Narrative:

We departed hanscom at approximately XA00 on a VFR student cross country instructional flight between new bedford-hartford-bedford. During our departure, we were on tower frequency (118.5). The tower cleared us for a left turn departure from runway 29. The student was on his second dual cross country, had approximately 35 hours toward his private certificate was an above average performer, and was busy flying the plane and handling the radio and navigation tasks (subjects to my responsibility). Prior to our departure to new bedford, we discussed adjusting my student's heading to the west in order to stay past the 15 mi belt of boston's class B airspace. His first departure chkpoint was norwood memorial airport. As we sighted and ultimately came closer to the field, west of the needham towers, it became evident that our course had drifted easterly. As a result, I asked the student to correct toward the west and route 495. In retrospect, it is quite possible that the prevailing winds in combination with diverted attention were contributing factors to the drift. During this time, the student called bridgeport radio (122.4) to activate his flight plan. Next he called bos departure control on 124.4, but was unable to raise them. At this point, we were rapidly approaching norwood. Our altitude was 2800 ft MSL and it appeared to me that we would pass 2 mi west of the field. I suggested he call norwood tower to advise them of our location and intention to pass through the area. He tried twice without success. I recall that the frequency was quite busy and believe they were managing traffic in the pattern. By then we passed norwood and were on course to mansfield (1b9). From the time we departed bedford until exiting the class B airspace, we were squawking the assigned code. Upon exiting class B airspace, we went to 1200 ft. During the roughly 10 min flight from our departure at hanscom through passing norwood, were in communication with hanscom tower, bridgeport radio, once attempted to contact bos departure, and twice attempted to contact norwood tower. After exiting the class B airspace, we contacted the new bedford ATIS and then new bedford tower. It should be noted that our aircraft was only equipped with one navigation/communication (no DME, GPS or ADF). When we contacted new bedford tower, they said to call bos departure upon landing. I was given their telephone number by ground control and called immediately. It was at this time I learned they had been trying to contact us during our flight, without success. Apparently, they had asked norwood to contact us as well and tried us on 121.5. The gentleman I spoke with said that I should have exited class B airspace as soon as practicable, directly west or northwest. I apologized for causing a problem, and mentioned that I normally did exit directly. I added that I could not understand why norwood tower was unable to raise us, since we could hear them clearly and tried to contact them twice without success. Understanding the importance and pressure on bos departure to positively control all traffic in class B airspace, I did not feel it was appropriate for me to raise any questions on the phone from new bedford or to be perceived as excusing or justifying my actions. I simply explained, to my best recollection, what had transpired during our flight. I can certainly appreciate departure control's concern, especially considering they could not contact us. It is still unclr to me why norwood was unable to raise us (maybe it was timing, or possibly they tried to reach us after we had passed their area and switched to new bedford ATIS). The gentleman from departure control also mentioned that they had tried to raise us on 121.5, however, with only 1 radio on either hanscom tower (118.5), bridgeport radio, bos departure and norwood tower (126.0) it is possible that we were unable to monitor 121.5 at the time they called. Upon returning and landing at hanscom, ground control asked me to telephone the tower. I did, and explained what happened, but not as clearly or in as much detail as I have done in this report. In retrospect, we were approved for a left turn out of the traffic pattern. My perspective at the time was that since we were squawking XXXX and under radar and radio contact for approximately the first 10 mins of flight through our first chkpoint (norwood), and that we were not redirected, that we were ok. This was also reinforced by the fact that we did not see any conflicting traffic, nor were we notified of any. In closing, if I violated any FARS or airspace restrs, it was certainly inadvertent and occurred while carrying out my responsibilities as a flight instructor and at the same time trying to maintain collision avoidance responsibilities as a flight instructor and at the same time trying to maintain collision avoidance responsibilities. However, I do realize that this caused a potential safety concern to bos departure, especially in light of the events from sep/tue/01 and regret any hardship or inconvenience this may have caused. Within the next couple of days, I plan to visit the local FSDO office to discuss contributing factors, corrective actions and performance considerations as appropriate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT ENTERED BOS CLASS B AIRSPACE AND EWB CLASS D AIRSPACE WITHOUT GETTING CLRNC.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED HANSCOM AT APPROX XA00 ON A VFR STUDENT XCOUNTRY INSTRUCTIONAL FLT BTWN NEW BEDFORD-HARTFORD-BEDFORD. DURING OUR DEP, WE WERE ON TWR FREQ (118.5). THE TWR CLRED US FOR A L TURN DEP FROM RWY 29. THE STUDENT WAS ON HIS SECOND DUAL XCOUNTRY, HAD APPROX 35 HRS TOWARD HIS PVT CERTIFICATE WAS AN ABOVE AVERAGE PERFORMER, AND WAS BUSY FLYING THE PLANE AND HANDLING THE RADIO AND NAV TASKS (SUBJECTS TO MY RESPONSIBILITY). PRIOR TO OUR DEP TO NEW BEDFORD, WE DISCUSSED ADJUSTING MY STUDENT'S HDG TO THE W IN ORDER TO STAY PAST THE 15 MI BELT OF BOSTON'S CLASS B AIRSPACE. HIS FIRST DEP CHKPOINT WAS NORWOOD MEMORIAL ARPT. AS WE SIGHTED AND ULTIMATELY CAME CLOSER TO THE FIELD, W OF THE NEEDHAM TWRS, IT BECAME EVIDENT THAT OUR COURSE HAD DRIFTED EASTERLY. AS A RESULT, I ASKED THE STUDENT TO CORRECT TOWARD THE W AND RTE 495. IN RETROSPECT, IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE THAT THE PREVAILING WINDS IN COMBINATION WITH DIVERTED ATTN WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE DRIFT. DURING THIS TIME, THE STUDENT CALLED BRIDGEPORT RADIO (122.4) TO ACTIVATE HIS FLT PLAN. NEXT HE CALLED BOS DEP CTL ON 124.4, BUT WAS UNABLE TO RAISE THEM. AT THIS POINT, WE WERE RAPIDLY APCHING NORWOOD. OUR ALT WAS 2800 FT MSL AND IT APPEARED TO ME THAT WE WOULD PASS 2 MI W OF THE FIELD. I SUGGESTED HE CALL NORWOOD TWR TO ADVISE THEM OF OUR LOCATION AND INTENTION TO PASS THROUGH THE AREA. HE TRIED TWICE WITHOUT SUCCESS. I RECALL THAT THE FREQ WAS QUITE BUSY AND BELIEVE THEY WERE MANAGING TFC IN THE PATTERN. BY THEN WE PASSED NORWOOD AND WERE ON COURSE TO MANSFIELD (1B9). FROM THE TIME WE DEPARTED BEDFORD UNTIL EXITING THE CLASS B AIRSPACE, WE WERE SQUAWKING THE ASSIGNED CODE. UPON EXITING CLASS B AIRSPACE, WE WENT TO 1200 FT. DURING THE ROUGHLY 10 MIN FLT FROM OUR DEP AT HANSCOM THROUGH PASSING NORWOOD, WERE IN COM WITH HANSCOM TWR, BRIDGEPORT RADIO, ONCE ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT BOS DEP, AND TWICE ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT NORWOOD TWR. AFTER EXITING THE CLASS B AIRSPACE, WE CONTACTED THE NEW BEDFORD ATIS AND THEN NEW BEDFORD TWR. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT OUR ACFT WAS ONLY EQUIPPED WITH ONE NAV/COM (NO DME, GPS OR ADF). WHEN WE CONTACTED NEW BEDFORD TWR, THEY SAID TO CALL BOS DEP UPON LNDG. I WAS GIVEN THEIR TELEPHONE NUMBER BY GND CTL AND CALLED IMMEDIATELY. IT WAS AT THIS TIME I LEARNED THEY HAD BEEN TRYING TO CONTACT US DURING OUR FLT, WITHOUT SUCCESS. APPARENTLY, THEY HAD ASKED NORWOOD TO CONTACT US AS WELL AND TRIED US ON 121.5. THE GENTLEMAN I SPOKE WITH SAID THAT I SHOULD HAVE EXITED CLASS B AIRSPACE AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE, DIRECTLY W OR NW. I APOLOGIZED FOR CAUSING A PROB, AND MENTIONED THAT I NORMALLY DID EXIT DIRECTLY. I ADDED THAT I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY NORWOOD TWR WAS UNABLE TO RAISE US, SINCE WE COULD HEAR THEM CLRLY AND TRIED TO CONTACT THEM TWICE WITHOUT SUCCESS. UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE AND PRESSURE ON BOS DEP TO POSITIVELY CTL ALL TFC IN CLASS B AIRSPACE, I DID NOT FEEL IT WAS APPROPRIATE FOR ME TO RAISE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE PHONE FROM NEW BEDFORD OR TO BE PERCEIVED AS EXCUSING OR JUSTIFYING MY ACTIONS. I SIMPLY EXPLAINED, TO MY BEST RECOLLECTION, WHAT HAD TRANSPIRED DURING OUR FLT. I CAN CERTAINLY APPRECIATE DEP CTL'S CONCERN, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THEY COULD NOT CONTACT US. IT IS STILL UNCLR TO ME WHY NORWOOD WAS UNABLE TO RAISE US (MAYBE IT WAS TIMING, OR POSSIBLY THEY TRIED TO REACH US AFTER WE HAD PASSED THEIR AREA AND SWITCHED TO NEW BEDFORD ATIS). THE GENTLEMAN FROM DEP CTL ALSO MENTIONED THAT THEY HAD TRIED TO RAISE US ON 121.5, HOWEVER, WITH ONLY 1 RADIO ON EITHER HANSCOM TWR (118.5), BRIDGEPORT RADIO, BOS DEP AND NORWOOD TWR (126.0) IT IS POSSIBLE THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO MONITOR 121.5 AT THE TIME THEY CALLED. UPON RETURNING AND LNDG AT HANSCOM, GND CTL ASKED ME TO TELEPHONE THE TWR. I DID, AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED, BUT NOT AS CLRLY OR IN AS MUCH DETAIL AS I HAVE DONE IN THIS RPT. IN RETROSPECT, WE WERE APPROVED FOR A L TURN OUT OF THE TFC PATTERN. MY PERSPECTIVE AT THE TIME WAS THAT SINCE WE WERE SQUAWKING XXXX AND UNDER RADAR AND RADIO CONTACT FOR APPROX THE FIRST 10 MINS OF FLT THROUGH OUR FIRST CHKPOINT (NORWOOD), AND THAT WE WERE NOT REDIRECTED, THAT WE WERE OK. THIS WAS ALSO REINFORCED BY THE FACT THAT WE DID NOT SEE ANY CONFLICTING TFC, NOR WERE WE NOTIFIED OF ANY. IN CLOSING, IF I VIOLATED ANY FARS OR AIRSPACE RESTRS, IT WAS CERTAINLY INADVERTENT AND OCCURRED WHILE CARRYING OUT MY RESPONSIBILITIES AS A FLT INSTRUCTOR AND AT THE SAME TIME TRYING TO MAINTAIN COLLISION AVOIDANCE RESPONSIBILITIES AS A FLT INSTRUCTOR AND AT THE SAME TIME TRYING TO MAINTAIN COLLISION AVOIDANCE RESPONSIBILITIES. HOWEVER, I DO REALIZE THAT THIS CAUSED A POTENTIAL SAFETY CONCERN TO BOS DEP, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE EVENTS FROM SEP/TUE/01 AND REGRET ANY HARDSHIP OR INCONVENIENCE THIS MAY HAVE CAUSED. WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, I PLAN TO VISIT THE LCL FSDO OFFICE TO DISCUSS CONTRIBUTING FACTORS, CORRECTIVE ACTIONS AND PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS AS APPROPRIATE.

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.