Narrative:

I asked for an received a full briefing, including the forecasts for ewr and lga. I also asked for a NOTAM check. Nothing was said about temporary airspace restrictions in the nyc area. Upon nearing the ewr TCA area, I contacted ewr TCA on frequency 127.85 and was cleared as requested along the staten island route toward governors island. Nothing mentioned re: temporary airspace restrictions. After clearing with ewr, I announced my position and intentions on 123.05 while crossing between staten island and governors island. Upon reaching area of governors island, I called the 34TH street heliport on 123.075 (frequency) for east river and was told the heliport was closed to the public. They suggested I pick my passenger up at the heliport at 30TH street on the west side (hudson river). I called west 30TH street, determined they were open and proceeded to their location via battery park and the hudson river. I passed over or near the wall street heliport (operated by the port authority, ny, nj) and was not notified by them of any airspace restrictions, although I later learned they were open. I also heard a port authority helicopter on 123.05. After picking up my passenger at the west 30TH street heliport, I departed southbound down the hudson after announcing my intentions to fly down the hudson to the verrazano bridge and on across the bay toward nj at an altitude of 900'. After passing governors island and prior to reaching the verrazano bridge, and still monitoring helicopter unicom 123.05, I overheard a helicopter ask someone else the limits of the temporary restr area. The response indicated the boundaries to be from governors island to the statue of liberty to the holland tunnel. These boundaries indicated that I had flown through this temporary restr area twice--once on the way up to the west 30TH street, and on the return trip toward the verrazano bridge. This overheard conversation between the 2 helicopters was the first indication I had that any airspace restriction was in effect.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF HELICOPTER INADVERTENTLY FLEW THROUGH TEMPORARY RESTRICTED AREAS IN NEW YORK TCA TWICE.

Narrative: I ASKED FOR AN RECEIVED A FULL BRIEFING, INCLUDING THE FORECASTS FOR EWR AND LGA. I ALSO ASKED FOR A NOTAM CHK. NOTHING WAS SAID ABOUT TEMPORARY AIRSPACE RESTRICTIONS IN THE NYC AREA. UPON NEARING THE EWR TCA AREA, I CONTACTED EWR TCA ON FREQ 127.85 AND WAS CLRED AS REQUESTED ALONG THE STATEN ISLAND ROUTE TOWARD GOVERNORS ISLAND. NOTHING MENTIONED RE: TEMPORARY AIRSPACE RESTRICTIONS. AFTER CLRING WITH EWR, I ANNOUNCED MY POS AND INTENTIONS ON 123.05 WHILE XING BTWN STATEN ISLAND AND GOVERNORS ISLAND. UPON REACHING AREA OF GOVERNORS ISLAND, I CALLED THE 34TH STREET HELIPORT ON 123.075 (FREQ) FOR EAST RIVER AND WAS TOLD THE HELIPORT WAS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC. THEY SUGGESTED I PICK MY PAX UP AT THE HELIPORT AT 30TH STREET ON THE WEST SIDE (HUDSON RIVER). I CALLED WEST 30TH STREET, DETERMINED THEY WERE OPEN AND PROCEEDED TO THEIR LOCATION VIA BATTERY PARK AND THE HUDSON RIVER. I PASSED OVER OR NEAR THE WALL STREET HELIPORT (OPERATED BY THE PORT AUTHORITY, NY, NJ) AND WAS NOT NOTIFIED BY THEM OF ANY AIRSPACE RESTRICTIONS, ALTHOUGH I LATER LEARNED THEY WERE OPEN. I ALSO HEARD A PORT AUTHORITY HELI ON 123.05. AFTER PICKING UP MY PAX AT THE WEST 30TH STREET HELIPORT, I DEPARTED SBND DOWN THE HUDSON AFTER ANNOUNCING MY INTENTIONS TO FLY DOWN THE HUDSON TO THE VERRAZANO BRIDGE AND ON ACROSS THE BAY TOWARD NJ AT AN ALT OF 900'. AFTER PASSING GOVERNORS ISLAND AND PRIOR TO REACHING THE VERRAZANO BRIDGE, AND STILL MONITORING HELI UNICOM 123.05, I OVERHEARD A HELI ASK SOMEONE ELSE THE LIMITS OF THE TEMPORARY RESTR AREA. THE RESPONSE INDICATED THE BOUNDARIES TO BE FROM GOVERNORS ISLAND TO THE STATUE OF LIBERTY TO THE HOLLAND TUNNEL. THESE BOUNDARIES INDICATED THAT I HAD FLOWN THROUGH THIS TEMPORARY RESTR AREA TWICE--ONCE ON THE WAY UP TO THE WEST 30TH STREET, AND ON THE RETURN TRIP TOWARD THE VERRAZANO BRIDGE. THIS OVERHEARD CONVERSATION BTWN THE 2 HELIS WAS THE FIRST INDICATION I HAD THAT ANY AIRSPACE RESTRICTION WAS IN EFFECT.

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.