Narrative:

As I was about to depart the washington, dc, area for a dinner speaking commitment in caldwell, nj, my parents called to advise that my father was scheduled for unplanned surgery on thursday or possibly friday. I proceeded on an IFR flight plan to cdw, made my presentation, proceeded to a local hotel to ron prior to continuing on to connecticut to be with my parents thursday morning. I called millville FSS, received a WX brief for an early morning departure and was told to expect VFR. I then filed an IFR flight plan (cdw direct cmk VOR direct hvn, ct, morning departure). Upon arriving at cdw next morning, the WX was VFR and I opted to proceed VFR rather than activate my IFR flight plan. In the interests of noise abatement, I declined runway 27 and requested runway 22, full length. Runway 22 is the longer runway. On departure (XA50 hours) I squawked 1200, climbed quickly to 1500 ft, followed local departure noise abatement procedures, headed northwest (heading 310 degrees) to move further away from inner core of class B airspace and intercepted the cmk 249 degree radial. I then maintained 2000 ft, plus or minus 100 ft, and crossed the hudson river north of the tappan zee bridge. Some distance east of the river and still on the cmk 249 degree radial, I started a slow turn to a more easterly heading toward hvn. Primary navigation was pilotage/visual landmarks. Cmk was reporting better than 5000 ft and 5 mi. Throughout this segment of the flight, I could see new york city on the horizon, a distance of about 30 mi. At no time was I ever above 2100 ft. To the very best of my knowledge, I was never in class B airspace and I circumnaved hpn class D airspace. On landing at hvn, I was directed to contact new york TRACON. Reason: airspace violation. I immediately called and mr. X TRACON supervisor stated that new york had tracked me all the way. I had penetrated class B airspace and because hpn was departing to the northwest and I was not in radio contact with new york TRACON, new york had to vector departing traffic. When passing through the area in question, I observed aircraft operating both above and below my altitude. From my vantage point, there were no conflicts or even potential conflicts. I apologized profusely if I had caused a problem or transgression, assured mr. X that I had not penetrated class B airspace and that to the best of my knowledge I had not penetrated hpn class D airspace. When I asked what I could/should do, he responded to be more vigilant, aware of my position. How to avoid a recurrence? 1) only navigation/operate IFR irrespective of WX conditions. 2) if navigating/operating VFR near class B, C, D airspace, request/insist on TA's/vectors, navigation via VOR radials -- never pilotage.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ACCUSED OF PENETRATING CLASS B AIRSPACE AND CAUSING VECTORING FOR DEPARTING ACFT FROM CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: AS I WAS ABOUT TO DEPART THE WASHINGTON, DC, AREA FOR A DINNER SPEAKING COMMITMENT IN CALDWELL, NJ, MY PARENTS CALLED TO ADVISE THAT MY FATHER WAS SCHEDULED FOR UNPLANNED SURGERY ON THURSDAY OR POSSIBLY FRIDAY. I PROCEEDED ON AN IFR FLT PLAN TO CDW, MADE MY PRESENTATION, PROCEEDED TO A LCL HOTEL TO RON PRIOR TO CONTINUING ON TO CONNECTICUT TO BE WITH MY PARENTS THURSDAY MORNING. I CALLED MILLVILLE FSS, RECEIVED A WX BRIEF FOR AN EARLY MORNING DEP AND WAS TOLD TO EXPECT VFR. I THEN FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN (CDW DIRECT CMK VOR DIRECT HVN, CT, MORNING DEP). UPON ARRIVING AT CDW NEXT MORNING, THE WX WAS VFR AND I OPTED TO PROCEED VFR RATHER THAN ACTIVATE MY IFR FLT PLAN. IN THE INTERESTS OF NOISE ABATEMENT, I DECLINED RWY 27 AND REQUESTED RWY 22, FULL LENGTH. RWY 22 IS THE LONGER RWY. ON DEP (XA50 HRS) I SQUAWKED 1200, CLBED QUICKLY TO 1500 FT, FOLLOWED LCL DEP NOISE ABATEMENT PROCS, HEADED NW (HDG 310 DEGS) TO MOVE FURTHER AWAY FROM INNER CORE OF CLASS B AIRSPACE AND INTERCEPTED THE CMK 249 DEG RADIAL. I THEN MAINTAINED 2000 FT, PLUS OR MINUS 100 FT, AND CROSSED THE HUDSON RIVER N OF THE TAPPAN ZEE BRIDGE. SOME DISTANCE E OF THE RIVER AND STILL ON THE CMK 249 DEG RADIAL, I STARTED A SLOW TURN TO A MORE EASTERLY HDG TOWARD HVN. PRIMARY NAV WAS PILOTAGE/VISUAL LANDMARKS. CMK WAS RPTING BETTER THAN 5000 FT AND 5 MI. THROUGHOUT THIS SEGMENT OF THE FLT, I COULD SEE NEW YORK CITY ON THE HORIZON, A DISTANCE OF ABOUT 30 MI. AT NO TIME WAS I EVER ABOVE 2100 FT. TO THE VERY BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, I WAS NEVER IN CLASS B AIRSPACE AND I CIRCUMNAVED HPN CLASS D AIRSPACE. ON LNDG AT HVN, I WAS DIRECTED TO CONTACT NEW YORK TRACON. REASON: AIRSPACE VIOLATION. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED AND MR. X TRACON SUPVR STATED THAT NEW YORK HAD TRACKED ME ALL THE WAY. I HAD PENETRATED CLASS B AIRSPACE AND BECAUSE HPN WAS DEPARTING TO THE NW AND I WAS NOT IN RADIO CONTACT WITH NEW YORK TRACON, NEW YORK HAD TO VECTOR DEPARTING TFC. WHEN PASSING THROUGH THE AREA IN QUESTION, I OBSERVED ACFT OPERATING BOTH ABOVE AND BELOW MY ALT. FROM MY VANTAGE POINT, THERE WERE NO CONFLICTS OR EVEN POTENTIAL CONFLICTS. I APOLOGIZED PROFUSELY IF I HAD CAUSED A PROB OR TRANSGRESSION, ASSURED MR. X THAT I HAD NOT PENETRATED CLASS B AIRSPACE AND THAT TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE I HAD NOT PENETRATED HPN CLASS D AIRSPACE. WHEN I ASKED WHAT I COULD/SHOULD DO, HE RESPONDED TO BE MORE VIGILANT, AWARE OF MY POS. HOW TO AVOID A RECURRENCE? 1) ONLY NAV/OPERATE IFR IRRESPECTIVE OF WX CONDITIONS. 2) IF NAVING/OPERATING VFR NEAR CLASS B, C, D AIRSPACE, REQUEST/INSIST ON TA'S/VECTORS, NAV VIA VOR RADIALS -- NEVER PILOTAGE.

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.