Narrative:

I had filed a flight plan with bangor FSS but was unable to activate it in the air. My attempts to contact them over the concord VOR went unanswered upon reaching gardner VOR I began tracking V229 south toward the windsor locks arsa. The chkpoint I had determined to use to call windsor locks (bradley) approach control to request a transition through the arsa was witny intersection. I had idented it as 21 mi east of bradley. Upon reaching witny, I noted my time as XB07 local EDT. Although I was conducting the flight VFR and using a current VFR sectional, which expires 6/88, I was also trying to practice navigation along victor arwys with my current commercial en route chart, effective 3/88. I became temporarily disoriented when I checked the sectional for witny intersection and was unable to find it. This was due to the fact that V419 is a new arwy and not depicted on the current VFR sectional. It is also not listed in the AFD nor is it included in any NOTAMS (fdc or class ii inclusive). Upon relocating myself I determined my position to be approximately 1-2 mi northeast of swift airport (private). I did a 360 degree turn to the east while listening to the bradley ATIS. After circling 2 or 3 times, I tuned bradley VOR into my #1 navigation and centered the needle. Noting that I was on the 120 degree right, I called bradley approach on 125.8 as published in the AFD, told them I was 20 mi southeast of the airport. They asked me to repeat my position (which I did). They then asked that I recontact them on 125.65. I tuned to this frequency and suddenly realized I had forgotten the letter identifier for the ATIS. Worried of their response to this, I circled again while listening to the ATIS. I noticed again the airport below me. I still assumed this to be swift airport. Other visual references I used to confirm my position were the city of hartford, just visible on the horizon to the southwest, and the city of springfield, ma, to the northwest. I then turned to a heading of 300 degrees, centered the obs and called bradley on 125.65. Again, I gave my position as 20 mi southeast. They told me to squawk 0427 and identify. After speakingwith other aircraft he told me he did not have me in radar contact, but did not tell me to remain outside the arsa. I recycled my transponder and held my heading, awaiting further instructions. As he spoke with other aircraft further, I saw the connecticut river (located 4 mi east of the airport) about 5 mi ahead. I gave approach this position report. It was at this time they began to sound concerned of my position in the arsa. He told me that he still did not have me in radar contact. I recycled my transponder again. A couple of mins later I reported I was approaching the river and had jet traffic in site on final approach to my left. They informed me at this time that I had busted the arsa and was in violation. I told them I was about to cross over the top of the airport and asked for further instructions. They asked for a position report about 2 mins later and I told them I was 1 1/2 mi west of the end of runways 6 and 15. They gave me a vector 50 degrees to the left to confirm radar contact which was then made. When I was 25 mi southwest of the arsa, they told me that radar contact was terminated, squawk 1200 and to call the approach supervisor at windsor locks when I reached my destination airport. I did call when I arrived and told him that I did not intentionally violate the arsa, that I believe I had been misplaced when I made my initial call, and judging from the length of time it took me to reach bradley from my initial call, and after looking more closely at the VFR sectional when I landed, I was probably over ellington airport and not swift as I had originally thought. This would have meant I was 6 mi closer to the arsa than I thought, but still not within the 10 mi inner circle, and therefore not in violation of the regulations. If I had been using flight following (as suggested by the tower supervisor) they would have turned me over to bradley approach at the appropriate time. The tower supervisor was upset that I had believed an initial call from 20 mi outside the airport to be sufficient and told me that a call further out would have been proper procedure. I should have tuned the ATIS before arriving at witny intersection. Though I cannot be sure, I believe the circling might have contributed to my disorientation. Also, I should have written down the letter identify for the ATIS or just called approach and stated that I had the current ATIS upon my second transmission. More updated and thorough NOTAMS/better correlation between VFR and IFR charts would have helped to better identify my position. Finally, I believe the request to remain outside the arsa should have been made when no radar contact could be established. If approach had done so, I would have remained outside the arsa until contact could have been made or arranged to go around the arsa if necessary. In the future I will request specific instructions if radar contact is not established on my initial call. I was surprised that further attempts were not made to identify me on radar until after I had xed over the airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BDL ARSA PENETRATION WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: I HAD FILED A FLT PLAN WITH BANGOR FSS BUT WAS UNABLE TO ACTIVATE IT IN THE AIR. MY ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT THEM OVER THE CONCORD VOR WENT UNANSWERED UPON REACHING GARDNER VOR I BEGAN TRACKING V229 S TOWARD THE WINDSOR LOCKS ARSA. THE CHKPOINT I HAD DETERMINED TO USE TO CALL WINDSOR LOCKS (BRADLEY) APCH CTL TO REQUEST A TRANSITION THROUGH THE ARSA WAS WITNY INTXN. I HAD IDENTED IT AS 21 MI E OF BRADLEY. UPON REACHING WITNY, I NOTED MY TIME AS XB07 LCL EDT. ALTHOUGH I WAS CONDUCTING THE FLT VFR AND USING A CURRENT VFR SECTIONAL, WHICH EXPIRES 6/88, I WAS ALSO TRYING TO PRACTICE NAV ALONG VICTOR ARWYS WITH MY CURRENT COMMERCIAL ENRTE CHART, EFFECTIVE 3/88. I BECAME TEMPORARILY DISORIENTED WHEN I CHKED THE SECTIONAL FOR WITNY INTXN AND WAS UNABLE TO FIND IT. THIS WAS DUE TO THE FACT THAT V419 IS A NEW ARWY AND NOT DEPICTED ON THE CURRENT VFR SECTIONAL. IT IS ALSO NOT LISTED IN THE AFD NOR IS IT INCLUDED IN ANY NOTAMS (FDC OR CLASS II INCLUSIVE). UPON RELOCATING MYSELF I DETERMINED MY POS TO BE APPROX 1-2 MI NE OF SWIFT ARPT (PVT). I DID A 360 DEG TURN TO THE E WHILE LISTENING TO THE BRADLEY ATIS. AFTER CIRCLING 2 OR 3 TIMES, I TUNED BRADLEY VOR INTO MY #1 NAV AND CENTERED THE NEEDLE. NOTING THAT I WAS ON THE 120 DEG R, I CALLED BRADLEY APCH ON 125.8 AS PUBLISHED IN THE AFD, TOLD THEM I WAS 20 MI SE OF THE ARPT. THEY ASKED ME TO REPEAT MY POS (WHICH I DID). THEY THEN ASKED THAT I RECONTACT THEM ON 125.65. I TUNED TO THIS FREQ AND SUDDENLY REALIZED I HAD FORGOTTEN THE LETTER IDENTIFIER FOR THE ATIS. WORRIED OF THEIR RESPONSE TO THIS, I CIRCLED AGAIN WHILE LISTENING TO THE ATIS. I NOTICED AGAIN THE ARPT BELOW ME. I STILL ASSUMED THIS TO BE SWIFT ARPT. OTHER VISUAL REFERENCES I USED TO CONFIRM MY POS WERE THE CITY OF HARTFORD, JUST VISIBLE ON THE HORIZON TO THE SW, AND THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD, MA, TO THE NW. I THEN TURNED TO A HDG OF 300 DEGS, CENTERED THE OBS AND CALLED BRADLEY ON 125.65. AGAIN, I GAVE MY POS AS 20 MI SE. THEY TOLD ME TO SQUAWK 0427 AND IDENT. AFTER SPEAKINGWITH OTHER ACFT HE TOLD ME HE DID NOT HAVE ME IN RADAR CONTACT, BUT DID NOT TELL ME TO REMAIN OUTSIDE THE ARSA. I RECYCLED MY TRANSPONDER AND HELD MY HDG, AWAITING FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. AS HE SPOKE WITH OTHER ACFT FURTHER, I SAW THE CONNECTICUT RIVER (LOCATED 4 MI E OF THE ARPT) ABOUT 5 MI AHEAD. I GAVE APCH THIS POS RPT. IT WAS AT THIS TIME THEY BEGAN TO SOUND CONCERNED OF MY POS IN THE ARSA. HE TOLD ME THAT HE STILL DID NOT HAVE ME IN RADAR CONTACT. I RECYCLED MY TRANSPONDER AGAIN. A COUPLE OF MINS LATER I RPTED I WAS APCHING THE RIVER AND HAD JET TFC IN SITE ON FINAL APCH TO MY LEFT. THEY INFORMED ME AT THIS TIME THAT I HAD BUSTED THE ARSA AND WAS IN VIOLATION. I TOLD THEM I WAS ABOUT TO CROSS OVER THE TOP OF THE ARPT AND ASKED FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. THEY ASKED FOR A POSITION RPT ABOUT 2 MINS LATER AND I TOLD THEM I WAS 1 1/2 MI W OF THE END OF RWYS 6 AND 15. THEY GAVE ME A VECTOR 50 DEGS TO THE LEFT TO CONFIRM RADAR CONTACT WHICH WAS THEN MADE. WHEN I WAS 25 MI SW OF THE ARSA, THEY TOLD ME THAT RADAR CONTACT WAS TERMINATED, SQUAWK 1200 AND TO CALL THE APCH SUPVR AT WINDSOR LOCKS WHEN I REACHED MY DEST ARPT. I DID CALL WHEN I ARRIVED AND TOLD HIM THAT I DID NOT INTENTIONALLY VIOLATE THE ARSA, THAT I BELIEVE I HAD BEEN MISPLACED WHEN I MADE MY INITIAL CALL, AND JUDGING FROM THE LENGTH OF TIME IT TOOK ME TO REACH BRADLEY FROM MY INITIAL CALL, AND AFTER LOOKING MORE CLOSELY AT THE VFR SECTIONAL WHEN I LANDED, I WAS PROBABLY OVER ELLINGTON ARPT AND NOT SWIFT AS I HAD ORIGINALLY THOUGHT. THIS WOULD HAVE MEANT I WAS 6 MI CLOSER TO THE ARSA THAN I THOUGHT, BUT STILL NOT WITHIN THE 10 MI INNER CIRCLE, AND THEREFORE NOT IN VIOLATION OF THE REGS. IF I HAD BEEN USING FLT FOLLOWING (AS SUGGESTED BY THE TWR SUPVR) THEY WOULD HAVE TURNED ME OVER TO BRADLEY APCH AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME. THE TWR SUPVR WAS UPSET THAT I HAD BELIEVED AN INITIAL CALL FROM 20 MI OUTSIDE THE ARPT TO BE SUFFICIENT AND TOLD ME THAT A CALL FURTHER OUT WOULD HAVE BEEN PROPER PROC. I SHOULD HAVE TUNED THE ATIS BEFORE ARRIVING AT WITNY INTXN. THOUGH I CANNOT BE SURE, I BELIEVE THE CIRCLING MIGHT HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO MY DISORIENTATION. ALSO, I SHOULD HAVE WRITTEN DOWN THE LETTER IDENT FOR THE ATIS OR JUST CALLED APCH AND STATED THAT I HAD THE CURRENT ATIS UPON MY SECOND XMISSION. MORE UPDATED AND THOROUGH NOTAMS/BETTER CORRELATION BTWN VFR AND IFR CHARTS WOULD HAVE HELPED TO BETTER IDENTIFY MY POS. FINALLY, I BELIEVE THE REQUEST TO REMAIN OUTSIDE THE ARSA SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE WHEN NO RADAR CONTACT COULD BE ESTABLISHED. IF APCH HAD DONE SO, I WOULD HAVE REMAINED OUTSIDE THE ARSA UNTIL CONTACT COULD HAVE BEEN MADE OR ARRANGED TO GO AROUND THE ARSA IF NECESSARY. IN THE FUTURE I WILL REQUEST SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS IF RADAR CONTACT IS NOT ESTABLISHED ON MY INITIAL CALL. I WAS SURPRISED THAT FURTHER ATTEMPTS WERE NOT MADE TO IDENT ME ON RADAR UNTIL AFTER I HAD XED OVER THE ARPT.

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.