Narrative:

Lga approach instructed us to fly visually toward the bridge (which is south of the statue of liberty), and then follow the hudson river north, for vectors to lda-a to runway 22. We made the mistake of flying the river to the right of manhattan island instead of the left. While on our flight path, lga approach said the hudson river was to our left and then told us to fly from our present heading of 045 degrees to 040 degrees for vectors to lda-a to runway 22. I believe our mistake occurred because we had not previously flown into lga via the hudson river. In addition, at the time we were being vectored, we only had in view the approach plate for lda-a to runway 22. This plate does not specifically label the hudson river.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC DIRECTED BY TRACON TO NAV VISUALLY BECAME DISORIENTED AND FLEW TO INCORRECT TRACK.

Narrative: LGA APCH INSTRUCTED US TO FLY VISUALLY TOWARD THE BRIDGE (WHICH IS S OF THE STATUE OF LIBERTY), AND THEN FOLLOW THE HUDSON RIVER N, FOR VECTORS TO LDA-A TO RWY 22. WE MADE THE MISTAKE OF FLYING THE RIVER TO THE R OF MANHATTAN ISLAND INSTEAD OF THE L. WHILE ON OUR FLT PATH, LGA APCH SAID THE HUDSON RIVER WAS TO OUR L AND THEN TOLD US TO FLY FROM OUR PRESENT HDG OF 045 DEGS TO 040 DEGS FOR VECTORS TO LDA-A TO RWY 22. I BELIEVE OUR MISTAKE OCCURRED BECAUSE WE HAD NOT PREVIOUSLY FLOWN INTO LGA VIA THE HUDSON RIVER. IN ADDITION, AT THE TIME WE WERE BEING VECTORED, WE ONLY HAD IN VIEW THE APCH PLATE FOR LDA-A TO RWY 22. THIS PLATE DOES NOT SPECIFICALLY LABEL THE HUDSON RIVER.

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.