Narrative:

I have almost no time in the small aircraft, which made me a little nervous. Along with the fact I was flying in 1 of the nation's most heavily traveled areas (new york TCA), my preflight planning was rushed. The customer was a walk in and I had flown 6 hours previous that day (mostly primary training) and flown 13 hours in the last 24 hours, I was tired. I had a current new york terminal area chart which I review before going to the airplane. There were 4 areas the customer wanted to survey all within the new york TCA boundaries. After departure from dutchess county, ny, airport I proceeded south down the hudson river climbing to 2000 MSL. I contacted new york approach control and was radar contact. I requested flight following and told approach of my intentions. The first area to be flown over was found without any problems. I advised new york I was proceeding to my next area which was northwest of morristown airport. My flight path was southwest and was using pilotage. I put (mmu) morristown in my LORAN to keep away from his air traffic area, my actual course was 5 NM south of where I thought I was which put me in the essex county air traffic area at 2000 MSL. ATC confused me because he kept referring to essex county as caldwell which is the city essex county airport is in. Then to confuse myself more, I idented morristown as lincoln park which is an airport north of essex county, so I turned left 30 degree which I thought would put me on course but in fact put me even farther south. At this point I was very disoriented, slowed the airplane, began circling and descended 500 ft (1500 MSL) because of the TCA floor. While this was going on, I had switched frequency 4 times from approach to essex tower to morristown tower back to approach at which time I told him I was disoriented and needed help. I feel many factors were involved why this occurred, rushed planning, low time in airplane, pilotage inadequate should have backed up with VOR and NDB's, LORAN confused my position because I was only looking at distance and not direction relying on my poor pilotage. My other concern about this incident was the possible penetration of the TCA. The controller at no time told me I had entered after my disorientation. So I assume I didn't. I have indeed learned a valuable lesson. 1) I will never again rush my preflight planning. 2) I will back up my pilotage with navigation equipment. 3) I will not accept flts when I'm physically or mentally tired. 4) ask for help sooner.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTHORIZED UNCOORD PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE. PROX OF ATA.

Narrative: I HAVE ALMOST NO TIME IN THE SMA, WHICH MADE ME A LITTLE NERVOUS. ALONG WITH THE FACT I WAS FLYING IN 1 OF THE NATION'S MOST HEAVILY TRAVELED AREAS (NEW YORK TCA), MY PREFLT PLANNING WAS RUSHED. THE CUSTOMER WAS A WALK IN AND I HAD FLOWN 6 HRS PREVIOUS THAT DAY (MOSTLY PRIMARY TRAINING) AND FLOWN 13 HRS IN THE LAST 24 HRS, I WAS TIRED. I HAD A CURRENT NEW YORK TERMINAL AREA CHART WHICH I REVIEW BEFORE GOING TO THE AIRPLANE. THERE WERE 4 AREAS THE CUSTOMER WANTED TO SURVEY ALL WITHIN THE NEW YORK TCA BOUNDARIES. AFTER DEP FROM DUTCHESS COUNTY, NY, ARPT I PROCEEDED S DOWN THE HUDSON RIVER CLBING TO 2000 MSL. I CONTACTED NEW YORK APCH CTL AND WAS RADAR CONTACT. I REQUESTED FLT FOLLOWING AND TOLD APCH OF MY INTENTIONS. THE FIRST AREA TO BE FLOWN OVER WAS FOUND WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS. I ADVISED NEW YORK I WAS PROCEEDING TO MY NEXT AREA WHICH WAS NW OF MORRISTOWN ARPT. MY FLT PATH WAS SW AND WAS USING PILOTAGE. I PUT (MMU) MORRISTOWN IN MY LORAN TO KEEP AWAY FROM HIS ATA, MY ACTUAL COURSE WAS 5 NM S OF WHERE I THOUGHT I WAS WHICH PUT ME IN THE ESSEX COUNTY ATA AT 2000 MSL. ATC CONFUSED ME BECAUSE HE KEPT REFERRING TO ESSEX COUNTY AS CALDWELL WHICH IS THE CITY ESSEX COUNTY ARPT IS IN. THEN TO CONFUSE MYSELF MORE, I IDENTED MORRISTOWN AS LINCOLN PARK WHICH IS AN ARPT N OF ESSEX COUNTY, SO I TURNED L 30 DEG WHICH I THOUGHT WOULD PUT ME ON COURSE BUT IN FACT PUT ME EVEN FARTHER S. AT THIS POINT I WAS VERY DISORIENTED, SLOWED THE AIRPLANE, BEGAN CIRCLING AND DSNDED 500 FT (1500 MSL) BECAUSE OF THE TCA FLOOR. WHILE THIS WAS GOING ON, I HAD SWITCHED FREQ 4 TIMES FROM APCH TO ESSEX TWR TO MORRISTOWN TWR BACK TO APCH AT WHICH TIME I TOLD HIM I WAS DISORIENTED AND NEEDED HELP. I FEEL MANY FACTORS WERE INVOLVED WHY THIS OCCURRED, RUSHED PLANNING, LOW TIME IN AIRPLANE, PILOTAGE INADEQUATE SHOULD HAVE BACKED UP WITH VOR AND NDB'S, LORAN CONFUSED MY POS BECAUSE I WAS ONLY LOOKING AT DISTANCE AND NOT DIRECTION RELYING ON MY POOR PILOTAGE. MY OTHER CONCERN ABOUT THIS INCIDENT WAS THE POSSIBLE PENETRATION OF THE TCA. THE CTLR AT NO TIME TOLD ME I HAD ENTERED AFTER MY DISORIENTATION. SO I ASSUME I DIDN'T. I HAVE INDEED LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON. 1) I WILL NEVER AGAIN RUSH MY PREFLT PLANNING. 2) I WILL BACK UP MY PILOTAGE WITH NAV EQUIP. 3) I WILL NOT ACCEPT FLTS WHEN I'M PHYSICALLY OR MENTALLY TIRED. 4) ASK FOR HELP SOONER.

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.