Narrative:

I was ferrying my aircraft (a decathlon 8KCAB) from rochester, wi, to warrinton, va. I had just picked up the aircraft from the factory after a total recovering job which included a new all-metal wing. My first planned stop was circleville, oh. I had planned the route to fly at 3500 ft to avoid potential airspace conflicts, as there were several class D airports along or near my route of flight with upper limits of 3300 ft and 3400 ft MSL. I was flying the aircraft with another pilot in the rear seat assisting with navigation. En route I discovered that the left fuel tank did not appear to be feeding properly. We decided to stop at alexandria, in, to refuel and call back to the factory for advice. They suggested we try swapping gas caps. We were somewhat pressed for time since we were trying to get back to warrenton before dark (although I am night current and the aircraft is night-approved I prefer not to fly it at night). In my haste, I didn't look at the chart again prior to takeoff (I had already planned the whole flight and had my plan on my kneeboard and was relying on my rear-seat pilot for navigational assistance). We departed alexandria to the west and then turned east to intercept our course line to richmond, in. I had richmond in the LORAN and climbed to 3500 ft within about 1/4 mi of the course- line (according to the LORAN). After reaching 3500 ft I noticed a fairly large airport off to my right which my rear- seat pilot noted was class D airspace with an upper limit of 3400 ft. I bumped my altitude up to 3600 ft to be on the safe side. A while later I looked at the chart myself and realized that our course line on the chart went between 2 class D airspaces at anderson, in, and muncie, in, with about 2 mi for spare on either side. My original plan had been to call 1 or the other to ensure we didn't have an incursion (as I had done at grissom AFB previously) but in the confusion/urgency due to the unplanned stop at alexandria, I had forgotten all about it. We climbed very quickly and we were right on our course line according to the LORAN, but I realized after the flight there was a possibility we may have inadvertently brushed the northern edge of anderson's class D airspace. The moral of the story is that when your plan gets interrupted, you need to be careful to review the plan again! If I had simply looked at the chart for 5 seconds prior to takeoff (instead of relying on my back-seater) I would have immediately realized the potential for incursion and would have called anderson tower after departing the pattern at alexandria. How to prevent a recurrence -- don't rely on someone else to do your navigating (at least not completely) and look at your chart right before you take off even if you think you know what you're doing! Slow down when unexpected things happen, review your plan and revise it if necessary!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HAS POSSIBLE PENETRATION INTO CLASS D AIRSPACE ON CLBOUT.

Narrative: I WAS FERRYING MY ACFT (A DECATHLON 8KCAB) FROM ROCHESTER, WI, TO WARRINTON, VA. I HAD JUST PICKED UP THE ACFT FROM THE FACTORY AFTER A TOTAL RECOVERING JOB WHICH INCLUDED A NEW ALL-METAL WING. MY FIRST PLANNED STOP WAS CIRCLEVILLE, OH. I HAD PLANNED THE RTE TO FLY AT 3500 FT TO AVOID POTENTIAL AIRSPACE CONFLICTS, AS THERE WERE SEVERAL CLASS D ARPTS ALONG OR NEAR MY RTE OF FLT WITH UPPER LIMITS OF 3300 FT AND 3400 FT MSL. I WAS FLYING THE ACFT WITH ANOTHER PLT IN THE REAR SEAT ASSISTING WITH NAV. ENRTE I DISCOVERED THAT THE L FUEL TANK DID NOT APPEAR TO BE FEEDING PROPERLY. WE DECIDED TO STOP AT ALEXANDRIA, IN, TO REFUEL AND CALL BACK TO THE FACTORY FOR ADVICE. THEY SUGGESTED WE TRY SWAPPING GAS CAPS. WE WERE SOMEWHAT PRESSED FOR TIME SINCE WE WERE TRYING TO GET BACK TO WARRENTON BEFORE DARK (ALTHOUGH I AM NIGHT CURRENT AND THE ACFT IS NIGHT-APPROVED I PREFER NOT TO FLY IT AT NIGHT). IN MY HASTE, I DIDN'T LOOK AT THE CHART AGAIN PRIOR TO TKOF (I HAD ALREADY PLANNED THE WHOLE FLT AND HAD MY PLAN ON MY KNEEBOARD AND WAS RELYING ON MY REAR-SEAT PLT FOR NAVIGATIONAL ASSISTANCE). WE DEPARTED ALEXANDRIA TO THE W AND THEN TURNED E TO INTERCEPT OUR COURSE LINE TO RICHMOND, IN. I HAD RICHMOND IN THE LORAN AND CLBED TO 3500 FT WITHIN ABOUT 1/4 MI OF THE COURSE- LINE (ACCORDING TO THE LORAN). AFTER REACHING 3500 FT I NOTICED A FAIRLY LARGE ARPT OFF TO MY R WHICH MY REAR- SEAT PLT NOTED WAS CLASS D AIRSPACE WITH AN UPPER LIMIT OF 3400 FT. I BUMPED MY ALT UP TO 3600 FT TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE. A WHILE LATER I LOOKED AT THE CHART MYSELF AND REALIZED THAT OUR COURSE LINE ON THE CHART WENT BTWN 2 CLASS D AIRSPACES AT ANDERSON, IN, AND MUNCIE, IN, WITH ABOUT 2 MI FOR SPARE ON EITHER SIDE. MY ORIGINAL PLAN HAD BEEN TO CALL 1 OR THE OTHER TO ENSURE WE DIDN'T HAVE AN INCURSION (AS I HAD DONE AT GRISSOM AFB PREVIOUSLY) BUT IN THE CONFUSION/URGENCY DUE TO THE UNPLANNED STOP AT ALEXANDRIA, I HAD FORGOTTEN ALL ABOUT IT. WE CLBED VERY QUICKLY AND WE WERE RIGHT ON OUR COURSE LINE ACCORDING TO THE LORAN, BUT I REALIZED AFTER THE FLT THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY WE MAY HAVE INADVERTENTLY BRUSHED THE NORTHERN EDGE OF ANDERSON'S CLASS D AIRSPACE. THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS THAT WHEN YOUR PLAN GETS INTERRUPTED, YOU NEED TO BE CAREFUL TO REVIEW THE PLAN AGAIN! IF I HAD SIMPLY LOOKED AT THE CHART FOR 5 SECONDS PRIOR TO TKOF (INSTEAD OF RELYING ON MY BACK-SEATER) I WOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY REALIZED THE POTENTIAL FOR INCURSION AND WOULD HAVE CALLED ANDERSON TWR AFTER DEPARTING THE PATTERN AT ALEXANDRIA. HOW TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE -- DON'T RELY ON SOMEONE ELSE TO DO YOUR NAVIGATING (AT LEAST NOT COMPLETELY) AND LOOK AT YOUR CHART RIGHT BEFORE YOU TAKE OFF EVEN IF YOU THINK YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING! SLOW DOWN WHEN UNEXPECTED THINGS HAPPEN, REVIEW YOUR PLAN AND REVISE IT IF NECESSARY!

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.