1999-03 · NASA ASRS report 430909
DURING A VECTORING DSCNT FOR AN ILS APCH; THE CAPT OF A WDB PULLED UP IN RESPONSE TO A TCASII RA AND THE VISUAL SIGHTING OF RPTR'S MOONEY ACFT 500 FT BELOW BUT BELOW THE FLOOR OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE.
I DEPARTED LDJ AT XA20Z UNDER VFR ON A FLT TO MILLVILLE; NJ. I CLBED TO PATTERN ALT AND DEPARTED LINDEN IN VERY CLR VMC; NAVING USING VISUAL; DEAD RECKONING AND PILOTAGE COMBINED WITH ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE FROM AN IFR APPROVED GPS. BEFORE DEP; I OBTAINED THE CURRENT ATIS FROM EWR; WHICH IS THE NEAREST RPTING STATION TO LINDEN; APPROX 5.7 NM. ATIS INFORMED ME OF LLWS AND STRONG WINDS FOR DEP AND I ALSO OBTAINED THE CURRENT ALTIMETER SETTING FROM THERE ALSO. I DEPARTED LINDEN ON RWY 27 AND CLBED TO PATTERN ALT OF 800 FT MSL AND AFTER TO 1400 FT MSL TO REMAIN BELOW THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. AFTER THE 1500 FT FLOOR THE FLOOR IS AT 3000 FT MSL AND I CONTINUED THE FLT TO 2900 FT MSL TO AVOID THE MODERATE TURB. I DID NOT ATTEMPT TO CONTACT NEW YORK DEP OR APCH SINCE; HAVING DONE THE TRIP MANY TIMES; THEY USUALLY TELL ME 'REMAIN CLR OF CLASS B AIRSPACE; VFR ADVISORIES UNAVAILABLE; CONTACT MCGUIRE APCH IN 20 MI.' AS I WAS IN THE CLB I OBSERVED SEVERAL ACFT BEING VECTORED INTO NEWARK FOR THE ILS FOR RWY 4. I MAINTAINED VISUAL SEPARATION AT ALL TIMES AND STEERED TO THE W TO AVOID BEING BLOWN ONTO THE RWY 4 ILS GLIDE PATH BECAUSE OF THE 30 KT NW WIND. AFTER I PASSED THE LIMIT OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE; I COMMENCED A CLB TO 4500 FT MSL; THE RECOMMENDED CRUISE ALT FOR MY HDG. I OBSERVED A HVY ACFT PASS OVER ME AT AROUND 500 FT ABOVE MY ALT AND ABOUT 300 FT LATERALLY. I HAD VISUAL CONTACT AT ALL TIMES WITH ALL ACFT ON ATC VECTORS FOR EWR. AFTER THE HVY HAD PASSED ABOVE; I CONTINUED TO CLB TO 4500 FT MSL AND CONTINUED TO MILLVILLE WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY. I ARRIVED AT MILLVILLE AND HAD 1 1/2 HRS INSTRUCTION ON COMMERCIAL FLT MANEUVERS. WHEN I CAME TO DEPART MILLVILLE; THERE WAS A NOTE IN MY ACFT TO CALL NEW YORK TRACON. THIS I DID AND THE CALL WAS ANSWERED BY A SUPVR WHO IMMEDIATELY ACCUSED ME OF CLBING THROUGH THE CLASS B FLOOR WITHOUT ATC CLRNC. LET ME MAKE THIS CRYSTAL CLR: AT NO TIME DID I EVER; EVER CLB ABOVE THE CLASS B AIRSPACE FLOOR. THEY ACCUSED ME OF CLBING TO 3500 FT MSL INSIDE THE 3000 FT CLASS B RING; WHICH I TOTALLY AND UTTERLY DENIED. HE THEN THREATENED ME WITH A RPT TO 'GATO' AND I ASKED IF THE RADAR PRINTOUT SAID I HAD CLBED INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE. HE WOULD NOT CONFIRM OR DENY THIS; BUT SAID THE TCASII IN THE HVY HAD SOUNDED AND THE AIRLINER HAD TO PULL UP. I THEN GOT THE IMPRESSION THAT HE OBTAINED THE RADAR PRINTOUTS THAT ACTUALLY SHOWED I DID NOT BUST THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AND HE TRIED TO GET ME TO ADMIT THAT WHAT I HAD DONE WAS 'NOT IN KEEPING WITH THE BEST PROC' AND IMPLIED THAT IF I ADMITTED THIS TO HIM HE WOULD DROP THE MATTER AND THE RPT TO 'GATO' WOULD BE DROPPED. I ADMITTED NOTHING AND HE TOLD ME THE MATTER WAS DROPPED. END OF CONVERSATION.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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