Narrative:

I had traveled to the riverside airport to pickup an aircraft that had participated in an aeronautical fair. The airport was very crowded with numerous departures. It was late in the day and I had a 2 plus hour flight to return to home base. I first had filed IFR, but it became apparent that an IFR departure would take a long time. The airport was reporting VFR with 3 mi and VFR departures were occurring without much delay. I elected to depart VFR. I reviewed my terminal area chart and planned a VFR route under the arsa to the northwest. I departed runway 27 and made an immediate right turn to accommodate departing traffic behind me. I proceeded on an intercept heading to the 015 degree radial of the paradise VOR. This would take me below and clear the arsa as planned. I did not encounter the radial as anticipated and progressed toward ontario international until I could see it about 6-7 mi away. I couldn't understand why I didn't intercept the preferred radial. I thought then that I had possibly penetrated the ontario arsa. I began to study the chart again. In a rush fashion, I interpreted the boundaries wrong. I perceived that there was a corridor between norton AFB and ontario international and it was to the surface, and I had not noticed it before. I attempted to contact ontario approach control, but I could not get a word in edge ways. I managed to get one call attempt off, but got no response. I became frustrated, embarrassed at myself, and was trying to make a decision on what was best to do. I did not want to transit the perceived corridor to ontario international. By this time I had allowed the aircraft to gain altitude into the arsa. I found the quickest out was up. I could not do any worse than I already had done. So the shortest time and distance to get out of the arsa was up to an altitude above 5000 ft. I was flying an small aircraft, fully IFR equipped. This is an aircraft that looks like a trail dragger. The instrument panel being small, the radio stack was installed below the instrument panel between the pilot's knees. Apparently something like my knee board or chart folded edge depressed the navigation/communication FLIP-flop switch and retuned the navigation to pomona VOR. That caused the navigation error. Seeing that things were not working out and an airspace problem had cropped up in a high density traffic, highly sensitive news worthy aircraft incident area of which I did not want to become a part of, placed me in catch-up flying situation. A hurry departure, with poor planning. I discovered after returning home that the back side of the terminal area chart had some very valuable information on it. Anticipate not being able to talk to ATC when you're VFR, and when you find yourself in a bind, get on the radio with urgency if necessary to get a response. Don't allow yourself to get frustrated, which causes other mistakes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTHORIZED PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE. PROX OF ARSA.

Narrative: I HAD TRAVELED TO THE RIVERSIDE ARPT TO PICKUP AN ACFT THAT HAD PARTICIPATED IN AN AERO FAIR. THE ARPT WAS VERY CROWDED WITH NUMEROUS DEPS. IT WAS LATE IN THE DAY AND I HAD A 2 PLUS HR FLT TO RETURN TO HOME BASE. I FIRST HAD FILED IFR, BUT IT BECAME APPARENT THAT AN IFR DEP WOULD TAKE A LONG TIME. THE ARPT WAS RPTING VFR WITH 3 MI AND VFR DEPS WERE OCCURRING WITHOUT MUCH DELAY. I ELECTED TO DEPART VFR. I REVIEWED MY TERMINAL AREA CHART AND PLANNED A VFR RTE UNDER THE ARSA TO THE NW. I DEPARTED RWY 27 AND MADE AN IMMEDIATE R TURN TO ACCOMMODATE DEPARTING TFC BEHIND ME. I PROCEEDED ON AN INTERCEPT HDG TO THE 015 DEG RADIAL OF THE PARADISE VOR. THIS WOULD TAKE ME BELOW AND CLR THE ARSA AS PLANNED. I DID NOT ENCOUNTER THE RADIAL AS ANTICIPATED AND PROGRESSED TOWARD ONTARIO INTL UNTIL I COULD SEE IT ABOUT 6-7 MI AWAY. I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY I DIDN'T INTERCEPT THE PREFERRED RADIAL. I THOUGHT THEN THAT I HAD POSSIBLY PENETRATED THE ONTARIO ARSA. I BEGAN TO STUDY THE CHART AGAIN. IN A RUSH FASHION, I INTERPRETED THE BOUNDARIES WRONG. I PERCEIVED THAT THERE WAS A CORRIDOR BTWN NORTON AFB AND ONTARIO INTL AND IT WAS TO THE SURFACE, AND I HAD NOT NOTICED IT BEFORE. I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT ONTARIO APCH CTL, BUT I COULD NOT GET A WORD IN EDGE WAYS. I MANAGED TO GET ONE CALL ATTEMPT OFF, BUT GOT NO RESPONSE. I BECAME FRUSTRATED, EMBARRASSED AT MYSELF, AND WAS TRYING TO MAKE A DECISION ON WHAT WAS BEST TO DO. I DID NOT WANT TO TRANSIT THE PERCEIVED CORRIDOR TO ONTARIO INTL. BY THIS TIME I HAD ALLOWED THE ACFT TO GAIN ALT INTO THE ARSA. I FOUND THE QUICKEST OUT WAS UP. I COULD NOT DO ANY WORSE THAN I ALREADY HAD DONE. SO THE SHORTEST TIME AND DISTANCE TO GET OUT OF THE ARSA WAS UP TO AN ALT ABOVE 5000 FT. I WAS FLYING AN SMA, FULLY IFR EQUIPPED. THIS IS AN ACFT THAT LOOKS LIKE A TRAIL DRAGGER. THE INST PANEL BEING SMALL, THE RADIO STACK WAS INSTALLED BELOW THE INST PANEL BTWN THE PLT'S KNEES. APPARENTLY SOMETHING LIKE MY KNEE BOARD OR CHART FOLDED EDGE DEPRESSED THE NAV/COM FLIP-FLOP SWITCH AND RETUNED THE NAV TO POMONA VOR. THAT CAUSED THE NAV ERROR. SEEING THAT THINGS WERE NOT WORKING OUT AND AN AIRSPACE PROBLEM HAD CROPPED UP IN A HIGH DENSITY TFC, HIGHLY SENSITIVE NEWS WORTHY ACFT INCIDENT AREA OF WHICH I DID NOT WANT TO BECOME A PART OF, PLACED ME IN CATCH-UP FLYING SITUATION. A HURRY DEP, WITH POOR PLANNING. I DISCOVERED AFTER RETURNING HOME THAT THE BACK SIDE OF THE TERMINAL AREA CHART HAD SOME VERY VALUABLE INFO ON IT. ANTICIPATE NOT BEING ABLE TO TALK TO ATC WHEN YOU'RE VFR, AND WHEN YOU FIND YOURSELF IN A BIND, GET ON THE RADIO WITH URGENCY IF NECESSARY TO GET A RESPONSE. DON'T ALLOW YOURSELF TO GET FRUSTRATED, WHICH CAUSES OTHER MISTAKES.

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.