Narrative:

Upper level trough moving west to east was generating rain showers and turbulence along east slope rockies. A hurry up trip from cut bank to calgary to pick up ceo and his wife from weekend meetings at calgary. Filed VFR on the return trip, calgary to cut bank, to avoid delays out of calgary as boss was in a hurry to get to cut bank office. On climb out boss' wife was upset with turbulence and in dealing with that situation, I forgot about difference in us-canada airspace rules! I leveled at 15500' VFR above a broken cloud layer and in smooth air. Became involved with trimming engines and didn't think about altitude until switched to yql tower to monitor across their airspace. Yql tower was advising a regional air carrier that center was tracking a flight at 15500' and not in communication. I called yql tower and 'fessed up, and started a descent below 12000'. As a single pilot corp operator, I fall into habit patterns. One is that I seldom operate VFR in pressurized twin engine aircraft. The company also operates a heavy single engine, mostly VFR, below 10000' MSL. In trying to save a few mins for the boss, and giving the mrs. A good ride, I forgot the peculiarities of canadian airspace. I shall dig out my copy of air navigation orders and refresh my memory lest the mounties come looking for me. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter contacted to obtain information not included in the older NASA reporting form. The reporter confirmed that he did indeed operate VFR on top. The reporter has now reviewed canadian air regulation and navigation orders. The mot in canada is not pursuing enforcement.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH PENETRATION OF POSITIVE CTL AIRSPACE FOR CORP TURBO-PROP IN CANADA.

Narrative: UPPER LEVEL TROUGH MOVING W TO E WAS GENERATING RAIN SHOWERS AND TURB ALONG E SLOPE ROCKIES. A HURRY UP TRIP FROM CUT BANK TO CALGARY TO PICK UP CEO AND HIS WIFE FROM WEEKEND MEETINGS AT CALGARY. FILED VFR ON THE RETURN TRIP, CALGARY TO CUT BANK, TO AVOID DELAYS OUT OF CALGARY AS BOSS WAS IN A HURRY TO GET TO CUT BANK OFFICE. ON CLBOUT BOSS' WIFE WAS UPSET WITH TURB AND IN DEALING WITH THAT SITUATION, I FORGOT ABOUT DIFFERENCE IN U.S.-CANADA AIRSPACE RULES! I LEVELED AT 15500' VFR ABOVE A BROKEN CLOUD LAYER AND IN SMOOTH AIR. BECAME INVOLVED WITH TRIMMING ENGS AND DIDN'T THINK ABOUT ALT UNTIL SWITCHED TO YQL TWR TO MONITOR ACROSS THEIR AIRSPACE. YQL TWR WAS ADVISING A REGIONAL ACR THAT CENTER WAS TRACKING A FLT AT 15500' AND NOT IN COM. I CALLED YQL TWR AND 'FESSED UP, AND STARTED A DSNT BELOW 12000'. AS A SINGLE PLT CORP OPERATOR, I FALL INTO HABIT PATTERNS. ONE IS THAT I SELDOM OPERATE VFR IN PRESSURIZED TWIN ENG ACFT. THE COMPANY ALSO OPERATES A HEAVY SINGLE ENG, MOSTLY VFR, BELOW 10000' MSL. IN TRYING TO SAVE A FEW MINS FOR THE BOSS, AND GIVING THE MRS. A GOOD RIDE, I FORGOT THE PECULIARITIES OF CANADIAN AIRSPACE. I SHALL DIG OUT MY COPY OF AIR NAV ORDERS AND REFRESH MY MEMORY LEST THE MOUNTIES COME LOOKING FOR ME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR CONTACTED TO OBTAIN INFO NOT INCLUDED IN THE OLDER NASA RPTING FORM. THE RPTR CONFIRMED THAT HE DID INDEED OPERATE VFR ON TOP. THE RPTR HAS NOW REVIEWED CANADIAN AIR REG AND NAV ORDERS. THE MOT IN CANADA IS NOT PURSUING ENFORCEMENT.

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