Narrative:

I was on an IFR flight plan from fmy to mky with a practice VOR runway 17 approach into mfy. We were vectored to cyy and, upon approaching cyy, told to descend from 3000 ft to 2500 ft and 'report established outbound from the VOR.' I had assumed, as did my cfii safety pilot, that that meant to do the procedure turn. After making the turn, the controller asked if I wanted to do the full approach. The controller was quite busy at the time so I simply said that I would. Actually, that opened the route for the controller to get a couple of jets into mky before me. At this time, my cfii safety pilot canceled IFR, but remained with flight following. The controller agreed and told us to continue on the approach. By this time we had completed the procedure turn and were back over cyy. My safety pilot suggested a descent to 2000 ft as the approach called for 1600 ft at this point. That's when the controller informed us that we entered naples class D airspace without permission and said that we were told to remain at 2500 ft. I immediately climbed back to 2500 ft. Soon after we were told to continue, radar terminated, squawk VFR and frequency change approved. We continued onto mky with no further incident. Several errors occurred: 1) I should've queried the controller on the request to confirm established outbound as the plate said not from that area (183 degrees from rsw). 2) I should not have followed directions from my safety pilot to descend without first asking permission as I knew cyy was on field at naples airport and we were in class D airspace. 3) even though my safety pilot is a cfii, he is not all that familiar with this area and our local lingo. 4) last, but not least, I need to listen to my instincts and not be afraid to ask for a clarification and the controller needs to clarify what's meant by 'outbound' from the VOR. Actually, I was expecting 'report established on the final approach course to marco.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 ON VFR VOR APCH TO MKY IS QUESTIONED BY ATC AFTER DSNDING INTO APF CLASS D AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM FMY TO MKY WITH A PRACTICE VOR RWY 17 APCH INTO MFY. WE WERE VECTORED TO CYY AND, UPON APCHING CYY, TOLD TO DSND FROM 3000 FT TO 2500 FT AND 'RPT ESTABLISHED OUTBOUND FROM THE VOR.' I HAD ASSUMED, AS DID MY CFII SAFETY PLT, THAT THAT MEANT TO DO THE PROC TURN. AFTER MAKING THE TURN, THE CTLR ASKED IF I WANTED TO DO THE FULL APCH. THE CTLR WAS QUITE BUSY AT THE TIME SO I SIMPLY SAID THAT I WOULD. ACTUALLY, THAT OPENED THE RTE FOR THE CTLR TO GET A COUPLE OF JETS INTO MKY BEFORE ME. AT THIS TIME, MY CFII SAFETY PLT CANCELED IFR, BUT REMAINED WITH FLT FOLLOWING. THE CTLR AGREED AND TOLD US TO CONTINUE ON THE APCH. BY THIS TIME WE HAD COMPLETED THE PROC TURN AND WERE BACK OVER CYY. MY SAFETY PLT SUGGESTED A DSCNT TO 2000 FT AS THE APCH CALLED FOR 1600 FT AT THIS POINT. THAT'S WHEN THE CTLR INFORMED US THAT WE ENTERED NAPLES CLASS D AIRSPACE WITHOUT PERMISSION AND SAID THAT WE WERE TOLD TO REMAIN AT 2500 FT. I IMMEDIATELY CLBED BACK TO 2500 FT. SOON AFTER WE WERE TOLD TO CONTINUE, RADAR TERMINATED, SQUAWK VFR AND FREQ CHANGE APPROVED. WE CONTINUED ONTO MKY WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. SEVERAL ERRORS OCCURRED: 1) I SHOULD'VE QUERIED THE CTLR ON THE REQUEST TO CONFIRM ESTABLISHED OUTBOUND AS THE PLATE SAID NOT FROM THAT AREA (183 DEGS FROM RSW). 2) I SHOULD NOT HAVE FOLLOWED DIRECTIONS FROM MY SAFETY PLT TO DSND WITHOUT FIRST ASKING PERMISSION AS I KNEW CYY WAS ON FIELD AT NAPLES ARPT AND WE WERE IN CLASS D AIRSPACE. 3) EVEN THOUGH MY SAFETY PLT IS A CFII, HE IS NOT ALL THAT FAMILIAR WITH THIS AREA AND OUR LCL LINGO. 4) LAST, BUT NOT LEAST, I NEED TO LISTEN TO MY INSTINCTS AND NOT BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR A CLARIFICATION AND THE CTLR NEEDS TO CLARIFY WHAT'S MEANT BY 'OUTBOUND' FROM THE VOR. ACTUALLY, I WAS EXPECTING 'RPT ESTABLISHED ON THE FINAL APCH COURSE TO MARCO.'

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.