Narrative:

On sat night, 3/88, I departed trenton/robbinsville airport, nj, for a flight to frg with 1 passenger in an small aircraft. I never flew there before, and as I reviewed my ny sectional, I realized that I was leaving an uncontrolled airport to fly to an airport which lies underneath the ny TCA, and just west of long island arsa, and my destination is a controled airport. After reviewing the radio frequencys, I planned my flight over the ocean, outside the TCA, approximately 10 mi further south of ambrose light tower, and when I spotted my land reference (jones beach monument), I would start my descent, listen to ATIS, then make radio contact with frg tower. I thought I spotted jones beach monument and frg in the distance. (It was really a monument at captree park.) further east of frg. I started my descent, listened to ATIS, then made radio contact with frg control tower, while heading for what I believed to be frg. I informed them that I was inbound with the ATIS information at 2000' south, approximately 5-7 mi. Frg then cleared me to land left base runway 32. I acknowledged the clearance and flew the plane to land left base runway 32. When I was on short final approximately 400' MSL, ATC asked where I was (frequency 118.8). I informed them that I was on short final for runway 32. As I xed the threshold I noticed the runway # was 33 and ATC requested that I change my frequency to 119.3 from 118.8. I complied and ATC then asked my destination after I landed. I told them frg FBO. ATC then informed me that I was at islip, not frg. Then ATC asked my intentions. I told ATC that I wanted frg FBO. ATC then guided me back to runway 32 and cleared me for a takeoff heading to frg (15 mi west of isp). I stayed with departure control (frequency 120.05) until reaching republic airspace. (Departure control failed to approve frequency change outside isp airspace.) when I reached frg airspace, I made radio contact with the control tower who cleared me to land right base runway 32. I then landed and was instructed to call ny TRACON. I called the ny TRACON supervisor. The supervisor immediately accused me of entering the TCA, entering an arsa, entering an air traffic area, and changing radio frequencys west/O permission. I then informed the supervisor that I never entered the TCA, I did receive clearance to land at frg, which I believed was isp, and I was outside isp airspace and about to enter frg air traffic area when I changed radio frequencys (10 mi away). I didn't want to violate frg air traffic area west/O radio contact. I asked the supervisor how I could be cleared to land on runway 32 frg and end up landing 15 mi away, through an arsa, at a controled airport west/O any radio communication from frg or light signals from isp to help correct my error in navigation. I thought that the whole purpose of ATC was to assist pilots for safer flts. The supervisor then told me that he was training a new air traffic controller that night. I believe that a combination of my unfamiliarity with the long island area, a night flight, and an inexperienced air traffic controller were the causes of this breakdown in the system. If the controller had more experience, and I studied my land references more closely, this wouldn't have occurred. Also, when I made a frequency change from departure control, I will request it first, get clearance, then change the frequency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE WRONG ARPT APCH LDNG. UNAUTH LNDG.

Narrative: ON SAT NIGHT, 3/88, I DEPARTED TRENTON/ROBBINSVILLE ARPT, NJ, FOR A FLT TO FRG WITH 1 PAX IN AN SMA. I NEVER FLEW THERE BEFORE, AND AS I REVIEWED MY NY SECTIONAL, I REALIZED THAT I WAS LEAVING AN UNCTLED ARPT TO FLY TO AN ARPT WHICH LIES UNDERNEATH THE NY TCA, AND JUST W OF LONG ISLAND ARSA, AND MY DEST IS A CTLED ARPT. AFTER REVIEWING THE RADIO FREQS, I PLANNED MY FLT OVER THE OCEAN, OUTSIDE THE TCA, APPROX 10 MI FURTHER S OF AMBROSE LIGHT TWR, AND WHEN I SPOTTED MY LAND REF (JONES BEACH MONUMENT), I WOULD START MY DSCNT, LISTEN TO ATIS, THEN MAKE RADIO CONTACT WITH FRG TWR. I THOUGHT I SPOTTED JONES BEACH MONUMENT AND FRG IN THE DISTANCE. (IT WAS REALLY A MONUMENT AT CAPTREE PARK.) FURTHER E OF FRG. I STARTED MY DSCNT, LISTENED TO ATIS, THEN MADE RADIO CONTACT WITH FRG CTL TWR, WHILE HDG FOR WHAT I BELIEVED TO BE FRG. I INFORMED THEM THAT I WAS INBND WITH THE ATIS INFO AT 2000' S, APPROX 5-7 MI. FRG THEN CLRED ME TO LAND LEFT BASE RWY 32. I ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC AND FLEW THE PLANE TO LAND LEFT BASE RWY 32. WHEN I WAS ON SHORT FINAL APPROX 400' MSL, ATC ASKED WHERE I WAS (FREQ 118.8). I INFORMED THEM THAT I WAS ON SHORT FINAL FOR RWY 32. AS I XED THE THRESHOLD I NOTICED THE RWY # WAS 33 AND ATC REQUESTED THAT I CHANGE MY FREQ TO 119.3 FROM 118.8. I COMPLIED AND ATC THEN ASKED MY DEST AFTER I LANDED. I TOLD THEM FRG FBO. ATC THEN INFORMED ME THAT I WAS AT ISLIP, NOT FRG. THEN ATC ASKED MY INTENTIONS. I TOLD ATC THAT I WANTED FRG FBO. ATC THEN GUIDED ME BACK TO RWY 32 AND CLRED ME FOR A TKOF HDG TO FRG (15 MI W OF ISP). I STAYED WITH DEP CTL (FREQ 120.05) UNTIL REACHING REPUBLIC AIRSPACE. (DEP CTL FAILED TO APPROVE FREQ CHANGE OUTSIDE ISP AIRSPACE.) WHEN I REACHED FRG AIRSPACE, I MADE RADIO CONTACT WITH THE CTL TWR WHO CLRED ME TO LAND RIGHT BASE RWY 32. I THEN LANDED AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO CALL NY TRACON. I CALLED THE NY TRACON SUPVR. THE SUPVR IMMEDIATELY ACCUSED ME OF ENTERING THE TCA, ENTERING AN ARSA, ENTERING AN ATA, AND CHANGING RADIO FREQS W/O PERMISSION. I THEN INFORMED THE SUPVR THAT I NEVER ENTERED THE TCA, I DID RECEIVE CLRNC TO LAND AT FRG, WHICH I BELIEVED WAS ISP, AND I WAS OUTSIDE ISP AIRSPACE AND ABOUT TO ENTER FRG ATA WHEN I CHANGED RADIO FREQS (10 MI AWAY). I DIDN'T WANT TO VIOLATE FRG ATA W/O RADIO CONTACT. I ASKED THE SUPVR HOW I COULD BE CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 32 FRG AND END UP LNDG 15 MI AWAY, THROUGH AN ARSA, AT A CTLED ARPT W/O ANY RADIO COM FROM FRG OR LIGHT SIGNALS FROM ISP TO HELP CORRECT MY ERROR IN NAV. I THOUGHT THAT THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF ATC WAS TO ASSIST PLTS FOR SAFER FLTS. THE SUPVR THEN TOLD ME THAT HE WAS TRNING A NEW AIR TFC CTLR THAT NIGHT. I BELIEVE THAT A COMBINATION OF MY UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE LONG ISLAND AREA, A NIGHT FLT, AND AN INEXPERIENCED AIR TFC CTLR WERE THE CAUSES OF THIS BREAKDOWN IN THE SYS. IF THE CTLR HAD MORE EXPERIENCE, AND I STUDIED MY LAND REFERENCES MORE CLOSELY, THIS WOULDN'T HAVE OCCURRED. ALSO, WHEN I MADE A FREQ CHANGE FROM DEP CTL, I WILL REQUEST IT FIRST, GET CLRNC, THEN CHANGE THE FREQ.

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.