Narrative:

I think, though I'm still not sure, that I violated an enhanced class B. I was on flight from 3b1 in maine to smq in nj. My home field is mmu in nj, but I believed I couldn't fly to it because it underlies the ny class B and because of the VFR restrs in the enhanced class B. I got an FSS briefing and was told the VFR class B restrs were indeed still in effect. I filed and opened a flight plan with bangor. I used flight following all the way and hence had a squawk code when I arrived in the ny area. In the final handoff to ny approach, I was cleared to enter the class B direct to mmu and to descend from 4500 ft to 3500 ft. This was strange to me since mmu wasn't my destination. I told the controller that I was VFR, that my destination was smq, but that if VFR flight was now allowed through the class B, I would go to mmu. He stated that it was allowed and that he had indeed cleared me to mmu. I accepted the clearance and when the airport was in sight, I was directed to contact the tower. I did and mmu tower controller told me that since he had been on shift, anyone with a squawk was allowed through. I returned home and looked up the NOTAMS. I could find none that applied, so I called FSS and explained what had happened and asked if I have missed or misunderstood a NOTAM. He said I got lucky, but that I was strictly in violation. However, he said that he would call up ny center and see what was happening. At least three mistakes happened if this was indeed a violation: 1) I should have stuck with the NOTAMS I read and not accepted the clearance. I did it mostly because, with the rules changing so often, I assumed I missed one or that they changed while I was in the air. I also assumed ATC had more current information than I did. A bad assumption. 2) the controller shouldn't have thought that I was going to mmu. I believe that mistake was because a previous controller, I believe bdl approach, made the mistake. He asked me my final destination. I said somerset, nj, smq. He couldn't find it and asked me for something bigger that was nearby. I told him mmu. Mmu must have been relayed along as my destination rather than smq. 3) the mmu controller, seeing both my destination as mmu and that I had a squawk, must have assumed that I fell into one of the many VFR categories allowed to fly in the class B. My surprise at the clearance should have clued him of something wrong but, given that I was happy to go to mmu, he let it go. However, the biggest problem may be the ambiguity and constant rule changing following the terrorist attacks. The FAA needs a better and clrer way to disseminate information. NOTAMS only work when the time between changes is less than the length of a flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 PLT DEPS 3BI ENRTE SMQ, AND RECEIVES INCORRECT ATC INFO ALONG THE WAY, AND ALLOWED TO LAND AT MMU.

Narrative: I THINK, THOUGH I'M STILL NOT SURE, THAT I VIOLATED AN ENHANCED CLASS B. I WAS ON FLT FROM 3B1 IN MAINE TO SMQ IN NJ. MY HOME FIELD IS MMU IN NJ, BUT I BELIEVED I COULDN'T FLY TO IT BECAUSE IT UNDERLIES THE NY CLASS B AND BECAUSE OF THE VFR RESTRS IN THE ENHANCED CLASS B. I GOT AN FSS BRIEFING AND WAS TOLD THE VFR CLASS B RESTRS WERE INDEED STILL IN EFFECT. I FILED AND OPENED A FLT PLAN WITH BANGOR. I USED FLT FOLLOWING ALL THE WAY AND HENCE HAD A SQUAWK CODE WHEN I ARRIVED IN THE NY AREA. IN THE FINAL HANDOFF TO NY APCH, I WAS CLRED TO ENTER THE CLASS B DIRECT TO MMU AND TO DESCEND FROM 4500 FT TO 3500 FT. THIS WAS STRANGE TO ME SINCE MMU WASN'T MY DEST. I TOLD THE CTLR THAT I WAS VFR, THAT MY DEST WAS SMQ, BUT THAT IF VFR FLT WAS NOW ALLOWED THROUGH THE CLASS B, I WOULD GO TO MMU. HE STATED THAT IT WAS ALLOWED AND THAT HE HAD INDEED CLRED ME TO MMU. I ACCEPTED THE CLRNC AND WHEN THE ARPT WAS IN SIGHT, I WAS DIRECTED TO CONTACT THE TWR. I DID AND MMU TOWER CTLR TOLD ME THAT SINCE HE HAD BEEN ON SHIFT, ANYONE WITH A SQUAWK WAS ALLOWED THROUGH. I RETURNED HOME AND LOOKED UP THE NOTAMS. I COULD FIND NONE THAT APPLIED, SO I CALLED FSS AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND ASKED IF I HAVE MISSED OR MISUNDERSTOOD A NOTAM. HE SAID I GOT LUCKY, BUT THAT I WAS STRICTLY IN VIOLATION. HOWEVER, HE SAID THAT HE WOULD CALL UP NY CENTER AND SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING. AT LEAST THREE MISTAKES HAPPENED IF THIS WAS INDEED A VIOLATION: 1) I SHOULD HAVE STUCK WITH THE NOTAMS I READ AND NOT ACCEPTED THE CLRNC. I DID IT MOSTLY BECAUSE, WITH THE RULES CHANGING SO OFTEN, I ASSUMED I MISSED ONE OR THAT THEY CHANGED WHILE I WAS IN THE AIR. I ALSO ASSUMED ATC HAD MORE CURRENT INFO THAN I DID. A BAD ASSUMPTION. 2) THE CTLR SHOULDN'T HAVE THOUGHT THAT I WAS GOING TO MMU. I BELIEVE THAT MISTAKE WAS BECAUSE A PREVIOUS CTLR, I BELIEVE BDL APPROACH, MADE THE MISTAKE. HE ASKED ME MY FINAL DEST. I SAID SOMERSET, NJ, SMQ. HE COULDN'T FIND IT AND ASKED ME FOR SOMETHING BIGGER THAT WAS NEARBY. I TOLD HIM MMU. MMU MUST HAVE BEEN RELAYED ALONG AS MY DEST RATHER THAN SMQ. 3) THE MMU CTLR, SEEING BOTH MY DEST AS MMU AND THAT I HAD A SQUAWK, MUST HAVE ASSUMED THAT I FELL INTO ONE OF THE MANY VFR CATEGORIES ALLOWED TO FLY IN THE CLASS B. MY SURPRISE AT THE CLRNC SHOULD HAVE CLUED HIM OF SOMETHING WRONG BUT, GIVEN THAT I WAS HAPPY TO GO TO MMU, HE LET IT GO. HOWEVER, THE BIGGEST PROB MAY BE THE AMBIGUITY AND CONSTANT RULE CHANGING FOLLOWING THE TERRORIST ATTACKS. THE FAA NEEDS A BETTER AND CLRER WAY TO DISSEMINATE INFO. NOTAMS ONLY WORK WHEN THE TIME BETWEEN CHANGES IS LESS THAN THE LENGTH OF A FLT.

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.