Narrative:

I began my flight out of islip airport heading east towards smiths point park. Just prior to smiths point park, I requested a radar punch-out and was advised to squawk 1200. The winds at 3000 ft were 080 degrees at 33 KTS. I was performing maneuvers for about 50 mins to an hour (steep turns, stalls, slow flight, constant rate climbs and descents, etc). I decided to head back to islip airport. When I looked down at the ground I saw what I thought was the smiths point bridge. Thinking that I was east of smiths point, I began to head west to an area closer to islip before contacting ny approach. I was only on a wbound heading for a couple of mins when I realized my mistake. I had mistaken the robert mosses bridge (marked captree bridge on the sectional) for the smiths point bridge. Upon realizing my mistake, I immediately turned around to a heading of 090 degrees and at the aircraft's best speed I departed the area. While doing this, I checked the sectional and thought that I was just at the boundary of the ADIZ zone. While performing the maneuvers the wind must have blown me further west than what I had realized. After landing I was advised to call ny TRACON, who informed me that I was 7 NM in the ADIZ zone.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER MISIDENTIFYING A LANDMARK A PLT TURNS IN THE WRONG DIRECTION TO RETURN TO BASE. AFTER DISCOVERING THE ERROR IT IS DETERMINED THAT HE IS INSIDE THE NY ADIZ BY 7 MILES.

Narrative: I BEGAN MY FLT OUT OF ISLIP ARPT HDG E TOWARDS SMITHS POINT PARK. JUST PRIOR TO SMITHS POINT PARK, I REQUESTED A RADAR PUNCH-OUT AND WAS ADVISED TO SQUAWK 1200. THE WINDS AT 3000 FT WERE 080 DEGS AT 33 KTS. I WAS PERFORMING MANEUVERS FOR ABOUT 50 MINS TO AN HOUR (STEEP TURNS, STALLS, SLOW FLT, CONSTANT RATE CLIMBS AND DESCENTS, ETC). I DECIDED TO HEAD BACK TO ISLIP ARPT. WHEN I LOOKED DOWN AT THE GND I SAW WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE SMITHS POINT BRIDGE. THINKING THAT I WAS E OF SMITHS POINT, I BEGAN TO HEAD W TO AN AREA CLOSER TO ISLIP BEFORE CONTACTING NY APCH. I WAS ONLY ON A WBOUND HDG FOR A COUPLE OF MINS WHEN I REALIZED MY MISTAKE. I HAD MISTAKEN THE ROBERT MOSSES BRIDGE (MARKED CAPTREE BRIDGE ON THE SECTIONAL) FOR THE SMITHS POINT BRIDGE. UPON REALIZING MY MISTAKE, I IMMEDIATELY TURNED AROUND TO A HDG OF 090 DEGS AND AT THE ACFT'S BEST SPEED I DEPARTED THE AREA. WHILE DOING THIS, I CHKED THE SECTIONAL AND THOUGHT THAT I WAS JUST AT THE BOUNDARY OF THE ADIZ ZONE. WHILE PERFORMING THE MANEUVERS THE WIND MUST HAVE BLOWN ME FURTHER W THAN WHAT I HAD REALIZED. AFTER LNDG I WAS ADVISED TO CALL NY TRACON, WHO INFORMED ME THAT I WAS 7 NM IN THE ADIZ ZONE.

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.