Narrative:

On may/xa/99, I was on a flight from N87 to hpn on business. I checked WX prior to the flight via duat, on the computer. I made the routine flight (direct morristown, direct white plains), with no problems. I left white plains at approximately AB00 and instead of retracing my route, I decided to travel south, over the hudson river through the corridor, below the class B airspace at 1000 ft. I was not under any flight plan, and I was monitoring the helicopter frequency 123.05 for any river traffic. At about AB15 while traveling south, I noticed a large aircraft traveling north at about the same altitude. As I got closer, I realized that it was a military aircraft with 2 smaller aircraft in trail, apparently in a simulated refueling exercise. That aircraft was followed by 2 helicopters. I felt that at that point, turning around would have been a mistake, so I continued south, staying along the west shore, keeping a healthy separation between us. Upon reaching robbinsville, I checked the NOTAMS and found that the river was closed. I had not checked the NOTAMS for the river earlier because that was not going to be my intended flight. Once I found myself in this position, I acted on what I felt was the safest solution. While I was monitoring 123.05, I never heard anything unusual, in fact it sounded like normal helicopter traffic. Obviously, if I had checked NOTAMS for the river, I would have known better.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA32 PVT PLT PENETRATES THE HUDSON RIVER VFR CORRIDOR WHICH HAD BEEN DESIGNATED A TEMPORARY RESTR AREA.

Narrative: ON MAY/XA/99, I WAS ON A FLT FROM N87 TO HPN ON BUSINESS. I CHKED WX PRIOR TO THE FLT VIA DUAT, ON THE COMPUTER. I MADE THE ROUTINE FLT (DIRECT MORRISTOWN, DIRECT WHITE PLAINS), WITH NO PROBS. I LEFT WHITE PLAINS AT APPROX AB00 AND INSTEAD OF RETRACING MY RTE, I DECIDED TO TRAVEL S, OVER THE HUDSON RIVER THROUGH THE CORRIDOR, BELOW THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AT 1000 FT. I WAS NOT UNDER ANY FLT PLAN, AND I WAS MONITORING THE HELI FREQ 123.05 FOR ANY RIVER TFC. AT ABOUT AB15 WHILE TRAVELING S, I NOTICED A LARGE ACFT TRAVELING N AT ABOUT THE SAME ALT. AS I GOT CLOSER, I REALIZED THAT IT WAS A MIL ACFT WITH 2 SMALLER ACFT IN TRAIL, APPARENTLY IN A SIMULATED REFUELING EXERCISE. THAT ACFT WAS FOLLOWED BY 2 HELIS. I FELT THAT AT THAT POINT, TURNING AROUND WOULD HAVE BEEN A MISTAKE, SO I CONTINUED S, STAYING ALONG THE W SHORE, KEEPING A HEALTHY SEPARATION BTWN US. UPON REACHING ROBBINSVILLE, I CHKED THE NOTAMS AND FOUND THAT THE RIVER WAS CLOSED. I HAD NOT CHKED THE NOTAMS FOR THE RIVER EARLIER BECAUSE THAT WAS NOT GOING TO BE MY INTENDED FLT. ONCE I FOUND MYSELF IN THIS POS, I ACTED ON WHAT I FELT WAS THE SAFEST SOLUTION. WHILE I WAS MONITORING 123.05, I NEVER HEARD ANYTHING UNUSUAL, IN FACT IT SOUNDED LIKE NORMAL HELI TFC. OBVIOUSLY, IF I HAD CHKED NOTAMS FOR THE RIVER, I WOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER.

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.