Narrative:

It was a flight of 5 king air B200's. We were going from scottsdale to goodyear (25.4 NM) chief pilot called approach and asked best way to get to goodyear with minimum delay. They suggested a 241 degrees heading for 10 mi at 3000 ft then left 220 degree to 16 mi at 2500 ft to goodyear. All 5 crews were briefed. As we took off (chief pilot and myself) we made a left turn to the 245 degree heading. As I flew, chief pilot was supposed to be checking to help keep us out of everyone's airspace. Within first 30 seconds he said he didn't think he would be any help because the new map was difficult to read. I went to the GPS for navigation help. It indicated we were north of our track so I adjusted. We ended up passing north and west of our planned initial fix. I entered direct goodyear but got an erroneous reading west. When I looked up we had already drifted too far west into glendale class D airspace. Since goodyear was just south I concentrated on collision avoidance, (there fortunately was none), tuning the radios for goodyear and landing. At the time I felt we needed more knowledge of the area. It was a 9 minute flight - with the help I had, too much happened too quick. For the trip back we discussed points on the map to help keep us clear of all airspace (controled), to stay west of the powerplants and south of deer park. We talked to glendale as we passed east of them, I then ran the normal checklists and checked ATIS at scottsdale. I looked up from writing the ATIS and found that we were just east of the powerplant. Pointed this out to the PF. He said 'we're ok'. I then asked him to correct west and showed him on the map, we were in the corner of the phoenix TCA. After clearing the TCA I gave him the NDB to scottsdale which if flown direct would keep us clear of the TCA and deer park. I ran the descent, 180 descending, and approach check, checked in with the FBO, while at the same time calling out twice that we were not tracking to the NDB but drifting north. Checking our position with the map found us on the edge of deer park's airspace (class D). We turned south, then east to clear deer park, called scottsdale and landed. The reason all 5 aircraft went VFR was to keep the passenger from having to wait on each other at the destination. To do this, safety was sacrificed by not using ATC because of feared delays caused by vectoring or holds on the ground. As a pilot/crew member we should have made ourselves more familiar with the area. In the case of my partner, he said he had been flying the hawker lately and felt totally behind and unfamiliar with the king air and the VFR operations. As a pilot I should have realized that a VFR flight around a TCA, 2 class D airspaces, in an unfamiliar area, all in 10 min, was asking for trouble. In talking with one other crew, they as well had encroached on glendale's airspace. VFR in this case was a bad idea!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT OF 5 KING AIR ACFT HAVE UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE ON SHORT 9 MIN FLT.

Narrative: IT WAS A FLT OF 5 KING AIR B200'S. WE WERE GOING FROM SCOTTSDALE TO GOODYEAR (25.4 NM) CHIEF PLT CALLED APCH AND ASKED BEST WAY TO GET TO GOODYEAR WITH MINIMUM DELAY. THEY SUGGESTED A 241 DEGS HDG FOR 10 MI AT 3000 FT THEN L 220 DEG TO 16 MI AT 2500 FT TO GOODYEAR. ALL 5 CREWS WERE BRIEFED. AS WE TOOK OFF (CHIEF PLT AND MYSELF) WE MADE A L TURN TO THE 245 DEG HDG. AS I FLEW, CHIEF PLT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE CHKING TO HELP KEEP US OUT OF EVERYONE'S AIRSPACE. WITHIN FIRST 30 SECONDS HE SAID HE DIDN'T THINK HE WOULD BE ANY HELP BECAUSE THE NEW MAP WAS DIFFICULT TO READ. I WENT TO THE GPS FOR NAV HELP. IT INDICATED WE WERE N OF OUR TRACK SO I ADJUSTED. WE ENDED UP PASSING N AND W OF OUR PLANNED INITIAL FIX. I ENTERED DIRECT GOODYEAR BUT GOT AN ERRONEOUS READING W. WHEN I LOOKED UP WE HAD ALREADY DRIFTED TOO FAR W INTO GLENDALE CLASS D AIRSPACE. SINCE GOODYEAR WAS JUST S I CONCENTRATED ON COLLISION AVOIDANCE, (THERE FORTUNATELY WAS NONE), TUNING THE RADIOS FOR GOODYEAR AND LNDG. AT THE TIME I FELT WE NEEDED MORE KNOWLEDGE OF THE AREA. IT WAS A 9 MINUTE FLT - WITH THE HELP I HAD, TOO MUCH HAPPENED TOO QUICK. FOR THE TRIP BACK WE DISCUSSED POINTS ON THE MAP TO HELP KEEP US CLR OF ALL AIRSPACE (CTLED), TO STAY W OF THE POWERPLANTS AND S OF DEER PARK. WE TALKED TO GLENDALE AS WE PASSED E OF THEM, I THEN RAN THE NORMAL CHKLISTS AND CHKED ATIS AT SCOTTSDALE. I LOOKED UP FROM WRITING THE ATIS AND FOUND THAT WE WERE JUST E OF THE POWERPLANT. POINTED THIS OUT TO THE PF. HE SAID 'WE'RE OK'. I THEN ASKED HIM TO CORRECT W AND SHOWED HIM ON THE MAP, WE WERE IN THE CORNER OF THE PHOENIX TCA. AFTER CLRING THE TCA I GAVE HIM THE NDB TO SCOTTSDALE WHICH IF FLOWN DIRECT WOULD KEEP US CLR OF THE TCA AND DEER PARK. I RAN THE DSCNT, 180 DSNDING, AND APCH CHK, CHKED IN WITH THE FBO, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME CALLING OUT TWICE THAT WE WERE NOT TRACKING TO THE NDB BUT DRIFTING N. CHKING OUR POS WITH THE MAP FOUND US ON THE EDGE OF DEER PARK'S AIRSPACE (CLASS D). WE TURNED S, THEN E TO CLR DEER PARK, CALLED SCOTTSDALE AND LANDED. THE REASON ALL 5 ACFT WENT VFR WAS TO KEEP THE PAX FROM HAVING TO WAIT ON EACH OTHER AT THE DEST. TO DO THIS, SAFETY WAS SACRIFICED BY NOT USING ATC BECAUSE OF FEARED DELAYS CAUSED BY VECTORING OR HOLDS ON THE GND. AS A PLT/CREW MEMBER WE SHOULD HAVE MADE OURSELVES MORE FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA. IN THE CASE OF MY PARTNER, HE SAID HE HAD BEEN FLYING THE HAWKER LATELY AND FELT TOTALLY BEHIND AND UNFAMILIAR WITH THE KING AIR AND THE VFR OPS. AS A PLT I SHOULD HAVE REALIZED THAT A VFR FLT AROUND A TCA, 2 CLASS D AIRSPACES, IN AN UNFAMILIAR AREA, ALL IN 10 MIN, WAS ASKING FOR TROUBLE. IN TALKING WITH ONE OTHER CREW, THEY AS WELL HAD ENCROACHED ON GLENDALE'S AIRSPACE. VFR IN THIS CASE WAS A BAD IDEA!

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.