Narrative:

I took off from somerset airport (N-52), somerset, nj, for destination islip, long island at approximately XA45 EST. The WX was clear with unlimited visibility. It was a beautiful sat morning. I had originally planned to go through the TCA working with ny approach control. The frequency (128.55) was so busy, I gave up after repeated calls and decided to avoid the TCA, stay below 3000' under the outer section of the 'upside wedding cake.' my route of flight took me northeast to the hudson river just south of the tappan-zee bridge. From that point southeast (about 120 degrees) to keep westchester airport off to my left and la guardia airport well off to my right. I stayed closer to westchester and monitored a couple of different frequencys (lga tower 118.7, westchester tower 119.7, and lga departure 120.4). I could see westchester airport very clearly. I was at 1800' MSL and judged myself to be south of the air traffic area. I was transmitting code 1200 with mode C on my transponder. There is no VOR DME located at westchester and I apparently misjudged my distance from the field and must have violated that airspace. I was told to call them after landing at islip. This area is a mix of general aviation VFR traffic and lga departures and arrs. My thoughts on flying through such an area west/O control is to stay well below the floor of the TCA, squawk 1200 mode C so the controling agencies know where you are, monitor appropriate frequencys and keep your head on a swivel for traffic. That's what I was doing when I apparently misjudged my distance from westchester. I think a single pilot operation mandates a great deal of look-see effort and I did just that. The wiser decision would have been to avoid the TCA boundary completely at a higher altitude. It is time consuming and gets me higher than I want to be on a short trip, but it affords greater protection of a recurrence of this type. My next trip will be planned as such! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: hpn tower requested reporter name and certificate number. No indication a violation was to be filed. Has heard nothing further. Aircraft he was flying did not have DME equipment for a check off lga. In the future plans to be more careful reference his pilotage.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PENETRATED ATA WITHOUT CLRNC ON VFR FLT.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF FROM SOMERSET ARPT (N-52), SOMERSET, NJ, FOR DEST ISLIP, LONG ISLAND AT APPROX XA45 EST. THE WX WAS CLR WITH UNLIMITED VIS. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL SAT MORNING. I HAD ORIGINALLY PLANNED TO GO THROUGH THE TCA WORKING WITH NY APCH CTL. THE FREQ (128.55) WAS SO BUSY, I GAVE UP AFTER REPEATED CALLS AND DECIDED TO AVOID THE TCA, STAY BELOW 3000' UNDER THE OUTER SECTION OF THE 'UPSIDE WEDDING CAKE.' MY ROUTE OF FLT TOOK ME NE TO THE HUDSON RIVER JUST S OF THE TAPPAN-ZEE BRIDGE. FROM THAT POINT SE (ABOUT 120 DEGS) TO KEEP WESTCHESTER ARPT OFF TO MY LEFT AND LA GUARDIA ARPT WELL OFF TO MY RIGHT. I STAYED CLOSER TO WESTCHESTER AND MONITORED A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT FREQS (LGA TWR 118.7, WESTCHESTER TWR 119.7, AND LGA DEP 120.4). I COULD SEE WESTCHESTER ARPT VERY CLEARLY. I WAS AT 1800' MSL AND JUDGED MYSELF TO BE S OF THE ATA. I WAS XMITTING CODE 1200 WITH MODE C ON MY TRANSPONDER. THERE IS NO VOR DME LOCATED AT WESTCHESTER AND I APPARENTLY MISJUDGED MY DISTANCE FROM THE FIELD AND MUST HAVE VIOLATED THAT AIRSPACE. I WAS TOLD TO CALL THEM AFTER LNDG AT ISLIP. THIS AREA IS A MIX OF GENERAL AVIATION VFR TFC AND LGA DEPS AND ARRS. MY THOUGHTS ON FLYING THROUGH SUCH AN AREA W/O CTL IS TO STAY WELL BELOW THE FLOOR OF THE TCA, SQUAWK 1200 MODE C SO THE CTLING AGENCIES KNOW WHERE YOU ARE, MONITOR APPROPRIATE FREQS AND KEEP YOUR HEAD ON A SWIVEL FOR TFC. THAT'S WHAT I WAS DOING WHEN I APPARENTLY MISJUDGED MY DISTANCE FROM WESTCHESTER. I THINK A SINGLE PLT OPERATION MANDATES A GREAT DEAL OF LOOK-SEE EFFORT AND I DID JUST THAT. THE WISER DECISION WOULD HAVE BEEN TO AVOID THE TCA BOUNDARY COMPLETELY AT A HIGHER ALT. IT IS TIME CONSUMING AND GETS ME HIGHER THAN I WANT TO BE ON A SHORT TRIP, BUT IT AFFORDS GREATER PROTECTION OF A RECURRENCE OF THIS TYPE. MY NEXT TRIP WILL BE PLANNED AS SUCH! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: HPN TWR REQUESTED RPTR NAME AND CERTIFICATE NUMBER. NO INDICATION A VIOLATION WAS TO BE FILED. HAS HEARD NOTHING FURTHER. ACFT HE WAS FLYING DID NOT HAVE DME EQUIP FOR A CHK OFF LGA. IN THE FUTURE PLANS TO BE MORE CAREFUL REF HIS PILOTAGE.

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.