Narrative:

We departed teb xb am local, en route hto for landing at east hampton. I was in the right seat as CFI, the student in left seat for her third dual x-country, prior to x-country sign off. I pride myself on giving clear TCA avoidance training to students, so it is with some chagrin I admit to possibly entering TCA space west/O permission. The key issue for me is nonetheless I am not sure an incursion occurred. I should be. We proceeded east over the hudson at 1000' (ie, below TCA at 1100') to pass gwb, heading north, climbed to 1400' (below TCA at 1500'); tuned and idented CCC R290 and began tracking inbound. I used this right to assure control zone avoidance at westchester, and TCA avoidance at lga. Interception of this right allows climb to 2900' (below TCA at 3000'). However, the student tracked right of course 2 1/2 dots, so at 200'/DOT/NM, that put us about 4 NM south of desired track or perhaps back into the TCA section northeast lga with a base of 1500'. I immediately upon this realization directed student to turn left to reintercept CCC R290 and track inbound we were climbing out of 2000' to 2900'. Now here's my safety issue. I let myself be distraction by the possible incursion into the TCA, so I directed my attention to the right side of the craft to identify landmarks to ascertain my exact position. Meanwhile we had arrived south of westchester co and a heavy aircraft was above and to the left hidden by the left high wing from the student. We were level at 2900' (below TCA at 3000'). I took the craft over, descended right to assure adequate clearance. The rest of the flight proceeded quite well, and I debriefed the student about this event immediately upon landing at east hampton. She was sure we hadn't entered TCA; but I wasn't and let myself be distraction in any case from primary see and avoid issues. Teaching primary students can be a workload of its own. Combine that with TCA avoidance, and anti-collision avoidance in a busy airspace and I realize there are safety issues I had not explored before. In the future, I will be more specific about pt to pt ground chkpoints to assure TCA avoidance rather than radial track avoidance alone. I will use DME-arc information. I will not let nothing distraction me from primary see and avoid concerns. I will use flight following as available in all congested areas, and teach my students more clearly its uses (even if students cannot request entry they will later!) I will share this experience with my students to increase their diligence and help them realize possible sources of distraction from safety issues. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter questions that he was actually in the TCA. No follow-up from controller and the FAA has not been contacted. Was distraction during the incursion explaining to the student the proper method of intercepting a radial. Air carrier traffic was really not a factor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INADVERTENT PENTRATION OF TCA ON DUAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLT.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED TEB XB AM LCL, ENRTE HTO FOR LNDG AT E HAMPTON. I WAS IN THE R SEAT AS CFI, THE STUDENT IN L SEAT FOR HER THIRD DUAL X-COUNTRY, PRIOR TO X-COUNTRY SIGN OFF. I PRIDE MYSELF ON GIVING CLR TCA AVOIDANCE TRNING TO STUDENTS, SO IT IS WITH SOME CHAGRIN I ADMIT TO POSSIBLY ENTERING TCA SPACE W/O PERMISSION. THE KEY ISSUE FOR ME IS NONETHELESS I AM NOT SURE AN INCURSION OCCURRED. I SHOULD BE. WE PROCEEDED E OVER THE HUDSON AT 1000' (IE, BELOW TCA AT 1100') TO PASS GWB, HDG N, CLBED TO 1400' (BELOW TCA AT 1500'); TUNED AND IDENTED CCC R290 AND BEGAN TRACKING INBND. I USED THIS R TO ASSURE CTL ZONE AVOIDANCE AT WESTCHESTER, AND TCA AVOIDANCE AT LGA. INTERCEPTION OF THIS R ALLOWS CLB TO 2900' (BELOW TCA AT 3000'). HOWEVER, THE STUDENT TRACKED R OF COURSE 2 1/2 DOTS, SO AT 200'/DOT/NM, THAT PUT US ABOUT 4 NM S OF DESIRED TRACK OR PERHAPS BACK INTO THE TCA SECTION NE LGA WITH A BASE OF 1500'. I IMMEDIATELY UPON THIS REALIZATION DIRECTED STUDENT TO TURN L TO REINTERCEPT CCC R290 AND TRACK INBND WE WERE CLBING OUT OF 2000' TO 2900'. NOW HERE'S MY SAFETY ISSUE. I LET MYSELF BE DISTR BY THE POSSIBLE INCURSION INTO THE TCA, SO I DIRECTED MY ATTN TO THE R SIDE OF THE CRAFT TO IDENT LANDMARKS TO ASCERTAIN MY EXACT POS. MEANWHILE WE HAD ARRIVED S OF WESTCHESTER CO AND A HVY ACFT WAS ABOVE AND TO THE L HIDDEN BY THE L HIGH WING FROM THE STUDENT. WE WERE LEVEL AT 2900' (BELOW TCA AT 3000'). I TOOK THE CRAFT OVER, DSNDED R TO ASSURE ADEQUATE CLRNC. THE REST OF THE FLT PROCEEDED QUITE WELL, AND I DEBRIEFED THE STUDENT ABOUT THIS EVENT IMMEDIATELY UPON LNDG AT EAST HAMPTON. SHE WAS SURE WE HADN'T ENTERED TCA; BUT I WASN'T AND LET MYSELF BE DISTR IN ANY CASE FROM PRIMARY SEE AND AVOID ISSUES. TEACHING PRIMARY STUDENTS CAN BE A WORKLOAD OF ITS OWN. COMBINE THAT WITH TCA AVOIDANCE, AND ANTI-COLLISION AVOIDANCE IN A BUSY AIRSPACE AND I REALIZE THERE ARE SAFETY ISSUES I HAD NOT EXPLORED BEFORE. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL BE MORE SPECIFIC ABOUT PT TO PT GND CHKPOINTS TO ASSURE TCA AVOIDANCE RATHER THAN RADIAL TRACK AVOIDANCE ALONE. I WILL USE DME-ARC INFO. I WILL NOT LET NOTHING DISTR ME FROM PRIMARY SEE AND AVOID CONCERNS. I WILL USE FLT FOLLOWING AS AVAILABLE IN ALL CONGESTED AREAS, AND TEACH MY STUDENTS MORE CLRLY ITS USES (EVEN IF STUDENTS CANNOT REQUEST ENTRY THEY WILL LATER!) I WILL SHARE THIS EXPERIENCE WITH MY STUDENTS TO INCREASE THEIR DILIGENCE AND HELP THEM REALIZE POSSIBLE SOURCES OF DISTR FROM SAFETY ISSUES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR QUESTIONS THAT HE WAS ACTUALLY IN THE TCA. NO FOLLOW-UP FROM CTLR AND THE FAA HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. WAS DISTR DURING THE INCURSION EXPLAINING TO THE STUDENT THE PROPER METHOD OF INTERCEPTING A RADIAL. ACR TFC WAS REALLY NOT A FACTOR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.