2000-10 · NASA ASRS report 488995
BE58 PLT ENTERED CDW CLASS D WITHOUT CLRNC.
I HAD FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM TETERBORO; NJ (TEB); TO CLEVELAND; OH (BKL). DUE TO CAVU CONDITIONS; AND THE USUAL IFR CLRNC DELAYS IN THE NY METRO AREA; I CALLED TEB CLRNC AND ASKED TO DEPART VFR INSTEAD. CLRNC ASKED FOR MY ON-COURSE HEADING AND ACFT TYPE. I RESPONDED 290 DEGS; AND BE58/G. CLRNC ASSIGNED ME A SQUAWK CODE; AND STATED; '... I'M SETTING YOU UP FOR VFR FLT FOLLOWING.' HE ALSO MENTIONED; 'REMAIN CLR OF CLASS B AIRSPACE;' WHICH I READ BACK. I THEN TOOK A FEW MINS TO CHK THE SECTIONAL AND IFR ENRTE CHARTS; AND DETERMINED THAT I NEEDED TO STAY BELOW 1800 FT INITIALLY; THEN I COULD CLB TO STAY BELOW 3000 FT; IN ORDER TO STAY BELOW THE CLASS B FLOOR ON MY 290 DEG HDG. WHEN TEB TWR CLRED ME FOR TKOF ON RWY 19; HE SAID; 'ACR X CLRED FOR TKOF; R TURN ON COURSE APPROVED.' I DEPARTED TEB; TURNED R TO 290 DEGS; AND MONITORED MY POS RELATIVE TO THE CLASS B LIMITS ON MY GPS MOVING MAP. AFTER I HAD PASSED THE POINT WHERE THE CLASS B FLOOR WENT UP TO 3000 FT; I SUDDENLY NOTICED THE CALDWELL; NJ (CDW) ARPT IN FRONT OF ME; AND I REALIZED THAT I WAS WITHIN THE CDW CLASS D AIRSPACE WITHOUT COMMUNICATING WITH THE CDW TWR. I HAD ALREADY CLBED TO 2400 FT WHEN I NOTICED THIS; SO I CONTINUED MY CLB TO 2800 FT; IN ORDER TO GET ABOVE CDW'S CLASS D 2700 FT CEILING; AND STILL STAY BELOW THE 3000 FT CLASS B FLOOR. I ESTIMATE THAT I WAS WITHIN CDW'S CLASS D AIRSPACE FOR ABOUT 2 MINS. DURING THE FLT; TEB TWR NEVER DID HAND ME OFF TO NY DEP FOR VFR FLT FOLLOWING. AFTER I WAS WELL CLR OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE; I CONTACTED ZNY FOR VFR FLT FOLLOWING. WHY DID I OVERLOOK THE CDW CLASS D AIRSPACE AND FLY RIGHT THROUGH IT? 1) TEB CLRNC'S CAUTION TO 'REMAIN CLR OF CLASS B AIRSPACE' OCCUPIED MY ATTN; AND I FORGOT TO LOOK FOR OTHER TYPES OF CTLED AIRSPACE IN MY RTE. 2) TEB TWR'S CLRNC TO TURN R ON COURSE AFTER LIFTOFF IMPLIED THAT THEY WOULD EXPECT ME TO FLY MY DIRECT 290 DEG HDG. 3) I USUALLY FLY IFR IN THE NY METRO AREA; AND I AM USED TO ATC'S GUIDANCE THROUGH OR AROUND SUCH CLASS D AIRSPACE. IN THE FUTURE I WILL CERTAINLY CHK FOR ALL CTLED/RESTR AIRSPACE IN MY PATH; NOT JUST THAT ABOUT WHICH I HAVE BEEN SPECIFICALLY CAUTIONED BY ATC.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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