Narrative:

At approximately XA00 pm on jul/sun/01 I was cruising at 1000 MSL sbound in the class B exclusion over the hudson, river between manhattan and new jersey. Just south of governors island I contacted lga tower and asked permission to transit the east river to roosevelt island, then west over central park. The controller replied with instructions that were not fully intelligible, due to poor radio in the rental aircraft. I recall hearing the words 'proceed' and what I thought was 'roosevelt island'. I was also given a squawk, which I could not hear and had to ask to be repeated. I was given the squawk code again, confirmed it, and also asked for an altitude. I was told to climb to 1500 ft, which is inside the class B. I proceeded north over the east river at 1500 ft MSL. I received and acknowledged 2 traffic calls form lga. At the northern end of roosevelt island, I asked for a turn to the west, which was approved. At this point I received a third traffic call, which I acknowledged and reported in sight. As I approached the western edge of manhattan, I asked to descend into the class B exclusion to resume northbound flight over the hudson river. The lga controller approved my request, instructed me to squawk VFR and stated that radar service was being terminated. I carried 1 passenger who was a 900 plus hour private pilot, but who had never flown in the new york area before. After the flight, he mentioned that he was not sure we had received proper clearance to enter the class B. I believed that instructions to proceed to a pt (in this case, roosevelt island and central park) or an altitude (in this case, 1500 ft MSL) within the class B constituted clearance. I was advised by a technical advisor that a proper clearance in this case should have included 'cleared into class B' or words to that effect. Either the controller did not say that, or I did not hear it and did not ask for confirmation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 PLT ENTERS CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT HEARING THE CLRNC, 'CLRED INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE.'

Narrative: AT APPROX XA00 PM ON JUL/SUN/01 I WAS CRUISING AT 1000 MSL SBOUND IN THE CLASS B EXCLUSION OVER THE HUDSON, RIVER BTWN MANHATTAN AND NEW JERSEY. JUST S OF GOVERNORS ISLAND I CONTACTED LGA TWR AND ASKED PERMISSION TO TRANSIT THE E RIVER TO ROOSEVELT ISLAND, THEN W OVER CENTRAL PARK. THE CTLR REPLIED WITH INSTRUCTIONS THAT WERE NOT FULLY INTELLIGIBLE, DUE TO POOR RADIO IN THE RENTAL ACFT. I RECALL HEARING THE WORDS 'PROCEED' AND WHAT I THOUGHT WAS 'ROOSEVELT ISLAND'. I WAS ALSO GIVEN A SQUAWK, WHICH I COULD NOT HEAR AND HAD TO ASK TO BE REPEATED. I WAS GIVEN THE SQUAWK CODE AGAIN, CONFIRMED IT, AND ALSO ASKED FOR AN ALT. I WAS TOLD TO CLB TO 1500 FT, WHICH IS INSIDE THE CLASS B. I PROCEEDED N OVER THE E RIVER AT 1500 FT MSL. I RECEIVED AND ACKNOWLEDGED 2 TFC CALLS FORM LGA. AT THE NORTHERN END OF ROOSEVELT ISLAND, I ASKED FOR A TURN TO THE W, WHICH WAS APPROVED. AT THIS POINT I RECEIVED A THIRD TFC CALL, WHICH I ACKNOWLEDGED AND RPTED IN SIGHT. AS I APCHED THE WESTERN EDGE OF MANHATTAN, I ASKED TO DSND INTO THE CLASS B EXCLUSION TO RESUME NBOUND FLT OVER THE HUDSON RIVER. THE LGA CTLR APPROVED MY REQUEST, INSTRUCTED ME TO SQUAWK VFR AND STATED THAT RADAR SERVICE WAS BEING TERMINATED. I CARRIED 1 PAX WHO WAS A 900 PLUS HOUR PVT PLT, BUT WHO HAD NEVER FLOWN IN THE NEW YORK AREA BEFORE. AFTER THE FLT, HE MENTIONED THAT HE WAS NOT SURE WE HAD RECEIVED PROPER CLRNC TO ENTER THE CLASS B. I BELIEVED THAT INSTRUCTIONS TO PROCEED TO A PT (IN THIS CASE, ROOSEVELT ISLAND AND CENTRAL PARK) OR AN ALT (IN THIS CASE, 1500 FT MSL) WITHIN THE CLASS B CONSTITUTED CLRNC. I WAS ADVISED BY A TECHNICAL ADVISOR THAT A PROPER CLRNC IN THIS CASE SHOULD HAVE INCLUDED 'CLRED INTO CLASS B' OR WORDS TO THAT EFFECT. EITHER THE CTLR DID NOT SAY THAT, OR I DID NOT HEAR IT AND DID NOT ASK FOR CONFIRMATION.

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.