Narrative:

While doing a flight check of the deer park TACAN (dpk), I supposedly intruded into the ny TCA. The mission had been coordinated with supervisor at ny TRACON. I was told that all sectors knew that I was coming, and that there would be no problems. A 20 NM orbit was flown and the tac-a approach to grummen-bethpage without incident. Then a landing at long island macarthur airport was made for fuel. After refueling a clearance was requested to climb to 1800' and fly a 360 degree heading, to intercept the 40 NM orbit ccw from dpk TACAN. After takeoff approach asked our intentions and the heading and orbit was requested again, starting at 1800 and climbing as required to maintain signal strength. Approval was given to proceed as requested. While outbound to the orbit we were told to contact bridgeport tower then recontact approach. As I progressed outbound approach stated radar contact lost, contact approach on the west side of the danbury airport. Upon intercepting the 40 NM orbit a climb was required to maintain signal strength. A call to approach was made several times without a response. When a response was made the controller made the statement to standby. Since I had already received a clearance to proceed as requested, and everything was supposed to be coordinated, I continued on the orbit. Several more attempts were made with standby as a response. Finally I was told that the controller was busy. Since I felt that I had a clearance and was assigned a beacon code I was waiting to be told to contact the next controller. When I noticed traffic pass from my 1 to 10 O'clock and it was not pointed out I requested the controller to verify that I was cleared into the TCA to get some kind of answer from the approach controller. I was never told to stay clear of the TCA and was puzzled when after receiving a new code the controller said that I was over near newark and he did not know how I got there. At this time I had already inadvertently entered the TCA. The rest of the mission was continued to the end of the fuel load and then returned to atlantic city, nj. Before leaving the TCA I was given a telephone number to call upon landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PENETRATED TCA WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: WHILE DOING A FLT CHECK OF THE DEER PARK TACAN (DPK), I SUPPOSEDLY INTRUDED INTO THE NY TCA. THE MISSION HAD BEEN COORDINATED WITH SUPVR AT NY TRACON. I WAS TOLD THAT ALL SECTORS KNEW THAT I WAS COMING, AND THAT THERE WOULD BE NO PROBLEMS. A 20 NM ORBIT WAS FLOWN AND THE TAC-A APCH TO GRUMMEN-BETHPAGE WITHOUT INCIDENT. THEN A LNDG AT LONG ISLAND MACARTHUR ARPT WAS MADE FOR FUEL. AFTER REFUELING A CLRNC WAS REQUESTED TO CLIMB TO 1800' AND FLY A 360 DEG HEADING, TO INTERCEPT THE 40 NM ORBIT CCW FROM DPK TACAN. AFTER TKOF APCH ASKED OUR INTENTIONS AND THE HEADING AND ORBIT WAS REQUESTED AGAIN, STARTING AT 1800 AND CLIMBING AS REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN SIGNAL STRENGTH. APPROVAL WAS GIVEN TO PROCEED AS REQUESTED. WHILE OUTBOUND TO THE ORBIT WE WERE TOLD TO CONTACT BRIDGEPORT TWR THEN RECONTACT APCH. AS I PROGRESSED OUTBOUND APCH STATED RADAR CONTACT LOST, CONTACT APCH ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE DANBURY ARPT. UPON INTERCEPTING THE 40 NM ORBIT A CLIMB WAS REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN SIGNAL STRENGTH. A CALL TO APCH WAS MADE SEVERAL TIMES WITHOUT A RESPONSE. WHEN A RESPONSE WAS MADE THE CTLR MADE THE STATEMENT TO STANDBY. SINCE I HAD ALREADY RECEIVED A CLRNC TO PROCEED AS REQUESTED, AND EVERYTHING WAS SUPPOSED TO BE COORDINATED, I CONTINUED ON THE ORBIT. SEVERAL MORE ATTEMPTS WERE MADE WITH STANDBY AS A RESPONSE. FINALLY I WAS TOLD THAT THE CTLR WAS BUSY. SINCE I FELT THAT I HAD A CLRNC AND WAS ASSIGNED A BEACON CODE I WAS WAITING TO BE TOLD TO CONTACT THE NEXT CTLR. WHEN I NOTICED TFC PASS FROM MY 1 TO 10 O'CLOCK AND IT WAS NOT POINTED OUT I REQUESTED THE CTLR TO VERIFY THAT I WAS CLRED INTO THE TCA TO GET SOME KIND OF ANSWER FROM THE APCH CTLR. I WAS NEVER TOLD TO STAY CLEAR OF THE TCA AND WAS PUZZLED WHEN AFTER RECEIVING A NEW CODE THE CTLR SAID THAT I WAS OVER NEAR NEWARK AND HE DID NOT KNOW HOW I GOT THERE. AT THIS TIME I HAD ALREADY INADVERTENTLY ENTERED THE TCA. THE REST OF THE MISSION WAS CONTINUED TO THE END OF THE FUEL LOAD AND THEN RETURNED TO ATLANTIC CITY, NJ. BEFORE LEAVING THE TCA I WAS GIVEN A TELEPHONE NUMBER TO CALL UPON LNDG.

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.