Narrative:

This particular day I was transporting a damaged propeller to the propeller shop at boeing field. My normal procedures into boeing field is to fly to the tip of vashon island (a normal VFR reporting point just to the west of boeing) receive clearance then turn to a heading of 060 degree proceed inbound and descend to 950 ft MSL to clear the class B airspace above boeing. This day as I approached vashon, boeing tower was extremely busy and had me orbit until further notice. Visibility this day was reduced to 3-4 mi in haze due to a high pressure area which had been over west washington for last few days bringing hot temperatures little winds and forming an inversion layer over most of the area. After 5 mins I was cleared to continue inbound. I continued my shallow turn until I could make out the outline of the airport through the haze, proceeded inbound and began my descent losing visual contact with the field as my perspective changed with loss of altitude. Shortly after crossing the shoreline inbound boeing tower calls and stated they lost my signal on the tower scope and to say altitude. I reply 940 ft MSL. They again announce they do not have me on their scope and to say position. At that very instance I crossed the ridgeline and there spread out in all its glory was seatac international the class bravo primary airport. I immediately announced my position and banked hard left to the north. Boeing replied no problem just return to the shoreline and fly a heading of 055 degree direct to boeing field. Upon landing I expected the FAA swat team with flack jackets, bull horns and AK47's to surround and attack me. But nothing occurred, not even the expected, 'call the tower' message. That evening I pondered, how I could have made such a blunder. I concluded my first mistake occurred as I rolled out of the turn over vashon and proceeded towards seatac assuming it was boeing field (I should have reconfirmed my heading with the compass) another factor was visibility though I have flown into boeing several times throughout the yr I am not that familiar with the area and should have asked for assistance from either tower or approach especially in reduced visibility. To help correct any further errors on my part I grabbed another instructor and got one hell of a check out in the boeing, renton, seattle class B airspace (hindsight is 20/20). My recommendations are to emphasize situational awareness. Trust your instruments and continued education and training.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT FLEW INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT A CLRNC.

Narrative: THIS PARTICULAR DAY I WAS TRANSPORTING A DAMAGED PROP TO THE PROP SHOP AT BOEING FIELD. MY NORMAL PROCS INTO BOEING FIELD IS TO FLY TO THE TIP OF VASHON ISLAND (A NORMAL VFR RPTING POINT JUST TO THE W OF BOEING) RECEIVE CLRNC THEN TURN TO A HDG OF 060 DEG PROCEED INBOUND AND DSND TO 950 FT MSL TO CLR THE CLASS B AIRSPACE ABOVE BOEING. THIS DAY AS I APCHED VASHON, BOEING TWR WAS EXTREMELY BUSY AND HAD ME ORBIT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. VISIBILITY THIS DAY WAS REDUCED TO 3-4 MI IN HAZE DUE TO A HIGH PRESSURE AREA WHICH HAD BEEN OVER W WASHINGTON FOR LAST FEW DAYS BRINGING HOT TEMPS LITTLE WINDS AND FORMING AN INVERSION LAYER OVER MOST OF THE AREA. AFTER 5 MINS I WAS CLRED TO CONTINUE INBOUND. I CONTINUED MY SHALLOW TURN UNTIL I COULD MAKE OUT THE OUTLINE OF THE ARPT THROUGH THE HAZE, PROCEEDED INBOUND AND BEGAN MY DSCNT LOSING VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE FIELD AS MY PERSPECTIVE CHANGED WITH LOSS OF ALT. SHORTLY AFTER XING THE SHORELINE INBOUND BOEING TWR CALLS AND STATED THEY LOST MY SIGNAL ON THE TWR SCOPE AND TO SAY ALT. I REPLY 940 FT MSL. THEY AGAIN ANNOUNCE THEY DO NOT HAVE ME ON THEIR SCOPE AND TO SAY POS. AT THAT VERY INSTANCE I CROSSED THE RIDGELINE AND THERE SPREAD OUT IN ALL ITS GLORY WAS SEATAC INTL THE CLASS BRAVO PRIMARY ARPT. I IMMEDIATELY ANNOUNCED MY POS AND BANKED HARD L TO THE N. BOEING REPLIED NO PROB JUST RETURN TO THE SHORELINE AND FLY A HDG OF 055 DEG DIRECT TO BOEING FIELD. UPON LNDG I EXPECTED THE FAA SWAT TEAM WITH FLACK JACKETS, BULL HORNS AND AK47'S TO SURROUND AND ATTACK ME. BUT NOTHING OCCURRED, NOT EVEN THE EXPECTED, 'CALL THE TWR' MESSAGE. THAT EVENING I PONDERED, HOW I COULD HAVE MADE SUCH A BLUNDER. I CONCLUDED MY FIRST MISTAKE OCCURRED AS I ROLLED OUT OF THE TURN OVER VASHON AND PROCEEDED TOWARDS SEATAC ASSUMING IT WAS BOEING FIELD (I SHOULD HAVE RECONFIRMED MY HDG WITH THE COMPASS) ANOTHER FACTOR WAS VISIBILITY THOUGH I HAVE FLOWN INTO BOEING SEVERAL TIMES THROUGHOUT THE YR I AM NOT THAT FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AND SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR ASSISTANCE FROM EITHER TWR OR APCH ESPECIALLY IN REDUCED VISIBILITY. TO HELP CORRECT ANY FURTHER ERRORS ON MY PART I GRABBED ANOTHER INSTRUCTOR AND GOT ONE HELL OF A CHK OUT IN THE BOEING, RENTON, SEATTLE CLASS B AIRSPACE (HINDSIGHT IS 20/20). MY RECOMMENDATIONS ARE TO EMPHASIZE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. TRUST YOUR INSTS AND CONTINUED EDUCATION AND TRAINING.

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.