Narrative:

While returning to my home field 47N from isp, I was on a SVFR clearance out of the macarthur control zone (initial heading of 180 degrees to the shoreline then right to a heading of 271 degrees, at or below 2000 ft, code 0154, frequency 118.0). The islip controller was able to hand me off to the kennedy controller on 125.75. At this time I descended from 1000 ft to 800 ft. After several attempts to reach the kennedy controller I went back to the islip controller and told him I was negative contact on 125.75 at which time he said to try 125.25. I was down to 500 ft now and was successful in reaching the kennedy controller who said he was showing me at 750 ft and to please descend to 500 ft and he gave me the altimeter (same as islip) of 29.87. I confirmed to him my altimeter was correct and showed me at 450 ft. At this time the controller asked a 'pd' helicopter to confirm my altitude as he pointed him out to me in my 5 O'clock at 1-2 mi. I asked the controller if he wanted me to stop my mode C squawk (as I was aware that my transponder was intermittent between 200-300 ft on my earlier IFR flight up to isp from phf earlier that afternoon). He said it seemed stable within the 200 ft discrepancy allowed. As I left his airspace he asked me to squawk 1200, VFR service terminated. I asked for the next frequency for continued following and he said 'you are now entering a special restr airspace for the tall ships celebration.' I began an immediate 180 degree turn and asked if I should go back to isp. He said it was too late, but I could go back to isp and climb to 7500 ft to get over it. He then said to try the newark controller on 127.85 once I was over the jersey shoreline. So I executed another 180 degree back to 172 degrees (direction 47N) and monitored 127.85. Once home, I called the ny FSS and specifically asked if he had any NOTAMS about any special restr airspace over ny harbor. It was not in his computer under any NOTAM headings. Eventually he did find a separate sheet of paper he said was through the millville FSS of a temporary local NOTAM for the ny harbor area effective july xx through july xy restricting VFR flight in the harbor and up the hudson corridor to the george washington bridge due to the tall ships event. Specialist also said that all flight plans must be filed with the isp FSS! The very FSS I spoke with a couple of hours earlier when I got my briefing at macarthur. In summary, I must say that something is amiss in the system when a pilot speaks with 3 FSS's in the same day for briefings into an area with 'special flight restrictions' and not one gets a 'red flag' of some sort to inform that pilot of the existence of such a NOTAM. Especially the very FSS (isp in this case) with whom the directive said all flight plans must be filed with in the first place! I would also suggest that if collision avoidance is the objective for such a temporary NOTAM and a controller is aware (as in my case) that a pilot's heading and altitude will expose him to that area of potential conflict that he would inform the pilot prior so as to avoid either by vectors or other means any midair that could happen. Airshows, tall ships celebrations, and other similar events are definitely worthy of special NOTAMS but if the FSS's, controllers, and pilots are not all working together to achieve the same goals of safety then we need to reevaluate the method of informing all of the parties concerned to avoid potential tragedy.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT ON SVFR TOLD SVC TERMINATED, SQUAWK 1200, THEN TOLD YOU ARE NOW ENTERING A TEMPORARY CTLED AIRSPACE AREA.

Narrative: WHILE RETURNING TO MY HOME FIELD 47N FROM ISP, I WAS ON A SVFR CLRNC OUT OF THE MACARTHUR CTL ZONE (INITIAL HDG OF 180 DEGS TO THE SHORELINE THEN R TO A HDG OF 271 DEGS, AT OR BELOW 2000 FT, CODE 0154, FREQ 118.0). THE ISLIP CTLR WAS ABLE TO HAND ME OFF TO THE KENNEDY CTLR ON 125.75. AT THIS TIME I DSNDED FROM 1000 FT TO 800 FT. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO REACH THE KENNEDY CTLR I WENT BACK TO THE ISLIP CTLR AND TOLD HIM I WAS NEGATIVE CONTACT ON 125.75 AT WHICH TIME HE SAID TO TRY 125.25. I WAS DOWN TO 500 FT NOW AND WAS SUCCESSFUL IN REACHING THE KENNEDY CTLR WHO SAID HE WAS SHOWING ME AT 750 FT AND TO PLEASE DSND TO 500 FT AND HE GAVE ME THE ALTIMETER (SAME AS ISLIP) OF 29.87. I CONFIRMED TO HIM MY ALTIMETER WAS CORRECT AND SHOWED ME AT 450 FT. AT THIS TIME THE CTLR ASKED A 'PD' HELI TO CONFIRM MY ALT AS HE POINTED HIM OUT TO ME IN MY 5 O'CLOCK AT 1-2 MI. I ASKED THE CTLR IF HE WANTED ME TO STOP MY MODE C SQUAWK (AS I WAS AWARE THAT MY TRANSPONDER WAS INTERMITTENT BTWN 200-300 FT ON MY EARLIER IFR FLT UP TO ISP FROM PHF EARLIER THAT AFTERNOON). HE SAID IT SEEMED STABLE WITHIN THE 200 FT DISCREPANCY ALLOWED. AS I LEFT HIS AIRSPACE HE ASKED ME TO SQUAWK 1200, VFR SVC TERMINATED. I ASKED FOR THE NEXT FREQ FOR CONTINUED FOLLOWING AND HE SAID 'YOU ARE NOW ENTERING A SPECIAL RESTR AIRSPACE FOR THE TALL SHIPS CELEBRATION.' I BEGAN AN IMMEDIATE 180 DEG TURN AND ASKED IF I SHOULD GO BACK TO ISP. HE SAID IT WAS TOO LATE, BUT I COULD GO BACK TO ISP AND CLB TO 7500 FT TO GET OVER IT. HE THEN SAID TO TRY THE NEWARK CTLR ON 127.85 ONCE I WAS OVER THE JERSEY SHORELINE. SO I EXECUTED ANOTHER 180 DEG BACK TO 172 DEGS (DIRECTION 47N) AND MONITORED 127.85. ONCE HOME, I CALLED THE NY FSS AND SPECIFICALLY ASKED IF HE HAD ANY NOTAMS ABOUT ANY SPECIAL RESTR AIRSPACE OVER NY HARBOR. IT WAS NOT IN HIS COMPUTER UNDER ANY NOTAM HDGS. EVENTUALLY HE DID FIND A SEPARATE SHEET OF PAPER HE SAID WAS THROUGH THE MILLVILLE FSS OF A TEMPORARY LCL NOTAM FOR THE NY HARBOR AREA EFFECTIVE JULY XX THROUGH JULY XY RESTRICTING VFR FLT IN THE HARBOR AND UP THE HUDSON CORRIDOR TO THE GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE DUE TO THE TALL SHIPS EVENT. SPECIALIST ALSO SAID THAT ALL FLT PLANS MUST BE FILED WITH THE ISP FSS! THE VERY FSS I SPOKE WITH A COUPLE OF HRS EARLIER WHEN I GOT MY BRIEFING AT MACARTHUR. IN SUMMARY, I MUST SAY THAT SOMETHING IS AMISS IN THE SYS WHEN A PLT SPEAKS WITH 3 FSS'S IN THE SAME DAY FOR BRIEFINGS INTO AN AREA WITH 'SPECIAL FLT RESTRICTIONS' AND NOT ONE GETS A 'RED FLAG' OF SOME SORT TO INFORM THAT PLT OF THE EXISTENCE OF SUCH A NOTAM. ESPECIALLY THE VERY FSS (ISP IN THIS CASE) WITH WHOM THE DIRECTIVE SAID ALL FLT PLANS MUST BE FILED WITH IN THE FIRST PLACE! I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST THAT IF COLLISION AVOIDANCE IS THE OBJECTIVE FOR SUCH A TEMPORARY NOTAM AND A CTLR IS AWARE (AS IN MY CASE) THAT A PLT'S HDG AND ALT WILL EXPOSE HIM TO THAT AREA OF POTENTIAL CONFLICT THAT HE WOULD INFORM THE PLT PRIOR SO AS TO AVOID EITHER BY VECTORS OR OTHER MEANS ANY MIDAIR THAT COULD HAPPEN. AIRSHOWS, TALL SHIPS CELEBRATIONS, AND OTHER SIMILAR EVENTS ARE DEFINITELY WORTHY OF SPECIAL NOTAMS BUT IF THE FSS'S, CTLRS, AND PLTS ARE NOT ALL WORKING TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE THE SAME GOALS OF SAFETY THEN WE NEED TO REEVALUATE THE METHOD OF INFORMING ALL OF THE PARTIES CONCERNED TO AVOID POTENTIAL TRAGEDY.

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.