Narrative:

The mission of the flight was for instruction in cross country navigation. Our route was planned for doylestown (dyl) direct yardley VOR (ard) then the VOR radial direct to N14, lumberton, nj. This routing, at 2000 ft MSL, took us through trenton, nj (ttn), airspace. The southern portion of the route was 4 NM east of philadelphia northeast (pne) airspace. While en route, the student began wandering from the planned course. Despite instructions given, the student made radical course corrections which disoriented him. After transitioning the ttn airspace, with their permission (radio contact established prior to entry, cleared on course), the student continued wandering course and at one point close to the northeast side of pne airspace, turned directly toward it. I allowed the student about 30-60 seconds to recognize his error before taking control of the aircraft and turning away from pne class D airspace. Just prior to my taking control of the airplane, the ttn tower controller told me to immediately contact the pne tower. I did so and the pne controller issued a traffic call. We then proceeded on course, well clear of pne airspace. Later, on the return flight, we contacted ttn tower when approximately 8 NM south of their airspace and east and well clear of pne's airspace. When we contacted ttn, the controller told us that we had cut through pne's airspace without talking with them and suggested that we had done so on the flight to N14. I queried the controller if the radar showed us in pne's airspace. The reply was not specific, but suggested we were in pne's class D without radio contact. To say the least, I am confused. This area is rich in visual waypoints, and I am absolutely certain that I never entered the pne class D on the return flight. At the closest, we were approximately 4 NM to the east. On the flight to N14, I will admit that I am less confident, but still believe that we did not penetrate the class D. The high workload of this instructional flight did distract me sufficiently that I am not completely certain of our position when I took control. In retrospect, it would be valuable to contact pne and alert them that we were near their airspace. However, this is not as simple a decision as it sounds. Pne has an ILS runway 24 that is heavily used for training. Ttn has an ILS runway 6, equally heavily used, that nearly overlaps it. In this area, traffic for both airports are important. Both towers have BRITE radar presentations. A quick call to pne and ttn would be the best solution. The other learning is that I should have intercepted and taken control of the aircraft sooner. The student, a 200 hour plus student who has had many instructors before me, is difficult to instruct. He is defensive, argumentative and becomes disoriented easily. This airspace may not be an acceptable instructional environment for this student.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 INSTRUCTOR AND TRAINEE PENETRATED PNE CLASS D.

Narrative: THE MISSION OF THE FLT WAS FOR INSTRUCTION IN XCOUNTRY NAV. OUR RTE WAS PLANNED FOR DOYLESTOWN (DYL) DIRECT YARDLEY VOR (ARD) THEN THE VOR RADIAL DIRECT TO N14, LUMBERTON, NJ. THIS ROUTING, AT 2000 FT MSL, TOOK US THROUGH TRENTON, NJ (TTN), AIRSPACE. THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE RTE WAS 4 NM E OF PHILADELPHIA NE (PNE) AIRSPACE. WHILE ENRTE, THE STUDENT BEGAN WANDERING FROM THE PLANNED COURSE. DESPITE INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN, THE STUDENT MADE RADICAL COURSE CORRECTIONS WHICH DISORIENTED HIM. AFTER TRANSITIONING THE TTN AIRSPACE, WITH THEIR PERMISSION (RADIO CONTACT ESTABLISHED PRIOR TO ENTRY, CLRED ON COURSE), THE STUDENT CONTINUED WANDERING COURSE AND AT ONE POINT CLOSE TO THE NE SIDE OF PNE AIRSPACE, TURNED DIRECTLY TOWARD IT. I ALLOWED THE STUDENT ABOUT 30-60 SECONDS TO RECOGNIZE HIS ERROR BEFORE TAKING CTL OF THE ACFT AND TURNING AWAY FROM PNE CLASS D AIRSPACE. JUST PRIOR TO MY TAKING CTL OF THE AIRPLANE, THE TTN TWR CTLR TOLD ME TO IMMEDIATELY CONTACT THE PNE TWR. I DID SO AND THE PNE CTLR ISSUED A TFC CALL. WE THEN PROCEEDED ON COURSE, WELL CLR OF PNE AIRSPACE. LATER, ON THE RETURN FLT, WE CONTACTED TTN TWR WHEN APPROX 8 NM S OF THEIR AIRSPACE AND E AND WELL CLR OF PNE'S AIRSPACE. WHEN WE CONTACTED TTN, THE CTLR TOLD US THAT WE HAD CUT THROUGH PNE'S AIRSPACE WITHOUT TALKING WITH THEM AND SUGGESTED THAT WE HAD DONE SO ON THE FLT TO N14. I QUERIED THE CTLR IF THE RADAR SHOWED US IN PNE'S AIRSPACE. THE REPLY WAS NOT SPECIFIC, BUT SUGGESTED WE WERE IN PNE'S CLASS D WITHOUT RADIO CONTACT. TO SAY THE LEAST, I AM CONFUSED. THIS AREA IS RICH IN VISUAL WAYPOINTS, AND I AM ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN THAT I NEVER ENTERED THE PNE CLASS D ON THE RETURN FLT. AT THE CLOSEST, WE WERE APPROX 4 NM TO THE E. ON THE FLT TO N14, I WILL ADMIT THAT I AM LESS CONFIDENT, BUT STILL BELIEVE THAT WE DID NOT PENETRATE THE CLASS D. THE HIGH WORKLOAD OF THIS INSTRUCTIONAL FLT DID DISTRACT ME SUFFICIENTLY THAT I AM NOT COMPLETELY CERTAIN OF OUR POS WHEN I TOOK CTL. IN RETROSPECT, IT WOULD BE VALUABLE TO CONTACT PNE AND ALERT THEM THAT WE WERE NEAR THEIR AIRSPACE. HOWEVER, THIS IS NOT AS SIMPLE A DECISION AS IT SOUNDS. PNE HAS AN ILS RWY 24 THAT IS HEAVILY USED FOR TRAINING. TTN HAS AN ILS RWY 6, EQUALLY HEAVILY USED, THAT NEARLY OVERLAPS IT. IN THIS AREA, TFC FOR BOTH ARPTS ARE IMPORTANT. BOTH TWRS HAVE BRITE RADAR PRESENTATIONS. A QUICK CALL TO PNE AND TTN WOULD BE THE BEST SOLUTION. THE OTHER LEARNING IS THAT I SHOULD HAVE INTERCEPTED AND TAKEN CTL OF THE ACFT SOONER. THE STUDENT, A 200 HR PLUS STUDENT WHO HAS HAD MANY INSTRUCTORS BEFORE ME, IS DIFFICULT TO INSTRUCT. HE IS DEFENSIVE, ARGUMENTATIVE AND BECOMES DISORIENTED EASILY. THIS AIRSPACE MAY NOT BE AN ACCEPTABLE INSTRUCTIONAL ENVIRONMENT FOR THIS STUDENT.

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.