Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 55; Flight Crew Total 386; Flight Crew Type 68
Confusion; Distraction; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Airspace Violation All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Exited Penetrated Airspace
Weather; Human Factors; Airspace Structure
I was flying VFR at night under radar services with the NY TRACON; ISP sector. I flew eastbound along the south shore of Long Island at 3;000 feet after performing several instrument maneuvers with my student. We listened to the ATIS and told approach that we would like to return back to ISP for stop and go's. The Controller then advised us to make a left turn heading ~290 for vectors to the airport; Runway 24. I told my student to descend to 2;000 ft.; not knowing that we extended far enough east to laterally be in the FOK Class D. We leveled out at 2;000 feet where approach advised us that to be careful that we were in technically in the FOK airspace and that it would not be an overall issue. I apologized; went to ISP; and had no issues or significant events occur. We did not cause any conflicts in traffic; we were the only aircraft in the general vicinity. We stayed with approach control until we went to ISP Tower on 119.300. I do believe that FAA Order 7110.65 makes the controller responsible for coordination with the tower as we had two-way communications; however; I take full responsibility for what had occurred. I thought I was south of HWV; and due to the restricted visibility on a moonless night and no GPS; I lost situational awareness of our overall position. I was also distracted getting the ATIS with my student that we strayed too far east for our comfort. To correct this in the future; I will make sure to be more aware of my current position through use of pilotage/dead reckoning; especially at night when it can be challenging to identify visual landmarks.
C172 instructor reported that distraction and loss of situational awareness resulted in unauthorized entry into Class D airspace.