Narrative:

I was conducting a BFR for a private pilot in the frg south practice area, which is bordered by jfk class B airspace, isp class C airspace, and frg class D airspace. Moderate to heavy air traffic in vicinity to and from frg -- mostly single engine planes between 1000-3000 ft MSL. I was in the right seat. Private pilot was climbing from 1000 ft east, circling south to north to avoid single engine plane in our proximity. We had just terminated a simulated engine-out emergency procedure. We were both actively scanning for traffic as required. We radioed frg tower for landing instructions and clearance. Upon calling ground control for after landing taxi clearance, controller informed us we had come '...too close to a saab....' we asked which airspace, and he first replied class D, corrected himself and replied class a, then stated class B. I asked if we penetrated any of the above airspaces and he said '...you just came too close....' I called the tower and asked again, and he said '...not a problem....' no clarification was given despite repeated requests. He was chuckling during his response! Boundaries for frg's practice area create too small an area, that is highly congested with frg, isp, jfk mixed traffic, for safe and adequate training. Practice/training areas should be clearly designated and depicted on sectional and VFR terminal charts and transient traffic should be discouraged. ATC advisories should be routinely available for training aircraft in these areas. Controllers will not provide this service in the vicinity because of high workload demands. Frg is the second busiest GA airport in the country!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR PLT IN A PIPER PA28 INADVERTENTLY ENTERED THE BOUNDARY OF CLASS B AIRSPACE WHILE CONDUCTING A BIENNIAL PVT PLT FLT REVIEW RESULTING IN A CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH A SAAB 340 COMMUTER. THE RPTING INSTRUCTOR DID NOT KNOW THAT HE HAD COME CLOSE TO THE SAAB ACFT UNTIL BEING ADVISED BY ATC AFTER LNDG.

Narrative: I WAS CONDUCTING A BFR FOR A PVT PLT IN THE FRG S PRACTICE AREA, WHICH IS BORDERED BY JFK CLASS B AIRSPACE, ISP CLASS C AIRSPACE, AND FRG CLASS D AIRSPACE. MODERATE TO HVY AIR TFC IN VICINITY TO AND FROM FRG -- MOSTLY SINGLE ENG PLANES BTWN 1000-3000 FT MSL. I WAS IN THE R SEAT. PVT PLT WAS CLBING FROM 1000 FT E, CIRCLING S TO N TO AVOID SINGLE ENG PLANE IN OUR PROX. WE HAD JUST TERMINATED A SIMULATED ENG-OUT EMER PROC. WE WERE BOTH ACTIVELY SCANNING FOR TFC AS REQUIRED. WE RADIOED FRG TWR FOR LNDG INSTRUCTIONS AND CLRNC. UPON CALLING GND CTL FOR AFTER LNDG TAXI CLRNC, CTLR INFORMED US WE HAD COME '...TOO CLOSE TO A SAAB....' WE ASKED WHICH AIRSPACE, AND HE FIRST REPLIED CLASS D, CORRECTED HIMSELF AND REPLIED CLASS A, THEN STATED CLASS B. I ASKED IF WE PENETRATED ANY OF THE ABOVE AIRSPACES AND HE SAID '...YOU JUST CAME TOO CLOSE....' I CALLED THE TWR AND ASKED AGAIN, AND HE SAID '...NOT A PROB....' NO CLARIFICATION WAS GIVEN DESPITE REPEATED REQUESTS. HE WAS CHUCKLING DURING HIS RESPONSE! BOUNDARIES FOR FRG'S PRACTICE AREA CREATE TOO SMALL AN AREA, THAT IS HIGHLY CONGESTED WITH FRG, ISP, JFK MIXED TFC, FOR SAFE AND ADEQUATE TRAINING. PRACTICE/TRAINING AREAS SHOULD BE CLRLY DESIGNATED AND DEPICTED ON SECTIONAL AND VFR TERMINAL CHARTS AND TRANSIENT TFC SHOULD BE DISCOURAGED. ATC ADVISORIES SHOULD BE ROUTINELY AVAILABLE FOR TRAINING ACFT IN THESE AREAS. CTLRS WILL NOT PROVIDE THIS SVC IN THE VICINITY BECAUSE OF HIGH WORKLOAD DEMANDS. FRG IS THE SECOND BUSIEST GA ARPT IN THE COUNTRY!

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.