Narrative:

During work, every morning, I land at okc (class C), I spend 5-10 mins on the ground, pick up a new clearance to ict and takeoff. This particular morning, I could not land because okc's WX was below IFR landing minimums (below 1800 ft RVR), so I held for 1 1/2 hours and then diverted to pwa, approximately 9 mi north. I landed at pwa with a contact approach clearance (the visibility was 2 mi, clear sky). But after okc approach handed me off to pwa tower, the tower reported VFR. I landed, unloaded my cargo, and asked pwa tower for my new clearance to ict, but that the departure airport was okc on the flight plan. Tower said it was no longer in okc's computer (he called them), and told me I could pick up a new clearance (by filing a new one), after airborne, with okc departure control. Pwa tower cleared me for takeoff and said make either a right or left turn out to the north. Well, a right turn out would have kept me out of okc's class C airspace since pwa is on the very northwest edge of it. But I took a left climbing turnout, not realizing I would be entering class C unauthorized, because I was still under visual flight rules. (I am used to flying on IFR flight plans every day at work, so I'm used to flying by ATC instructions, so when pwa tower said 'right or left turnout,' I carelessly assumed I'd be legal either way.) as I was climbing and making a left turn, I believe I ascended above the floor of the outer circle of the class C airspace, which was approximately 1200 ft AGL and I was climbing through approximately 2000 ft AGL, about 7 NM north of okc, which would put me in the outer circle. I never called okc departure control, so I never established 2-WAY radio communication to authority/authorized me in the airspace. I had decided to proceed VFR most of the way to ict. I was still on pwa tower frequency and after exiting the whole area by about 10 mi asked for a frequency change and proceeded VFR. Pwa tower never mentioned that I was entering class C airspace unauthorized, so I'm not sure to what extent I did, or maybe pwa tower communicates with departure and they knew already.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLASS C AIRSPACE WAS ENTERED BY MISTAKE DURING A DEP CLB FROM AN ARPT BENEATH THE FLOOR OF THE AIRSPACE.

Narrative: DURING WORK, EVERY MORNING, I LAND AT OKC (CLASS C), I SPEND 5-10 MINS ON THE GND, PICK UP A NEW CLRNC TO ICT AND TKOF. THIS PARTICULAR MORNING, I COULD NOT LAND BECAUSE OKC'S WX WAS BELOW IFR LNDG MINIMUMS (BELOW 1800 FT RVR), SO I HELD FOR 1 1/2 HRS AND THEN DIVERTED TO PWA, APPROX 9 MI N. I LANDED AT PWA WITH A CONTACT APCH CLRNC (THE VISIBILITY WAS 2 MI, CLR SKY). BUT AFTER OKC APCH HANDED ME OFF TO PWA TWR, THE TWR RPTED VFR. I LANDED, UNLOADED MY CARGO, AND ASKED PWA TWR FOR MY NEW CLRNC TO ICT, BUT THAT THE DEP ARPT WAS OKC ON THE FLT PLAN. TWR SAID IT WAS NO LONGER IN OKC'S COMPUTER (HE CALLED THEM), AND TOLD ME I COULD PICK UP A NEW CLRNC (BY FILING A NEW ONE), AFTER AIRBORNE, WITH OKC DEP CTL. PWA TWR CLRED ME FOR TKOF AND SAID MAKE EITHER A R OR L TURN OUT TO THE N. WELL, A R TURN OUT WOULD HAVE KEPT ME OUT OF OKC'S CLASS C AIRSPACE SINCE PWA IS ON THE VERY NW EDGE OF IT. BUT I TOOK A L CLBING TURNOUT, NOT REALIZING I WOULD BE ENTERING CLASS C UNAUTH, BECAUSE I WAS STILL UNDER VISUAL FLT RULES. (I AM USED TO FLYING ON IFR FLT PLANS EVERY DAY AT WORK, SO I'M USED TO FLYING BY ATC INSTRUCTIONS, SO WHEN PWA TWR SAID 'R OR L TURNOUT,' I CARELESSLY ASSUMED I'D BE LEGAL EITHER WAY.) AS I WAS CLBING AND MAKING A L TURN, I BELIEVE I ASCENDED ABOVE THE FLOOR OF THE OUTER CIRCLE OF THE CLASS C AIRSPACE, WHICH WAS APPROX 1200 FT AGL AND I WAS CLBING THROUGH APPROX 2000 FT AGL, ABOUT 7 NM N OF OKC, WHICH WOULD PUT ME IN THE OUTER CIRCLE. I NEVER CALLED OKC DEP CTL, SO I NEVER ESTABLISHED 2-WAY RADIO COM TO AUTH ME IN THE AIRSPACE. I HAD DECIDED TO PROCEED VFR MOST OF THE WAY TO ICT. I WAS STILL ON PWA TWR FREQ AND AFTER EXITING THE WHOLE AREA BY ABOUT 10 MI ASKED FOR A FREQ CHANGE AND PROCEEDED VFR. PWA TWR NEVER MENTIONED THAT I WAS ENTERING CLASS C AIRSPACE UNAUTH, SO I'M NOT SURE TO WHAT EXTENT I DID, OR MAYBE PWA TWR COMMUNICATES WITH DEP AND THEY KNEW ALREADY.

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.