Narrative:

At the above date and time our aircraft entered las vegas (las) class 'B' airspace without a clearance (far 91.131 a(1)). I was first officer and the PF. The captain was the PNF. We were flying from the grand canyon airport to the henderson sky harbor airport with no passenger. At approximately 40 mi out, the captain requested a practice ILS approach with a missed approach, direct sky harbor airport. We received a squawk code which the captain put in the transponder. I had my foggles on and the captain began giving me altitude and heading changes so we could stay out of the class 'B' airspace, waiting for a clearance to do the approach. As I looked at our DME, I could sense we were about to enter class 'B' airspace without a clearance. I asked the captain 'what are we doing?' I said that we were about the enter the las class 'B' airspace without a clearance. I suggested we contact ATC immediately. The captain complied with my request. ATC said that he did not receive the squawk he assigned to us. I looked at our transponder and put the switch from standby to altitude. ATC then said he had radar contact with us, gave us an approach clearance, and told us that we had entered the class 'B' airspace without a clearance. The captain responded by saying he had tried to contact him (ATC) but, he (ATC) was very busy. We completed the low approach at las and landed at henderson sky harbor airport. Contributing factors: 1) captain had missed turning on the transponder when he had done the final items part of the before takeoff checklist silently. I had failed to notice that the captain had not turned on the transponder as I was taking off from the grand canyon airport. 2) the captain waited too long to reestablish contact with ATC. 3) the captain directed our aircraft under the class 'B' airspace, waiting for a clearance, with no alternate course of action should ATC not be able to give us a clearance to do the approach. 4) the captain did not interpret the boundary lines of the las class 'B' airspace correctly. Corrective actions: 1) I attempted to discuss this incident with the captain, telling him I was not happy with his actions and I did not want to get any violations on my airman record. I suggested that we critique this incident so that we would not get into this predicament again. The captain's response was that if I had descended to 6000 ft faster we would not have entered the class 'B' airspace and that we were on the edge of the class 'B' airspace anyway. 2) I notified my chief pilot of this incident. He said he would talk to my captain.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR TAXI ACFT ENTERS CLASS 'B' AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: AT THE ABOVE DATE AND TIME OUR ACFT ENTERED LAS VEGAS (LAS) CLASS 'B' AIRSPACE WITHOUT A CLRNC (FAR 91.131 A(1)). I WAS FO AND THE PF. THE CAPT WAS THE PNF. WE WERE FLYING FROM THE GRAND CANYON ARPT TO THE HENDERSON SKY HARBOR ARPT WITH NO PAX. AT APPROX 40 MI OUT, THE CAPT REQUESTED A PRACTICE ILS APCH WITH A MISSED APCH, DIRECT SKY HARBOR ARPT. WE RECEIVED A SQUAWK CODE WHICH THE CAPT PUT IN THE XPONDER. I HAD MY FOGGLES ON AND THE CAPT BEGAN GIVING ME ALT AND HDG CHANGES SO WE COULD STAY OUT OF THE CLASS 'B' AIRSPACE, WAITING FOR A CLRNC TO DO THE APCH. AS I LOOKED AT OUR DME, I COULD SENSE WE WERE ABOUT TO ENTER CLASS 'B' AIRSPACE WITHOUT A CLRNC. I ASKED THE CAPT 'WHAT ARE WE DOING?' I SAID THAT WE WERE ABOUT THE ENTER THE LAS CLASS 'B' AIRSPACE WITHOUT A CLRNC. I SUGGESTED WE CONTACT ATC IMMEDIATELY. THE CAPT COMPLIED WITH MY REQUEST. ATC SAID THAT HE DID NOT RECEIVE THE SQUAWK HE ASSIGNED TO US. I LOOKED AT OUR XPONDER AND PUT THE SWITCH FROM STANDBY TO ALT. ATC THEN SAID HE HAD RADAR CONTACT WITH US, GAVE US AN APCH CLRNC, AND TOLD US THAT WE HAD ENTERED THE CLASS 'B' AIRSPACE WITHOUT A CLRNC. THE CAPT RESPONDED BY SAYING HE HAD TRIED TO CONTACT HIM (ATC) BUT, HE (ATC) WAS VERY BUSY. WE COMPLETED THE LOW APCH AT LAS AND LANDED AT HENDERSON SKY HARBOR ARPT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) CAPT HAD MISSED TURNING ON THE XPONDER WHEN HE HAD DONE THE FINAL ITEMS PART OF THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST SILENTLY. I HAD FAILED TO NOTICE THAT THE CAPT HAD NOT TURNED ON THE XPONDER AS I WAS TAKING OFF FROM THE GRAND CANYON ARPT. 2) THE CAPT WAITED TOO LONG TO REESTABLISH CONTACT WITH ATC. 3) THE CAPT DIRECTED OUR ACFT UNDER THE CLASS 'B' AIRSPACE, WAITING FOR A CLRNC, WITH NO ALTERNATE COURSE OF ACTION SHOULD ATC NOT BE ABLE TO GIVE US A CLRNC TO DO THE APCH. 4) THE CAPT DID NOT INTERPRET THE BOUNDARY LINES OF THE LAS CLASS 'B' AIRSPACE CORRECTLY. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: 1) I ATTEMPTED TO DISCUSS THIS INCIDENT WITH THE CAPT, TELLING HIM I WAS NOT HAPPY WITH HIS ACTIONS AND I DID NOT WANT TO GET ANY VIOLATIONS ON MY AIRMAN RECORD. I SUGGESTED THAT WE CRITIQUE THIS INCIDENT SO THAT WE WOULD NOT GET INTO THIS PREDICAMENT AGAIN. THE CAPT'S RESPONSE WAS THAT IF I HAD DSNDED TO 6000 FT FASTER WE WOULD NOT HAVE ENTERED THE CLASS 'B' AIRSPACE AND THAT WE WERE ON THE EDGE OF THE CLASS 'B' AIRSPACE ANYWAY. 2) I NOTIFIED MY CHIEF PLT OF THIS INCIDENT. HE SAID HE WOULD TALK TO MY CAPT.

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.