Narrative:

The flight was an aerial news photography mission in an small aircraft. I was trying to get close to a fire in jersey city just north of the newark TCA. After departing republic airport I flew west to about 11 NM northeast of the kennedy VOR, remaining well below the TCA floor of 15OO' AGL. I wasn't sure whether the laguardia TCA controller would clear me through that busy area, so I decided to fly northwest over westchester and then down the hudson river TCA exclusion. That's when the confusion began. I proceeded northwest on a heading towards a golf course or park that I mistook for the westchester county airport. While still over the li sound, I called the westchester county tower and asked for clearance through the air traffic area. My altitude was 1400' AGL. I reported 7 southeast of the field. But because of the misidented landmark, I believe I was actually about 9-10 mi south southwest of the airport. The hpn tower controller issued me a squawk of XXX7 and cleared me through the air traffic area. He did not call 'radar contact', nor did he issue me a heading or altitude restriction at that time. About 2 mins later, the controller asked me what altitude I was requesting. I asked for 1600', which was my current altitude at that point. The controller instructed me to climb to 2500'. I complied. I flew on a heading of about 300 to the hudson river, then called the controller to tell him I was clear of the air traffic area to the west. The controller then informed me that at no time had I been in his area, but instead had flown through the laguardia TCA. I acknowledged his transmission and descended immediately to below the lga TCA floor. At that point I was about 8 NM north of the lga VOR and over the hudson river. I proceeded south within the hudson TCA exclusion. The flight was conducted in constant moderate turbulence. I was distraction by the twring smoke from the fire and by the photographer's nervous questions. But the worst mistake I made, aside from misjudging my position, was to assume that because I had been issued a radar squawk that the hpn tower controller knew exactly where I was and had approved my course. It's also important to note that his instruction to climb to 2500 put my aircraft well above the TCA floor in the mt vernon/yonkers area. I don't consider that an excuse for my errors...but it did make a bad situation worse.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUNICATION ISSUES CONTRIBUTED TO UNAUTHORIZED PENETRATION OF N90 TCA.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS AN AERIAL NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY MISSION IN AN SMA. I WAS TRYING TO GET CLOSE TO A FIRE IN JERSEY CITY JUST N OF THE NEWARK TCA. AFTER DEPARTING REPUBLIC ARPT I FLEW W TO ABOUT 11 NM NE OF THE KENNEDY VOR, REMAINING WELL BELOW THE TCA FLOOR OF 15OO' AGL. I WASN'T SURE WHETHER THE LAGUARDIA TCA CTLR WOULD CLR ME THROUGH THAT BUSY AREA, SO I DECIDED TO FLY NW OVER WESTCHESTER AND THEN DOWN THE HUDSON RIVER TCA EXCLUSION. THAT'S WHEN THE CONFUSION BEGAN. I PROCEEDED NW ON A HDG TOWARDS A GOLF COURSE OR PARK THAT I MISTOOK FOR THE WESTCHESTER COUNTY ARPT. WHILE STILL OVER THE LI SOUND, I CALLED THE WESTCHESTER COUNTY TWR AND ASKED FOR CLRNC THROUGH THE ATA. MY ALT WAS 1400' AGL. I RPTED 7 SE OF THE FIELD. BUT BECAUSE OF THE MISIDENTED LANDMARK, I BELIEVE I WAS ACTUALLY ABOUT 9-10 MI S SW OF THE ARPT. THE HPN TWR CTLR ISSUED ME A SQUAWK OF XXX7 AND CLRED ME THROUGH THE ATA. HE DID NOT CALL 'RADAR CONTACT', NOR DID HE ISSUE ME A HDG OR ALT RESTRICTION AT THAT TIME. ABOUT 2 MINS LATER, THE CTLR ASKED ME WHAT ALT I WAS REQUESTING. I ASKED FOR 1600', WHICH WAS MY CURRENT ALT AT THAT POINT. THE CTLR INSTRUCTED ME TO CLB TO 2500'. I COMPLIED. I FLEW ON A HDG OF ABOUT 300 TO THE HUDSON RIVER, THEN CALLED THE CTLR TO TELL HIM I WAS CLR OF THE ATA TO THE W. THE CTLR THEN INFORMED ME THAT AT NO TIME HAD I BEEN IN HIS AREA, BUT INSTEAD HAD FLOWN THROUGH THE LAGUARDIA TCA. I ACKNOWLEDGED HIS XMISSION AND DSNDED IMMEDIATELY TO BELOW THE LGA TCA FLOOR. AT THAT POINT I WAS ABOUT 8 NM N OF THE LGA VOR AND OVER THE HUDSON RIVER. I PROCEEDED S WITHIN THE HUDSON TCA EXCLUSION. THE FLT WAS CONDUCTED IN CONSTANT MODERATE TURB. I WAS DISTR BY THE TWRING SMOKE FROM THE FIRE AND BY THE PHOTOGRAPHER'S NERVOUS QUESTIONS. BUT THE WORST MISTAKE I MADE, ASIDE FROM MISJUDGING MY POS, WAS TO ASSUME THAT BECAUSE I HAD BEEN ISSUED A RADAR SQUAWK THAT THE HPN TWR CTLR KNEW EXACTLY WHERE I WAS AND HAD APPROVED MY COURSE. IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT HIS INSTRUCTION TO CLB TO 2500 PUT MY ACFT WELL ABOVE THE TCA FLOOR IN THE MT VERNON/YONKERS AREA. I DON'T CONSIDER THAT AN EXCUSE FOR MY ERRORS...BUT IT DID MAKE A BAD SITUATION WORSE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.