Narrative:

I departed more or less due north from somerset airport VFR to dutchess county airport (pou) in poughkeepsie, ny at about XA45 pm local time on mar/thu/95. I had already examined the new york sectional chart and noted that flying due north would keep me out of the restricted airspace of the new york TCA, but I would still be in the TCA. I dialed in laguardia airport (lga) on my LORAN to give me a rough DME distance from lga and I saw that my DME distance from lga remained at around 29.5 to 30 NM as I began a climb to 7500 ft MSL, still heading more or less due north, along what I thought was the extreme western or northwestern edge of the new york TCA. When I reached 7500 ft, I levelled off and set a direct course for pou. When I landed at pou a few mins later and was taxing to a local FBO, the tower called over the radio and said the new york TRACON wanted me to call them and he gave me their #. This card I wrote the # on was subsequently lost on a flight over to chester, ct a few mins later and I never got the opportunity to call the new york TRACON. I was quite perplexed and couldn't quite figure out why the new york TRACON people wanted to talk to me. A day or so later, I examined my sectional chart and realized that I should have maintained a DME reading off of ewr airport rather than lga and that by using lga, I may have inadvertently ventured into the restricted part of the new york TCA. Regarding cause and corrective action, it seems this was a cause of making an honest mistake, perhaps because I chose to look at the chart in the less-relaxed atmosphere of the cockpit rather than on the ground. Perhaps I thought I was a bit further north than I actually was. The corrective action is simply to review anticipated rtes of flight more thoroughly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE - PLT USED WRONG NAV BASE POINT AND CLBS THROUGH TCA, BUT HE THOUGHT THAT HE WAS CLR.

Narrative: I DEPARTED MORE OR LESS DUE N FROM SOMERSET ARPT VFR TO DUTCHESS COUNTY ARPT (POU) IN POUGHKEEPSIE, NY AT ABOUT XA45 PM LCL TIME ON MAR/THU/95. I HAD ALREADY EXAMINED THE NEW YORK SECTIONAL CHART AND NOTED THAT FLYING DUE N WOULD KEEP ME OUT OF THE RESTRICTED AIRSPACE OF THE NEW YORK TCA, BUT I WOULD STILL BE IN THE TCA. I DIALED IN LAGUARDIA ARPT (LGA) ON MY LORAN TO GIVE ME A ROUGH DME DISTANCE FROM LGA AND I SAW THAT MY DME DISTANCE FROM LGA REMAINED AT AROUND 29.5 TO 30 NM AS I BEGAN A CLB TO 7500 FT MSL, STILL HDG MORE OR LESS DUE N, ALONG WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE EXTREME WESTERN OR NORTHWESTERN EDGE OF THE NEW YORK TCA. WHEN I REACHED 7500 FT, I LEVELLED OFF AND SET A DIRECT COURSE FOR POU. WHEN I LANDED AT POU A FEW MINS LATER AND WAS TAXING TO A LOCAL FBO, THE TOWER CALLED OVER THE RADIO AND SAID THE NEW YORK TRACON WANTED ME TO CALL THEM AND HE GAVE ME THEIR #. THIS CARD I WROTE THE # ON WAS SUBSEQUENTLY LOST ON A FLT OVER TO CHESTER, CT A FEW MINS LATER AND I NEVER GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO CALL THE NEW YORK TRACON. I WAS QUITE PERPLEXED AND COULDN'T QUITE FIGURE OUT WHY THE NEW YORK TRACON PEOPLE WANTED TO TALK TO ME. A DAY OR SO LATER, I EXAMINED MY SECTIONAL CHART AND REALIZED THAT I SHOULD HAVE MAINTAINED A DME READING OFF OF EWR ARPT RATHER THAN LGA AND THAT BY USING LGA, I MAY HAVE INADVERTENTLY VENTURED INTO THE RESTRICTED PART OF THE NEW YORK TCA. REGARDING CAUSE AND CORRECTIVE ACTION, IT SEEMS THIS WAS A CAUSE OF MAKING AN HONEST MISTAKE, PERHAPS BECAUSE I CHOSE TO LOOK AT THE CHART IN THE LESS-RELAXED ATMOSPHERE OF THE COCKPIT RATHER THAN ON THE GND. PERHAPS I THOUGHT I WAS A BIT FURTHER N THAN I ACTUALLY WAS. THE CORRECTIVE ACTION IS SIMPLY TO REVIEW ANTICIPATED RTES OF FLT MORE THOROUGHLY.

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.