Narrative:

VFR flight from edw to cno WX was clear until reaching the cajon pass then VFR minimums in the los angeles basin as expected from a duats WX briefing. Upon entering the basin we descended to 1700 ft, headed for rialto (L67). From that position we flew approximately a 230 degree heading looking for edison plant (a reporting point/visual reference and planned a heading of 180 degrees. Upon reaching edison plant we had a visual and remained to the east of that position, then began our turn to 180 degrees. We then flew that heading until reaching our turn point to head west. We flew at an airspeed of 120 KTS for approximately 8 mins. Leaving us to the southeast of chino. We then flew a 270 degree heading to cno. Upon landing at chino, tower advised us to call ont tower and talk to the supervisor. Aircraft flown was a t- 34A with no navaids except a magnetic compass. I had 1 passenger, 1 of our school's instructor pilots. Upon entering the los angeles basin I elected not to continue the flight to chino due to the WX -- clouds and haziness. After listening to ont's ATIS along with chino's ATIS, the instructor pilot said he would take us into chino. I then turned the aircraft controls over to him (instructor pilot was in the rear cockpit). ATIS revealed that we did have VFR minimums. Flight conditions remained VFR with the visibility ranging from 5-7 mi and the distance from clouds as no factor as they were well above us by approximately 1000 ft. Altitude remained at 1700 ft due to ont's class C extension to the east ranging from 2700-5000 ft. After making our turn from edison plant to 180 degrees, we made a visual on 737 making its approach into ont. Aircraft was approximately 1000 ft above us and to the east. Aircraft passed overhead at the same altitude (1000 ft above us). The rest of the flight was uneventful. After landing at chino we called ont tower. Controller advised me that we had entered their airspace and caused the 737 to break off its approach. They said they were not sure if they were going to file a report. I told them to the best of our knowledge we remained outside of their class C airspace and that we had a visual on the 737. Lessons learned: never continue a flight once a decision has been made to turn back no matter who is flying in the aircraft with you. Always use ATC flight following. If we were talking with approach any conflicts or sits can be taken care of right then. I guess since I didn't feel comfortable enough to continue the flight (I normally file IFR when going into the los angeles area) I thought that the instructor pilot knew what he was doing. He said he did. I did not feel that to continue the flight was dangerous as we did have plenty of clouds distance and visibility. I just have not flown without instruments in the los angeles area and not have enough cloud clearance to overfly ont's airspace. Unfortunately, I let my instructor pilot continue. Although I was not PIC at the time, my name was on the flight plan, so I called tower and gave them the information. I would speculate that since tower said that the 737 broke off its approach, they had a problem with us being in the class C extension to the east. They set the base of that extension at 2700 ft to separate VFR from IFR aircraft going into ont. As stated earlier, we saw the traffic above us and to the east making its approach into ont. I would assume this situation would be what they are uneasy about.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA SEL PENETRATION ON CLASS C AIRSPACE.

Narrative: VFR FLT FROM EDW TO CNO WX WAS CLR UNTIL REACHING THE CAJON PASS THEN VFR MINIMUMS IN THE LOS ANGELES BASIN AS EXPECTED FROM A DUATS WX BRIEFING. UPON ENTERING THE BASIN WE DSNDED TO 1700 FT, HEADED FOR RIALTO (L67). FROM THAT POS WE FLEW APPROX A 230 DEG HDG LOOKING FOR EDISON PLANT (A RPTING POINT/VISUAL REF AND PLANNED A HDG OF 180 DEGS. UPON REACHING EDISON PLANT WE HAD A VISUAL AND REMAINED TO THE E OF THAT POS, THEN BEGAN OUR TURN TO 180 DEGS. WE THEN FLEW THAT HDG UNTIL REACHING OUR TURN POINT TO HEAD W. WE FLEW AT AN AIRSPD OF 120 KTS FOR APPROX 8 MINS. LEAVING US TO THE SE OF CHINO. WE THEN FLEW A 270 DEG HDG TO CNO. UPON LNDG AT CHINO, TWR ADVISED US TO CALL ONT TWR AND TALK TO THE SUPVR. ACFT FLOWN WAS A T- 34A WITH NO NAVAIDS EXCEPT A MAGNETIC COMPASS. I HAD 1 PAX, 1 OF OUR SCHOOL'S INSTRUCTOR PLTS. UPON ENTERING THE LOS ANGELES BASIN I ELECTED NOT TO CONTINUE THE FLT TO CHINO DUE TO THE WX -- CLOUDS AND HAZINESS. AFTER LISTENING TO ONT'S ATIS ALONG WITH CHINO'S ATIS, THE INSTRUCTOR PLT SAID HE WOULD TAKE US INTO CHINO. I THEN TURNED THE ACFT CTLS OVER TO HIM (INSTRUCTOR PLT WAS IN THE REAR COCKPIT). ATIS REVEALED THAT WE DID HAVE VFR MINIMUMS. FLT CONDITIONS REMAINED VFR WITH THE VISIBILITY RANGING FROM 5-7 MI AND THE DISTANCE FROM CLOUDS AS NO FACTOR AS THEY WERE WELL ABOVE US BY APPROX 1000 FT. ALT REMAINED AT 1700 FT DUE TO ONT'S CLASS C EXTENSION TO THE E RANGING FROM 2700-5000 FT. AFTER MAKING OUR TURN FROM EDISON PLANT TO 180 DEGS, WE MADE A VISUAL ON 737 MAKING ITS APCH INTO ONT. ACFT WAS APPROX 1000 FT ABOVE US AND TO THE E. ACFT PASSED OVERHEAD AT THE SAME ALT (1000 FT ABOVE US). THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. AFTER LNDG AT CHINO WE CALLED ONT TWR. CTLR ADVISED ME THAT WE HAD ENTERED THEIR AIRSPACE AND CAUSED THE 737 TO BREAK OFF ITS APCH. THEY SAID THEY WERE NOT SURE IF THEY WERE GOING TO FILE A RPT. I TOLD THEM TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE WE REMAINED OUTSIDE OF THEIR CLASS C AIRSPACE AND THAT WE HAD A VISUAL ON THE 737. LESSONS LEARNED: NEVER CONTINUE A FLT ONCE A DECISION HAS BEEN MADE TO TURN BACK NO MATTER WHO IS FLYING IN THE ACFT WITH YOU. ALWAYS USE ATC FLT FOLLOWING. IF WE WERE TALKING WITH APCH ANY CONFLICTS OR SITS CAN BE TAKEN CARE OF RIGHT THEN. I GUESS SINCE I DIDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE ENOUGH TO CONTINUE THE FLT (I NORMALLY FILE IFR WHEN GOING INTO THE LOS ANGELES AREA) I THOUGHT THAT THE INSTRUCTOR PLT KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING. HE SAID HE DID. I DID NOT FEEL THAT TO CONTINUE THE FLT WAS DANGEROUS AS WE DID HAVE PLENTY OF CLOUDS DISTANCE AND VISIBILITY. I JUST HAVE NOT FLOWN WITHOUT INSTS IN THE LOS ANGELES AREA AND NOT HAVE ENOUGH CLOUD CLRNC TO OVERFLY ONT'S AIRSPACE. UNFORTUNATELY, I LET MY INSTRUCTOR PLT CONTINUE. ALTHOUGH I WAS NOT PIC AT THE TIME, MY NAME WAS ON THE FLT PLAN, SO I CALLED TWR AND GAVE THEM THE INFO. I WOULD SPECULATE THAT SINCE TWR SAID THAT THE 737 BROKE OFF ITS APCH, THEY HAD A PROB WITH US BEING IN THE CLASS C EXTENSION TO THE E. THEY SET THE BASE OF THAT EXTENSION AT 2700 FT TO SEPARATE VFR FROM IFR ACFT GOING INTO ONT. AS STATED EARLIER, WE SAW THE TFC ABOVE US AND TO THE E MAKING ITS APCH INTO ONT. I WOULD ASSUME THIS SIT WOULD BE WHAT THEY ARE UNEASY ABOUT.

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.