Narrative:

In the late afternoon of sep/xx/93, I departed lansing, il, for kalamazoo, mi. This was the 4TH leg of a business trip that day from kalamazoo to eau claire, wi, and return. Although I had filed an IFR flight plan from lansing to kalamazoo, I was unable to reach chicago approach to activate it on the ground, and so departed VFR to the west off runway 27 and contacted chicago approach for a clearance as I turned to the east. Since I was 1 hour ahead of my flight plan time, it took approach several mins to locate the plan. In the interim time, I turned to the northeast and continued my climb to 2900 ft MSL, all in VFR conditions. When I had plotted my course to kalamazoo, I did not notice any control zones or arsa's on the course. When chicago approach responded to give me a clearance, they pointed out that I had entered class D airspace without a clearance, the gary, in, airport control zone. Following that, I received a vector taking me directly over the gary airport and a clearance to kalamazoo. About 1 min later, chicago approach told me gary had responded to the incursion as 'no problem.' for my part, I was quite upset. This occurrence was a reinforcement of my fear to fly VFR. Since I almost always file IFR and only keep my IFR charts fully current, I am always concerned that the differences in the VFR environment will lead to problems exactly like what happened at gary. After arriving home I investigated to figure out what I had missed. I found that the familiar dotted lines for control zones had been replaced on the current 23 low altitude chart with class D airspace symbols. I also noticed that there is no class D symbol associated with gary, undoubtedly a chart error. Honestly, I probably would not have noticed the class D symbol on sep/xx/93, but I surely will in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ENTERS CLASS D AIRSPACE WHILE ATTEMPTING AN IFR CLRNC.

Narrative: IN THE LATE AFTERNOON OF SEP/XX/93, I DEPARTED LANSING, IL, FOR KALAMAZOO, MI. THIS WAS THE 4TH LEG OF A BUSINESS TRIP THAT DAY FROM KALAMAZOO TO EAU CLAIRE, WI, AND RETURN. ALTHOUGH I HAD FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM LANSING TO KALAMAZOO, I WAS UNABLE TO REACH CHICAGO APCH TO ACTIVATE IT ON THE GND, AND SO DEPARTED VFR TO THE W OFF RWY 27 AND CONTACTED CHICAGO APCH FOR A CLRNC AS I TURNED TO THE E. SINCE I WAS 1 HR AHEAD OF MY FLT PLAN TIME, IT TOOK APCH SEVERAL MINS TO LOCATE THE PLAN. IN THE INTERIM TIME, I TURNED TO THE NE AND CONTINUED MY CLB TO 2900 FT MSL, ALL IN VFR CONDITIONS. WHEN I HAD PLOTTED MY COURSE TO KALAMAZOO, I DID NOT NOTICE ANY CTL ZONES OR ARSA'S ON THE COURSE. WHEN CHICAGO APCH RESPONDED TO GIVE ME A CLRNC, THEY POINTED OUT THAT I HAD ENTERED CLASS D AIRSPACE WITHOUT A CLRNC, THE GARY, IN, ARPT CTL ZONE. FOLLOWING THAT, I RECEIVED A VECTOR TAKING ME DIRECTLY OVER THE GARY ARPT AND A CLRNC TO KALAMAZOO. ABOUT 1 MIN LATER, CHICAGO APCH TOLD ME GARY HAD RESPONDED TO THE INCURSION AS 'NO PROB.' FOR MY PART, I WAS QUITE UPSET. THIS OCCURRENCE WAS A REINFORCEMENT OF MY FEAR TO FLY VFR. SINCE I ALMOST ALWAYS FILE IFR AND ONLY KEEP MY IFR CHARTS FULLY CURRENT, I AM ALWAYS CONCERNED THAT THE DIFFERENCES IN THE VFR ENVIRONMENT WILL LEAD TO PROBS EXACTLY LIKE WHAT HAPPENED AT GARY. AFTER ARRIVING HOME I INVESTIGATED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT I HAD MISSED. I FOUND THAT THE FAMILIAR DOTTED LINES FOR CTL ZONES HAD BEEN REPLACED ON THE CURRENT 23 LOW ALT CHART WITH CLASS D AIRSPACE SYMBOLS. I ALSO NOTICED THAT THERE IS NO CLASS D SYMBOL ASSOCIATED WITH GARY, UNDOUBTEDLY A CHART ERROR. HONESTLY, I PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE NOTICED THE CLASS D SYMBOL ON SEP/XX/93, BUT I SURELY WILL IN THE FUTURE.

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.