WITH THEM AND ASK FOR SUGGESTIONS.

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.