A C-172 pilot became distracted while assisting with ground surveillance on a government mission. Cl...

Attributes
ACN	304260
Time
Date	199505
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mke
State Reference	WI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1900 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mke
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 47 flight time total : 635 flight time type : 127
ASRS Report	304260
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited penetrated airspace other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was flying a mission as a cap pilot in a cap cessna 172. I departed mwc with 1 government agent as an observer/supervisor. Departure time was at approximately XA00 on mar/thu/95. The object of the mission was to fly south following I-94 with a destination of mdw. The flight of this mission would take us in close proximity of both the class C airspace of mke and the class B airspace of ord. My mission plan was to stay below the floor and outside of the perimeters of all this controled airspace. If necessary when near the air traffic area's of all 3 airports, I would vector around the airspace which was controled down to the surface. The floor of class C at mke is 1900 ft MSL to the north and 2200 ft MSL to the south. We approached and flew towards mke airport from the northwest at 1800 ft MSL while following I-94. I began circling while north of mke airport to help my observer with his ground surveillance, when I noticed my altitude was at 2000 ft MSL. I immediately turned to a heading of 270 degrees to clear the area, and called mke approach control and requested transition through their airspace. Mke approach notified me that I had already entered their class C airspace. They asked me if I was on military or law enforcement business, to which I replied 'affirmative' and I advised them that I was flying for the government. Mke approach then had me squawk and identify, and they vectored me to the south of the airport. Upon termination of radar services, they told me to call the tower at mke airport at my next landing. I landed at rac and called mke tower. I was told by the tower supervisor that my penetration into class C airspace had been a minor violation and had not posed a safety threat to any other aircraft. He did advise that a routine report was required by regulation to the mke FSDO office. The mission did not develop as expected and I was not required to fly near any of the previously mentioned controled airspace again. I reported the incident to my parent organization. I learned that the mke tower and FAA personnel staffing are very cooperative with both the cap and the government. In any future attempts to fly this close to controled airspace, I will first contact the appropriate facility, in this case approach control, and advise them of who I am and what I plan on doing. It is my understanding that in most cases, I will be allowed to fly the mission through their airspace as planned.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C-172 PLT BECAME DISTRACTED WHILE ASSISTING WITH GND SURVEILLANCE ON A GOV MISSION. CLASS C AIRSPACE WAS ENTERED WHILE MANEUVERING NEAR THE FLOOR. THE TWR LATER INFORMED THE PLT THAT THE INCIDENT WAS RPTED TO THE FSDO.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING A MISSION AS A CAP PLT IN A CAP CESSNA 172. I DEPARTED MWC WITH 1 GOV AGENT AS AN OBSERVER/SUPVR. DEP TIME WAS AT APPROX XA00 ON MAR/THU/95. THE OBJECT OF THE MISSION WAS TO FLY S FOLLOWING I-94 WITH A DEST OF MDW. THE FLT OF THIS MISSION WOULD TAKE US IN CLOSE PROX OF BOTH THE CLASS C AIRSPACE OF MKE AND THE CLASS B AIRSPACE OF ORD. MY MISSION PLAN WAS TO STAY BELOW THE FLOOR AND OUTSIDE OF THE PERIMETERS OF ALL THIS CTLED AIRSPACE. IF NECESSARY WHEN NEAR THE ATA'S OF ALL 3 ARPTS, I WOULD VECTOR AROUND THE AIRSPACE WHICH WAS CTLED DOWN TO THE SURFACE. THE FLOOR OF CLASS C AT MKE IS 1900 FT MSL TO THE N AND 2200 FT MSL TO THE S. WE APCHED AND FLEW TOWARDS MKE ARPT FROM THE NW AT 1800 FT MSL WHILE FOLLOWING I-94. I BEGAN CIRCLING WHILE N OF MKE ARPT TO HELP MY OBSERVER WITH HIS GND SURVEILLANCE, WHEN I NOTICED MY ALT WAS AT 2000 FT MSL. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED TO A HDG OF 270 DEGS TO CLR THE AREA, AND CALLED MKE APCH CTL AND REQUESTED TRANSITION THROUGH THEIR AIRSPACE. MKE APCH NOTIFIED ME THAT I HAD ALREADY ENTERED THEIR CLASS C AIRSPACE. THEY ASKED ME IF I WAS ON MIL OR LAW ENFORCEMENT BUSINESS, TO WHICH I REPLIED 'AFFIRMATIVE' AND I ADVISED THEM THAT I WAS FLYING FOR THE GOV. MKE APCH THEN HAD ME SQUAWK AND IDENT, AND THEY VECTORED ME TO THE S OF THE ARPT. UPON TERMINATION OF RADAR SVCS, THEY TOLD ME TO CALL THE TWR AT MKE ARPT AT MY NEXT LNDG. I LANDED AT RAC AND CALLED MKE TWR. I WAS TOLD BY THE TWR SUPVR THAT MY PENETRATION INTO CLASS C AIRSPACE HAD BEEN A MINOR VIOLATION AND HAD NOT POSED A SAFETY THREAT TO ANY OTHER ACFT. HE DID ADVISE THAT A ROUTINE RPT WAS REQUIRED BY REG TO THE MKE FSDO OFFICE. THE MISSION DID NOT DEVELOP AS EXPECTED AND I WAS NOT REQUIRED TO FLY NEAR ANY OF THE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED CTLED AIRSPACE AGAIN. I RPTED THE INCIDENT TO MY PARENT ORGANIZATION. I LEARNED THAT THE MKE TWR AND FAA PERSONNEL STAFFING ARE VERY COOPERATIVE WITH BOTH THE CAP AND THE GOV. IN ANY FUTURE ATTEMPTS TO FLY THIS CLOSE TO CTLED AIRSPACE, I WILL FIRST CONTACT THE APPROPRIATE FACILITY, IN THIS CASE APCH CTL, AND ADVISE THEM OF WHO I AM AND WHAT I PLAN ON DOING. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IN MOST CASES, I WILL BE ALLOWED TO FLY THE MISSION THROUGH THEIR AIRSPACE AS PLANNED.

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.

A C-172 pilot became distracted while assisting with ground surveillance on a government mission. Class C airspace was entered while maneuvering near the floor. The tower later informed the pilot that the incident was reported to the FSDO.