Narrative:

I had just finished 3 hours of instrument training. I dropped off the instructor at 47N and I departed kupper airport runway 25 for the return to my base airport. To continue practicing instrument flying, I decided to intersect the sbj VOR in the 060 radial direct to cdw. There was strong wind from the southwest and I began to track a heading that I thought would intercept the desired course. I do not know what may have gone wrong, but before I knew it I could see mmu airport ahead, maybe 12 mi, and to my left. I knew that I was close to the new york TCA and that at 2000 ft cruise altitude could get into trouble because the floor of the class B airspace in this area becomes 1800 ft and 1500 ft. I turned northwest and contacted mmu, a class D airspace, to transition the area. The communication with mmu tower was short but they made a few inquiries. That is what I am worried about. After giving them my n-number, the tower began questioning the headings that I had been flying, the direction that I was approaching the area and the altitude. After a min of silence the tower once again asked for my n-number but they never cleared me to enter the class D airspace. I simply circled around it to my destination. In retrospect, I assume that I should have been more alert to pilotage in an area so close to a TCA instead of practicing navigation and looking for traffic without a safety pilot. It is also my belief that I did not break the TCA. Immediately upon realizing my position I looked for familiar landmarks and I recognized the hospital in south berkeley heights. That is where I turned toward the northwest. Either way, I did not mean to cause any violations, if I did. And, that was my impression from the exchange with mmu tower.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA POSSIBLY PENETRATED CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: I HAD JUST FINISHED 3 HRS OF INST TRAINING. I DROPPED OFF THE INSTRUCTOR AT 47N AND I DEPARTED KUPPER ARPT RWY 25 FOR THE RETURN TO MY BASE ARPT. TO CONTINUE PRACTICING INST FLYING, I DECIDED TO INTERSECT THE SBJ VOR IN THE 060 RADIAL DIRECT TO CDW. THERE WAS STRONG WIND FROM THE SW AND I BEGAN TO TRACK A HDG THAT I THOUGHT WOULD INTERCEPT THE DESIRED COURSE. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT MAY HAVE GONE WRONG, BUT BEFORE I KNEW IT I COULD SEE MMU ARPT AHEAD, MAYBE 12 MI, AND TO MY L. I KNEW THAT I WAS CLOSE TO THE NEW YORK TCA AND THAT AT 2000 FT CRUISE ALT COULD GET INTO TROUBLE BECAUSE THE FLOOR OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE IN THIS AREA BECOMES 1800 FT AND 1500 FT. I TURNED NW AND CONTACTED MMU, A CLASS D AIRSPACE, TO TRANSITION THE AREA. THE COM WITH MMU TWR WAS SHORT BUT THEY MADE A FEW INQUIRIES. THAT IS WHAT I AM WORRIED ABOUT. AFTER GIVING THEM MY N-NUMBER, THE TWR BEGAN QUESTIONING THE HDGS THAT I HAD BEEN FLYING, THE DIRECTION THAT I WAS APCHING THE AREA AND THE ALT. AFTER A MIN OF SILENCE THE TWR ONCE AGAIN ASKED FOR MY N-NUMBER BUT THEY NEVER CLRED ME TO ENTER THE CLASS D AIRSPACE. I SIMPLY CIRCLED AROUND IT TO MY DEST. IN RETROSPECT, I ASSUME THAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE ALERT TO PILOTAGE IN AN AREA SO CLOSE TO A TCA INSTEAD OF PRACTICING NAV AND LOOKING FOR TFC WITHOUT A SAFETY PLT. IT IS ALSO MY BELIEF THAT I DID NOT BREAK THE TCA. IMMEDIATELY UPON REALIZING MY POS I LOOKED FOR FAMILIAR LANDMARKS AND I RECOGNIZED THE HOSPITAL IN S BERKELEY HEIGHTS. THAT IS WHERE I TURNED TOWARD THE NW. EITHER WAY, I DID NOT MEAN TO CAUSE ANY VIOLATIONS, IF I DID. AND, THAT WAS MY IMPRESSION FROM THE EXCHANGE WITH MMU TWR.

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.