Narrative:

I was in cruise flight over long island sound in VMC conditions, using GPS navigation to a point which starts the helicopter arrival route through lga, to the east 60TH street helipad. WX conditions were MVFR, 3 mi in haze with a rapidly forming shallow ground fog. Lga was reporting 2 mi in haze with sky clear. Because of the WX situation, I had been using approach control for advisories. Due to the limited visibility and limited ground reference, I was depending on GPS for navigation. A preceding aircraft advised that conditions improved from the reporting point inbound to lga. Prior to reaching the route starting point, lga approach called, gave us a heading correction and made a comment that I had wandered either into, or near kennedy airspace. From the comment, it was unclr whether I had entered the kennedy airspace or my course was just approaching a point that would place me in their sector. I did not attempt to get clarification over the radio because it was just too congested. Approach continued to provide advisories, but because the WX had not improved and I now had a question about the accuracy of my navigation system, I requested a turn to depart the area and regroup. I diverted to the bridgeport airport to refuel and await an improvement in the WX. The flight was completed uneventfully 1 hour later. Lga approach control was very helpful during this whole situation, but I was confused by the comment concerning the kennedy airspace. There was no specific comment that there was an actual incursion and, according to my perspective of my position, I was clear of the kennedy airspace. After landing, I rechked my charts and navigation system and could find no discrepancies. I still feel I never entered kennedy airspace but may have been on a ground track that placed me near the sector covered by kennedy but outside of their class 'B.' I am new at working in the ny airspace and I find the complexity and frantic pace intimidating. The rtes and exclusions are far too complex for anyone but the veteran new yorker. There are just too many opportunities for an airspace incursion. There is no margin for error even under the best of conditions. Any future operations in MVFR WX will be under IFR control, which will provide added safety and a lot less complexity.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMT CPR HELI POSSIBLY PENETRATED CLASS B AIRSPACE. HOWEVER, IT WAS NOT CONFIRMED WITH ATC IF IT WAS, OR IF THE RPTR WAS ON A HEADING TO DO SO UNLESS MAKING A TURN.

Narrative: I WAS IN CRUISE FLT OVER LONG ISLAND SOUND IN VMC CONDITIONS, USING GPS NAV TO A POINT WHICH STARTS THE HELI ARR RTE THROUGH LGA, TO THE E 60TH STREET HELIPAD. WX CONDITIONS WERE MVFR, 3 MI IN HAZE WITH A RAPIDLY FORMING SHALLOW GND FOG. LGA WAS RPTING 2 MI IN HAZE WITH SKY CLR. BECAUSE OF THE WX SIT, I HAD BEEN USING APCH CTL FOR ADVISORIES. DUE TO THE LIMITED VISIBILITY AND LIMITED GND REF, I WAS DEPENDING ON GPS FOR NAV. A PRECEDING ACFT ADVISED THAT CONDITIONS IMPROVED FROM THE RPTING POINT INBOUND TO LGA. PRIOR TO REACHING THE RTE STARTING POINT, LGA APCH CALLED, GAVE US A HEADING CORRECTION AND MADE A COMMENT THAT I HAD WANDERED EITHER INTO, OR NEAR KENNEDY AIRSPACE. FROM THE COMMENT, IT WAS UNCLR WHETHER I HAD ENTERED THE KENNEDY AIRSPACE OR MY COURSE WAS JUST APCHING A POINT THAT WOULD PLACE ME IN THEIR SECTOR. I DID NOT ATTEMPT TO GET CLARIFICATION OVER THE RADIO BECAUSE IT WAS JUST TOO CONGESTED. APCH CONTINUED TO PROVIDE ADVISORIES, BUT BECAUSE THE WX HAD NOT IMPROVED AND I NOW HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE ACCURACY OF MY NAV SYS, I REQUESTED A TURN TO DEPART THE AREA AND REGROUP. I DIVERTED TO THE BRIDGEPORT ARPT TO REFUEL AND AWAIT AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE WX. THE FLT WAS COMPLETED UNEVENTFULLY 1 HR LATER. LGA APCH CTL WAS VERY HELPFUL DURING THIS WHOLE SIT, BUT I WAS CONFUSED BY THE COMMENT CONCERNING THE KENNEDY AIRSPACE. THERE WAS NO SPECIFIC COMMENT THAT THERE WAS AN ACTUAL INCURSION AND, ACCORDING TO MY PERSPECTIVE OF MY POS, I WAS CLR OF THE KENNEDY AIRSPACE. AFTER LNDG, I RECHKED MY CHARTS AND NAV SYS AND COULD FIND NO DISCREPANCIES. I STILL FEEL I NEVER ENTERED KENNEDY AIRSPACE BUT MAY HAVE BEEN ON A GND TRACK THAT PLACED ME NEAR THE SECTOR COVERED BY KENNEDY BUT OUTSIDE OF THEIR CLASS 'B.' I AM NEW AT WORKING IN THE NY AIRSPACE AND I FIND THE COMPLEXITY AND FRANTIC PACE INTIMIDATING. THE RTES AND EXCLUSIONS ARE FAR TOO COMPLEX FOR ANYONE BUT THE VETERAN NEW YORKER. THERE ARE JUST TOO MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR AN AIRSPACE INCURSION. THERE IS NO MARGIN FOR ERROR EVEN UNDER THE BEST OF CONDITIONS. ANY FUTURE OPS IN MVFR WX WILL BE UNDER IFR CTL, WHICH WILL PROVIDE ADDED SAFETY AND A LOT LESS COMPLEXITY.

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.