Narrative:

VFR flight. Cahokia st louis to louisville standiford. VFR and IFR charts aboard. In the vicinity of huntingburg indiana, I (small aircraft X) encountered solid overcast. I received evansville ATIS 1700 overcast and louisville ATIS 2000 overcast. Tops appeared at 4000' MSL. DME indicated 26 mi from pocket city VOR. Referring to the evansville to runway 4 approach, I determined the airport at 12.6 DME from pocket city. By adding 10 mi for the arsa radius, 22.6 DME puts me outside the arsa. I (small aircraft X) began a spiral descent from 7500 MSL down thru a large break in the overcast. To the east was solid overcast, to the west broken to scattered to clear. At 1500 MSL, I looked under the overcast which was very ragged. Continuing VFR under the overcast to louisville was decided against and as I began to turn and climb out of the break, I noticed an small aircraft Y executing a climbing right turn. The small aircraft Y had appeared from the cloud deck in front of me. Obviously he was IFR. I estimate he was virtually at my altitude, approximately 1/2 mi horizontal distance. This encounter with the small aircraft Y shook me. I decided to climb as rapidly as possible to 5000'. At 5800' I leveled and descended to 5600'. I tuned evansville approach and was shocked that they were calling me. I explained what I was attempting to do. Evansville approach asked if I had contact with the small aircraft Y. I responded that I did. Evansville approach also informed me that I was 1 1/2 mi outside the marker. I knew that this put me within the evansville arsa, but I still didn't accept that I was violating any airspace. I became suspicious that proper separation had not been maintained by the controller and that this was an attempt to hang me with a violation. I filed IFR to louisville with evansville approach. Prior to handing me off to louisville approach, evansville approach asked me to contact GADO once on the ground. After landing I spoke with 'a' at GADO. I was upset with the chain of events. 'A' commented about an arsa violation. I opened my enroute chart and the only thoughts were that I flew into owensboro airspace. 'A' began questioning me regarding the evansville arsa and as I am looking at owensboro control zone, I'm responding that no arsa exists at evansville. After concluding the call with 'a', I realize that I'm answering all of this questions regarding speaking of owensboro. Now I've really handed evansville approach a strong case against me.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INEXPERIENCED PLT OF LIGHT TWIN ENCOUNTERS IMC WHILE VFR, ATTEMPTS AGE OLD DUMB MANEUVER OF SPIRALING THROUGH A HOLE IN THE CLOUDS, HAS AIRBORNE CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER LIGHT TWIN LEGALLY IFR, PENETRATES CONTROLLED AIRSPACE WITHOUT PERMISSION.

Narrative: VFR FLT. CAHOKIA ST LOUIS TO LOUISVILLE STANDIFORD. VFR AND IFR CHARTS ABOARD. IN THE VICINITY OF HUNTINGBURG INDIANA, I (SMA X) ENCOUNTERED SOLID OVERCAST. I RECEIVED EVANSVILLE ATIS 1700 OVERCAST AND LOUISVILLE ATIS 2000 OVERCAST. TOPS APPEARED AT 4000' MSL. DME INDICATED 26 MI FROM POCKET CITY VOR. REFERRING TO THE EVANSVILLE TO RWY 4 APCH, I DETERMINED THE ARPT AT 12.6 DME FROM POCKET CITY. BY ADDING 10 MI FOR THE ARSA RADIUS, 22.6 DME PUTS ME OUTSIDE THE ARSA. I (SMA X) BEGAN A SPIRAL DESCENT FROM 7500 MSL DOWN THRU A LARGE BREAK IN THE OVERCAST. TO THE EAST WAS SOLID OVERCAST, TO THE WEST BROKEN TO SCATTERED TO CLEAR. AT 1500 MSL, I LOOKED UNDER THE OVERCAST WHICH WAS VERY RAGGED. CONTINUING VFR UNDER THE OVERCAST TO LOUISVILLE WAS DECIDED AGAINST AND AS I BEGAN TO TURN AND CLIMB OUT OF THE BREAK, I NOTICED AN SMA Y EXECUTING A CLIMBING RIGHT TURN. THE SMA Y HAD APPEARED FROM THE CLOUD DECK IN FRONT OF ME. OBVIOUSLY HE WAS IFR. I ESTIMATE HE WAS VIRTUALLY AT MY ALT, APPROX 1/2 MI HORIZONTAL DISTANCE. THIS ENCOUNTER WITH THE SMA Y SHOOK ME. I DECIDED TO CLIMB AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE TO 5000'. AT 5800' I LEVELED AND DESCENDED TO 5600'. I TUNED EVANSVILLE APCH AND WAS SHOCKED THAT THEY WERE CALLING ME. I EXPLAINED WHAT I WAS ATTEMPTING TO DO. EVANSVILLE APCH ASKED IF I HAD CONTACT WITH THE SMA Y. I RESPONDED THAT I DID. EVANSVILLE APCH ALSO INFORMED ME THAT I WAS 1 1/2 MI OUTSIDE THE MARKER. I KNEW THAT THIS PUT ME WITHIN THE EVANSVILLE ARSA, BUT I STILL DIDN'T ACCEPT THAT I WAS VIOLATING ANY AIRSPACE. I BECAME SUSPICIOUS THAT PROPER SEPARATION HAD NOT BEEN MAINTAINED BY THE CTLR AND THAT THIS WAS AN ATTEMPT TO HANG ME WITH A VIOLATION. I FILED IFR TO LOUISVILLE WITH EVANSVILLE APCH. PRIOR TO HANDING ME OFF TO LOUISVILLE APCH, EVANSVILLE APCH ASKED ME TO CONTACT GADO ONCE ON THE GND. AFTER LNDG I SPOKE WITH 'A' AT GADO. I WAS UPSET WITH THE CHAIN OF EVENTS. 'A' COMMENTED ABOUT AN ARSA VIOLATION. I OPENED MY ENROUTE CHART AND THE ONLY THOUGHTS WERE THAT I FLEW INTO OWENSBORO AIRSPACE. 'A' BEGAN QUESTIONING ME REGARDING THE EVANSVILLE ARSA AND AS I AM LOOKING AT OWENSBORO CTL ZONE, I'M RESPONDING THAT NO ARSA EXISTS AT EVANSVILLE. AFTER CONCLUDING THE CALL WITH 'A', I REALIZE THAT I'M ANSWERING ALL OF THIS QUESTIONS REGARDING SPEAKING OF OWENSBORO. NOW I'VE REALLY HANDED EVANSVILLE APCH A STRONG CASE AGAINST ME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.