Narrative:

I took off from lna, destination stuart airport (sua). Climbed to 1000 ft following the path shown on next page. Headed west (under class C airspace), then turned north to overfly my house (7.85 NM from pbi per my GPS), still at 1000 ft, +/-50 ft. Continued on 360 degree heading (easy to do, most roads are n-s and e-w), at 1000 ft, until my LORAN indicated 10 mi. I then climbed to 2500 ft, overflying F45 at about 2000 ft while climbing. Continued to stuart airport. There, I was told by the tower to identify for pbi, and told to give them a call. What I was told by pbi tower supervisor: air carrier MD88 was on visual for runway 9L at pbi, when on left base and descending to 1500 ft he saw a target at his altitude. He immediately requested a climb to 2500 ft, then continued to land. He said the target was 1 mi from him (the tower supervisor later told me the target would have been at 6 mi from pbi, thus air carrier would have been sbound on the 5 mi ring from pbi). The target must have disappeared from the screen then (if it ever was there). What showed up a little later was my plane climbing to 2500 ft at the outer ring from pbi class C, so they immediately assumed I was the target. It should be noted that the sun is fairly low at this time, and the target would have been directly between the sun and the air carrier jet, thus pretty hard to see. If I had been the target, I would have been approximately 2 1/2 - 3 mi from air carrier. This leads me to think there could have been another airplane in the airspace. It should also be noted that I am well aware of landmarks in the area, I have lived in the same house for over 20 yrs. I have flown approximately 120-140 hours in the last yr -- almost all of it to or from pbi, so I am quite familiar with pbi's class C boundaries. Please feel free to call me, as I feel someone else must have been in class C airspace at the same time. The tower supervisor said the incident would be reported as a class C intrusion, because the air carrier captain might file to the FAA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF PIPER PA22 WAS ACCUSED OF PENETRATING CLASS C AIRSPACE DUE TO AN ACR FLC OF AN MD88 TAKING EVASIVE ACTION IN RESPONSE TO A TCASII RA DURING A VISUAL APCH IN CLASS C AIRSPACE. APCH RADAR CTLR SAW NO TARGET UNTIL A SHORT TIME LATER WHEN RPTR'S ACFT SHOWED UP CLBING OUT FROM UNDER THE OUTER RING OF CLASS C AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF FROM LNA, DEST STUART ARPT (SUA). CLBED TO 1000 FT FOLLOWING THE PATH SHOWN ON NEXT PAGE. HEADED W (UNDER CLASS C AIRSPACE), THEN TURNED N TO OVERFLY MY HOUSE (7.85 NM FROM PBI PER MY GPS), STILL AT 1000 FT, +/-50 FT. CONTINUED ON 360 DEG HDG (EASY TO DO, MOST ROADS ARE N-S AND E-W), AT 1000 FT, UNTIL MY LORAN INDICATED 10 MI. I THEN CLBED TO 2500 FT, OVERFLYING F45 AT ABOUT 2000 FT WHILE CLBING. CONTINUED TO STUART ARPT. THERE, I WAS TOLD BY THE TWR TO IDENT FOR PBI, AND TOLD TO GIVE THEM A CALL. WHAT I WAS TOLD BY PBI TWR SUPVR: ACR MD88 WAS ON VISUAL FOR RWY 9L AT PBI, WHEN ON L BASE AND DSNDING TO 1500 FT HE SAW A TARGET AT HIS ALT. HE IMMEDIATELY REQUESTED A CLB TO 2500 FT, THEN CONTINUED TO LAND. HE SAID THE TARGET WAS 1 MI FROM HIM (THE TWR SUPVR LATER TOLD ME THE TARGET WOULD HAVE BEEN AT 6 MI FROM PBI, THUS ACR WOULD HAVE BEEN SBOUND ON THE 5 MI RING FROM PBI). THE TARGET MUST HAVE DISAPPEARED FROM THE SCREEN THEN (IF IT EVER WAS THERE). WHAT SHOWED UP A LITTLE LATER WAS MY PLANE CLBING TO 2500 FT AT THE OUTER RING FROM PBI CLASS C, SO THEY IMMEDIATELY ASSUMED I WAS THE TARGET. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE SUN IS FAIRLY LOW AT THIS TIME, AND THE TARGET WOULD HAVE BEEN DIRECTLY BTWN THE SUN AND THE ACR JET, THUS PRETTY HARD TO SEE. IF I HAD BEEN THE TARGET, I WOULD HAVE BEEN APPROX 2 1/2 - 3 MI FROM ACR. THIS LEADS ME TO THINK THERE COULD HAVE BEEN ANOTHER AIRPLANE IN THE AIRSPACE. IT SHOULD ALSO BE NOTED THAT I AM WELL AWARE OF LANDMARKS IN THE AREA, I HAVE LIVED IN THE SAME HOUSE FOR OVER 20 YRS. I HAVE FLOWN APPROX 120-140 HRS IN THE LAST YR -- ALMOST ALL OF IT TO OR FROM PBI, SO I AM QUITE FAMILIAR WITH PBI'S CLASS C BOUNDARIES. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL ME, AS I FEEL SOMEONE ELSE MUST HAVE BEEN IN CLASS C AIRSPACE AT THE SAME TIME. THE TWR SUPVR SAID THE INCIDENT WOULD BE RPTED AS A CLASS C INTRUSION, BECAUSE THE ACR CAPT MIGHT FILE TO THE FAA.

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.