PLT OF PA28 OPERATED WITHIN NY ADIZ AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC. APPARENTLY HIS TRANSGRESSIONS WENT UNNOTICED BY AUTHORITIES.

Date: 2003-04 · Aircraft: PA-28 Cherokee/Archer/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior · Phase: cruise

Anomalies: airspace-violation-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy

Synopsis

PLT OF PA28 OPERATED WITHIN NY ADIZ AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC. APPARENTLY HIS TRANSGRESSIONS WENT UNNOTICED BY AUTHORITIES.

Narrative

AS WITH ALL EVENTS THAT OCCUR A CHAIN OF OCCURRENCES HAPPENS THAT; WHEN ANALYZED; LEADS TO THE CAUSES FOR THE EVENT. I WAS PLT IN COMMAND OF MY PIPER CHEROKEE. MY MOTHER WAS A PAX AND HAD NOT FLOWN SINCE SHE WAS 16 YEARS OLD. SHE IS NOW IN HER 80'S. AFTER A THOROUGH PREP OF THE ACFT; I PLOTTED A COURSE TO THE 115 RADIAL OFF OF HUO. THIS RADIAL WOULD TAKE ME JUST N OF THE ADIZ ZONE FOR NY AIRSPACE OVER THE HUDSON RIVER. THEN I WOULD TURN NE ALONG THE E SHORE OF THE RIVER TO THE BEAR MOUNTAIN BRIDGE. CONTINUE ON A NE COURSE TO AVOID WEST POINT RESTR ZONE; GAIN ALTITUDE AND TO 4500 FT BEGIN A N WESTERLY HDG PAST THE NEWBURGH BEACON BRIDGE; CONTINUE NW TILL I WAS OUTSIDE STEWART AIRSPACE; TURN W AND SET UP FOR A STRAIGHT IN APCH TO ORANGE COUNTY; PROVIDING TFC WAS NOT A FACTOR FOR THE STRAIGHT IN. THE FIRST LINK IN THE CHAIN WAS FORMED BY CHOOSING A RADIAL THAT WOULD BRING ME CLOSE TO THE ADIZ. ONCE THE RIVER CAME INTO VIEW I REALIZED THAT MY INTENDED COURSE WOULD HAVE ME CHANGE DIRECTION TO THE N CLOSE TO THE NUCLEAR FACILITY. KNOWING THE CURRENT STATE OF HEIGHTENED ALERT I DECIDED TO CONTINUE S DOWN THE RIVER; WITHOUT LOOKING AT MY SECTIONAL. THIS DECISION WAS MADE BASED ON MY MEMORY THAT CLASS B AIRSPACE BEGAN JUST N OF THE TAPPAN ZEE BUT S OF CROTON POINT; BOTH DISTINGUISHABLE WAYPOINTS. HOWEVER; BY NOT LOOKING AT THE SECTIONAL I DID NOT HAVE THE VISUAL STIMULI TO TRIGGER THAT I WOULD BE FLYING INTO AN ADIZ AREA. I CONTINUED S TOWARD TAPPAN ZEE BRIDGE UNTIL I WAS COMFORTABLE THAT MY TURN NORTHWARD WOULD NOT CAUSE UNDUE CONCERNS AROUND THE NUCLEAR FACILITY. THE ANALYSIS DEMONSTRATED THAT THE FOLLOWING FACTORS LED UP TO THE EVENT. I SHOULD NOT HAVE CHOSEN A RADIAL THAT BROUGHT ME SO CLOSE TO THE ADIZ. THE FLT SHOULD HAVE BEEN FLOWN IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION; N FROM ORANGE COUNTY; E TO THE HUDSON; DOWN THE EAST SIDE OF THE RIVER; INTERCEPTING THE 110 DEG RADIAL OF HUGUENOT; THEN BACK TO ORANGE COUNTY. PRIOR TO ALTERING COURSE TO THE S I SHOULD HAVE LOOKED AT THE SECTIONAL TO DETERMINE THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE ADIZ AND AVOIDED THE AREA. INSTEAD OF FLYING S TOWARDS THE TAPPAN ZEE BRIDGE; UPON SEEING THE PWR PLANT; I SHOULD HAVE BEGUN AN IMMEDIATE LEFT TURN; REMAINING ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE RIVER AVOIDING BOTH THE ADIZ AND THE PWR PLANT. ALTHOUGH I WAS MONITORING 121.5; I RECEIVED NO MESSAGE OR WARNING THAT I WAS IN OR APCHING THE ADIZ. I UNDERSTAND THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT FOR RADAR SERVICE TO CALL ME; BUT TO PREVENT OR MINIMIZE THE INCURSIONS; A WARNING SYSTEM SHOULD BE DEVELOPED USING 121.5. I SHOULD NOT HAVE ALLOWED THE EMOTIONS OF FLYING MY MOTHER OVER OUR HOME TOWN TO CLOUD MY JUDGEMENT IN FLYING SO CLOSE TO THE ADIZ.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.