Narrative:

On apr/wed/03, at about XA15 pm I took off from republic airport (frg) on long island after an FSS briefing for a solo VFR training flight to stewart airport (swf). Stewart is located about 50 NM north of new york city. My intention was to fly to stewart, do some touch-and-goes, and return. My route took me over long island sound and the lower portion of new york state. For the trip to stewart, new york class B airspace westchester county airport class D airspace was to be to my left (west) and danbury airport class D airspace was to be to my right (east). My first visual waypoint was a group of islands off the south shore of connecticut north of republic airport. Unfortunately, I mistook another group of islands for this waypoint and flew further west than I intended into new york class B airspace. My planned altitude was 4500 ft MSL, and I was at about 3500 ft MSL when the incident occurred. (The base of the class B airspace in this area is 3000 ft MSL.) after leaving republic airport I attempted to contact new york approach on 126.95 for VFR flight following. I waited a few moments and heard no communications on that frequency. Then, concluding I had the wrong frequency, I tried 125.7 and was successful. They gave me a squawk code and then xferred me to another frequency. The call up of this new frequency was most unusual. They asked me to verify my altitude, and then told me they had been trying to reach me for some time. They continued that I had violated laguardia airspace and that they had had to reroute several planes en route to la guardia to avoid me. (This was the first point at which I realized that I had made a mistake in navigation, although I had seen several jets around me, which was a bit out of the ordinary. Indeed, I had had to maneuver to avoid 1 plane on a reciprocal heading, which I later figured out was departing from westchester country airport.) I apologized over the air, and they then told me to remain at 3500 ft and to fly direct to stewart, which I did with no further incidents. Lessons learned: 1) study the appropriate chart(south) closely to identify potential problems before every flight, even flts I have flown before and I think I know, and 2) stay well clear of or below the class B airspace west of republic airport unless I have permission to enter.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PLT INADVERTENTLY FLIES INTO NEW YORK CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ON APR/WED/03, AT ABOUT XA15 PM I TOOK OFF FROM REPUBLIC ARPT (FRG) ON LONG ISLAND AFTER AN FSS BRIEFING FOR A SOLO VFR TRAINING FLT TO STEWART ARPT (SWF). STEWART IS LOCATED ABOUT 50 NM N OF NEW YORK CITY. MY INTENTION WAS TO FLY TO STEWART, DO SOME TOUCH-AND-GOES, AND RETURN. MY RTE TOOK ME OVER LONG ISLAND SOUND AND THE LOWER PORTION OF NEW YORK STATE. FOR THE TRIP TO STEWART, NEW YORK CLASS B AIRSPACE WESTCHESTER COUNTY ARPT CLASS D AIRSPACE WAS TO BE TO MY L (W) AND DANBURY ARPT CLASS D AIRSPACE WAS TO BE TO MY R (E). MY FIRST VISUAL WAYPOINT WAS A GROUP OF ISLANDS OFF THE S SHORE OF CONNECTICUT N OF REPUBLIC ARPT. UNFORTUNATELY, I MISTOOK ANOTHER GROUP OF ISLANDS FOR THIS WAYPOINT AND FLEW FURTHER W THAN I INTENDED INTO NEW YORK CLASS B AIRSPACE. MY PLANNED ALT WAS 4500 FT MSL, AND I WAS AT ABOUT 3500 FT MSL WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. (THE BASE OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE IN THIS AREA IS 3000 FT MSL.) AFTER LEAVING REPUBLIC ARPT I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT NEW YORK APCH ON 126.95 FOR VFR FLT FOLLOWING. I WAITED A FEW MOMENTS AND HEARD NO COMS ON THAT FREQ. THEN, CONCLUDING I HAD THE WRONG FREQ, I TRIED 125.7 AND WAS SUCCESSFUL. THEY GAVE ME A SQUAWK CODE AND THEN XFERRED ME TO ANOTHER FREQ. THE CALL UP OF THIS NEW FREQ WAS MOST UNUSUAL. THEY ASKED ME TO VERIFY MY ALT, AND THEN TOLD ME THEY HAD BEEN TRYING TO REACH ME FOR SOME TIME. THEY CONTINUED THAT I HAD VIOLATED LAGUARDIA AIRSPACE AND THAT THEY HAD HAD TO REROUTE SEVERAL PLANES ENRTE TO LA GUARDIA TO AVOID ME. (THIS WAS THE FIRST POINT AT WHICH I REALIZED THAT I HAD MADE A MISTAKE IN NAV, ALTHOUGH I HAD SEEN SEVERAL JETS AROUND ME, WHICH WAS A BIT OUT OF THE ORDINARY. INDEED, I HAD HAD TO MANEUVER TO AVOID 1 PLANE ON A RECIPROCAL HEADING, WHICH I LATER FIGURED OUT WAS DEPARTING FROM WESTCHESTER COUNTRY ARPT.) I APOLOGIZED OVER THE AIR, AND THEY THEN TOLD ME TO REMAIN AT 3500 FT AND TO FLY DIRECT TO STEWART, WHICH I DID WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENTS. LESSONS LEARNED: 1) STUDY THE APPROPRIATE CHART(S) CLOSELY TO IDENT POTENTIAL PROBS BEFORE EVERY FLT, EVEN FLTS I HAVE FLOWN BEFORE AND I THINK I KNOW, AND 2) STAY WELL CLR OF OR BELOW THE CLASS B AIRSPACE W OF REPUBLIC ARPT UNLESS I HAVE PERMISSION TO ENTER.

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.