Narrative:

I did a thorough preflight inspection and engine run up at U42 using a checklist. I also calculated the weight and balance of the aircraft and the aircraft was within limits but closer to the max than I usually fly. I am also typically fly out of airports at lower elevations.after completing run up I struggled a little bit to find the taxi ways to runway 34 which the winds were favoring. I tried to find an airport diagram for U42 in advance of the flight but none was available. This struggle had me a bit flustered as this was an unfamiliar airport to me with a more complex taxi system than I am used to.I approached the runway; checked for traffic; made a radio call and took off. The aircraft struggled more than usual to take off which I attributed to the higher altitude and higher load than I normally carry. However; after takeoff the climb was extremely slow. Normally I climb out at 88 mph (approximately vy); but I was forced to climb out at about 80 mph (approximately vx) in order to gain altitude. And the altitude gains were maybe 1/5th the normal rate.I started to panic and tried to determine what was wrong. Had I grossly miscalculated the load? Was the density altitude far too high than I am used to? Were my flaps mis-configured? Did my plane have the wrong type of fuel? Had the tanks been compromised with rain water that day? Where would I make an emergency landing if my engine was failing?I remembered my training and focused on 'flying the plane.' I knew I needed to keep from stalling as this would likely be deadly this close to the ground. I had to keep my airspeed above vx and fly the plane straight and level without turning. I remembered that trying to turn back to the runway in this situation is often fatal. I had to focus on flying the plane at the expense of navigation or other concerns while determining what was wrong.my GPS started warning that I was nearing slc class B airspace. I believed this was the airspace above me and focused my attention on my airspeed and trying to gain altitude. Suddenly my GPS indicated that I had entered the slc B airspace. I knew I didn't have permission and I realized what had happened. I was so focused on flying the plane that I hadn't turned left as I had planned and runway 34 was pointed directly at the slc class B airspace all the way to the ground.I had gained enough altitude that I was comfortable with a careful turn to the left to get my plane out of the airspace as quickly as possible without stalling the plane.once clear of the B airspace; I continued to search my instruments and flight controls for the source of my engine's poor performance. Mixture was good; throttle was full; primer was in and locked. But carb heat was set to hot! I pushed the carb heat control to cold and my engine roared with new life. My airspeed and climb improved instantly and dramatically. I realized what must have happened. During my engine run up I make sure the engine would idle and turned on carb heat to prevent icing. But I had left the carb heat on by mistake and missed the check during the pre-take off checklist.what contributed to the mistake was the lack of airport diagram for U42 and lack of familiarity with the airport which caused me to become flustered and miss a critical item on the check list. Also; I would have liked to connect with flight following from the ground but wasn't sure how to do this at U42. Was I supposed to call clearance? Slc approach? Slc center? Had I been on flight following a controller might have warned me I was heading directly for [class] B or I could have explained what was going on when I experienced engine trouble.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 pilot reported an airspace incursion resulted when he inadvertently took off with carburetor heat on and was concerned with terrain clearance.

Narrative: I did a thorough preflight inspection and engine run up at U42 using a checklist. I also calculated the weight and balance of the aircraft and the aircraft was within limits but closer to the max than I usually fly. I am also typically fly out of airports at lower elevations.After completing run up I struggled a little bit to find the taxi ways to runway 34 which the winds were favoring. I tried to find an airport diagram for U42 in advance of the flight but none was available. This struggle had me a bit flustered as this was an unfamiliar airport to me with a more complex taxi system than I am used to.I approached the runway; checked for traffic; made a radio call and took off. The aircraft struggled more than usual to take off which I attributed to the higher altitude and higher load than I normally carry. However; after takeoff the climb was extremely slow. Normally I climb out at 88 mph (approximately Vy); but I was forced to climb out at about 80 mph (approximately Vx) in order to gain altitude. And the altitude gains were maybe 1/5th the normal rate.I started to panic and tried to determine what was wrong. Had I grossly miscalculated the load? Was the density altitude far too high than I am used to? Were my flaps mis-configured? Did my plane have the wrong type of fuel? Had the tanks been compromised with rain water that day? Where would I make an emergency landing if my engine was failing?I remembered my training and focused on 'flying the plane.' I knew I needed to keep from stalling as this would likely be deadly this close to the ground. I had to keep my airspeed above Vx and fly the plane straight and level without turning. I remembered that trying to turn back to the runway in this situation is often fatal. I had to focus on flying the plane at the expense of navigation or other concerns while determining what was wrong.My GPS started warning that I was nearing SLC Class B airspace. I believed this was the airspace above me and focused my attention on my airspeed and trying to gain altitude. Suddenly my GPS indicated that I had entered the SLC B airspace. I knew I didn't have permission and I realized what had happened. I was so focused on flying the plane that I hadn't turned left as I had planned and runway 34 was pointed directly at the SLC Class B airspace all the way to the ground.I had gained enough altitude that I was comfortable with a careful turn to the left to get my plane out of the airspace as quickly as possible without stalling the plane.Once clear of the B airspace; I continued to search my instruments and flight controls for the source of my engine's poor performance. Mixture was good; throttle was full; primer was in and locked. But carb heat was set to hot! I pushed the carb heat control to cold and my engine roared with new life. My airspeed and climb improved instantly and dramatically. I realized what must have happened. During my engine run up I make sure the engine would idle and turned on carb heat to prevent icing. But I had left the carb heat on by mistake and missed the check during the pre-take off checklist.What contributed to the mistake was the lack of airport diagram for U42 and lack of familiarity with the airport which caused me to become flustered and miss a critical item on the check list. Also; I would have liked to connect with Flight Following from the ground but wasn't sure how to do this at U42. Was I supposed to call clearance? SLC Approach? SLC Center? Had I been on Flight Following a Controller might have warned me I was heading directly for [Class] B or I could have explained what was going on when I experienced engine trouble.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.