Narrative:

I received WX briefing, NOTAMS along my route and the frequency for mcguire approach from FSS. I departed VFR from mmu to N14 cruising first at 2500 ft due to ewr class B airspace and at 4500 ft thereafter. I approached N14 from the north following the new jersey turnpike as a landmark and to remain in uncontrolled airspace. At about 10 NM north of N14, I began to check the WX to accurately adjust the altimeter. The transmission was not clear and I fixated so much into this task and the task of locating the airport, that I did not descend from 4500 ft until approximately 3 NM away from N14. The outer ring bottom of phl dictated 40 to 70 near N14. The outer ring of phl class B overlays near N14. The ring is not clearly marked as numerous airports are in this sector. Furthermore, the numbers dictating the bottom and ceiling are west of phl and, due to the congested area, these numbers are not clearly defined. Although the onboard LORAN did not issue a warning about the possible class B incursion, it is possible that, due to the inattn to landmark detail and my exact position, I might have been briefly inside the class B airspace if the bottom of the outer ring near N14 is 4000 ft MSL. On my return to mmu, I contacted ATC mcguire to obtain flight following to prevent this situation from happening again. Mcguire asked me to stand by. In the meantime, I tried to stay away from ttn class D, mcguire class D, and phl class B, and after several mins and contacting them again they issued a transponder code and asked to contact phl. Phl approach told me to contact new york approach and new york could not see me on radar but advised to remain at 3500 ft, issued a new transponder code, advised to stay with new york, that I was cleared through the class B airspace and that they'll see me on radar later. Over ttn, new york replied that they had me on radar. In range to mmu, the controller issued a descent clearance from 3500 ft to 2000 ft and to advise when field was in sight. I replied back stating 'leaving 3500 ft for 2000 ft and will report field in sight.' after 5 mins, the new york controller asked if I had the airport in sight and mentioned that he thought he cleared me to 3000 ft. I replied that the clearance was 3500 ft to 2000 ft and to report mmu in sight. I replied again that I had field in sight. He canceled radar services and handed me to mmu tower. Landed without a problem. To prevent the situation from happening again, I will maintain situational awareness at all times without fixating into a task. Better planning to have alternate frequencys to check for WX and multiple approach frequencys, to inquire with FSS about ceilings and bottom limits, if unsure for airspaces and obtain a clearance from approach to be sure of the unwanted incursion. The controller should be sure about the issued clrncs. I am very sure he issued a descent to 2000 ft, I read it back, and he did not issue a correction.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 PLT WAS ACCUSED BY N90 OF AN ALT OVERSHOOT, ALONG WITH PHL CLASS B PENETRATION.

Narrative: I RECEIVED WX BRIEFING, NOTAMS ALONG MY RTE AND THE FREQ FOR MCGUIRE APCH FROM FSS. I DEPARTED VFR FROM MMU TO N14 CRUISING FIRST AT 2500 FT DUE TO EWR CLASS B AIRSPACE AND AT 4500 FT THEREAFTER. I APCHED N14 FROM THE N FOLLOWING THE NEW JERSEY TURNPIKE AS A LANDMARK AND TO REMAIN IN UNCTLED AIRSPACE. AT ABOUT 10 NM N OF N14, I BEGAN TO CHK THE WX TO ACCURATELY ADJUST THE ALTIMETER. THE XMISSION WAS NOT CLR AND I FIXATED SO MUCH INTO THIS TASK AND THE TASK OF LOCATING THE ARPT, THAT I DID NOT DSND FROM 4500 FT UNTIL APPROX 3 NM AWAY FROM N14. THE OUTER RING BOTTOM OF PHL DICTATED 40 TO 70 NEAR N14. THE OUTER RING OF PHL CLASS B OVERLAYS NEAR N14. THE RING IS NOT CLRLY MARKED AS NUMEROUS ARPTS ARE IN THIS SECTOR. FURTHERMORE, THE NUMBERS DICTATING THE BOTTOM AND CEILING ARE W OF PHL AND, DUE TO THE CONGESTED AREA, THESE NUMBERS ARE NOT CLRLY DEFINED. ALTHOUGH THE ONBOARD LORAN DID NOT ISSUE A WARNING ABOUT THE POSSIBLE CLASS B INCURSION, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT, DUE TO THE INATTN TO LANDMARK DETAIL AND MY EXACT POS, I MIGHT HAVE BEEN BRIEFLY INSIDE THE CLASS B AIRSPACE IF THE BOTTOM OF THE OUTER RING NEAR N14 IS 4000 FT MSL. ON MY RETURN TO MMU, I CONTACTED ATC MCGUIRE TO OBTAIN FLT FOLLOWING TO PREVENT THIS SIT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. MCGUIRE ASKED ME TO STAND BY. IN THE MEANTIME, I TRIED TO STAY AWAY FROM TTN CLASS D, MCGUIRE CLASS D, AND PHL CLASS B, AND AFTER SEVERAL MINS AND CONTACTING THEM AGAIN THEY ISSUED A XPONDER CODE AND ASKED TO CONTACT PHL. PHL APCH TOLD ME TO CONTACT NEW YORK APCH AND NEW YORK COULD NOT SEE ME ON RADAR BUT ADVISED TO REMAIN AT 3500 FT, ISSUED A NEW XPONDER CODE, ADVISED TO STAY WITH NEW YORK, THAT I WAS CLRED THROUGH THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AND THAT THEY'LL SEE ME ON RADAR LATER. OVER TTN, NEW YORK REPLIED THAT THEY HAD ME ON RADAR. IN RANGE TO MMU, THE CTLR ISSUED A DSCNT CLRNC FROM 3500 FT TO 2000 FT AND TO ADVISE WHEN FIELD WAS IN SIGHT. I REPLIED BACK STATING 'LEAVING 3500 FT FOR 2000 FT AND WILL RPT FIELD IN SIGHT.' AFTER 5 MINS, THE NEW YORK CTLR ASKED IF I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND MENTIONED THAT HE THOUGHT HE CLRED ME TO 3000 FT. I REPLIED THAT THE CLRNC WAS 3500 FT TO 2000 FT AND TO RPT MMU IN SIGHT. I REPLIED AGAIN THAT I HAD FIELD IN SIGHT. HE CANCELED RADAR SVCS AND HANDED ME TO MMU TWR. LANDED WITHOUT A PROB. TO PREVENT THE SIT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN, I WILL MAINTAIN SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AT ALL TIMES WITHOUT FIXATING INTO A TASK. BETTER PLANNING TO HAVE ALTERNATE FREQS TO CHK FOR WX AND MULTIPLE APCH FREQS, TO INQUIRE WITH FSS ABOUT CEILINGS AND BOTTOM LIMITS, IF UNSURE FOR AIRSPACES AND OBTAIN A CLRNC FROM APCH TO BE SURE OF THE UNWANTED INCURSION. THE CTLR SHOULD BE SURE ABOUT THE ISSUED CLRNCS. I AM VERY SURE HE ISSUED A DSCNT TO 2000 FT, I READ IT BACK, AND HE DID NOT ISSUE A CORRECTION.

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.