Narrative:

I was the PIC of a foreign military chinook helicopter on a final training mission. We departed VFR for a low level navigation flight predominantly over water away from land due to the low ceilings (500-1000 ft). The route was to proceed down the coast and turn inland to salisbury, md. Being a non-tower controled airport, we were going to make a 'special VFR' type of touch and go, then depart back to the coast. This was the first mistake, not realizing that salisbury's class D airspace would require contacting patuxent approach control. We proceeded to contact salisbury FSS (CTAF). They stated the altimeter and ceiling at 300 ft and runway 32 in use. I told them they had better ceilings than that but did not state what they were. We were at 500 ft and clear of clouds with at least 5 mi visibility. At 5 NM we told FSS our intentions of landing runway 32. They asked if we were IFR and I responded 'no,' but thinking of the ceilings being below 1000 ft, I said I was special VFR. This was my second mistake, not accurately communicating. I was in fact VFR and had I said this, FSS would probably have told me to contact passenger approach. However, I am sure he thought I was talking to passenger and cleared us to the airport. It was not my intention to confuse or deceive anyone but that is what happened. When we were on base to runway 32, an aircraft reported in on the ILS to runway 32. He was told to report 2 NM. I then called base and was cleared to land. Because I knew there was an aircraft on the ILS, I immediately asked to repos to the other runway. FSS asked us to move to the taxiway, I then decided to depart before the ILS traffic arrived. We were cleared to depart and as we were approaching the field boundary, the copilot reported to me 'visual contact' with the ILS traffic as he reported 2 NM. We had cleared the airport boundary when he touched down. When I reported clear of the airport the FSS again asked if I was IFR and I responded 'no.' it was then FSS informed me I had violated the airspace because passenger approach was in control during IFR WX. Having flown this aircraft for more than 120 hours, with its advanced navigation system, I had become over confident in the ability to 'go anywhere.' this, along with the 'can do' attitude to finish the flight training so the students could depart for home, caused me to not fully recognize the situation we were getting into.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MIL HELI OPERATES VFR INTO CLASS D AIRSPACE THAT'S IFR WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: I WAS THE PIC OF A FOREIGN MIL CHINOOK HELI ON A FINAL TRAINING MISSION. WE DEPARTED VFR FOR A LOW LEVEL NAV FLT PREDOMINANTLY OVER WATER AWAY FROM LAND DUE TO THE LOW CEILINGS (500-1000 FT). THE RTE WAS TO PROCEED DOWN THE COAST AND TURN INLAND TO SALISBURY, MD. BEING A NON-TWR CTLED ARPT, WE WERE GOING TO MAKE A 'SPECIAL VFR' TYPE OF TOUCH AND GO, THEN DEPART BACK TO THE COAST. THIS WAS THE FIRST MISTAKE, NOT REALIZING THAT SALISBURY'S CLASS D AIRSPACE WOULD REQUIRE CONTACTING PATUXENT APCH CTL. WE PROCEEDED TO CONTACT SALISBURY FSS (CTAF). THEY STATED THE ALTIMETER AND CEILING AT 300 FT AND RWY 32 IN USE. I TOLD THEM THEY HAD BETTER CEILINGS THAN THAT BUT DID NOT STATE WHAT THEY WERE. WE WERE AT 500 FT AND CLR OF CLOUDS WITH AT LEAST 5 MI VISIBILITY. AT 5 NM WE TOLD FSS OUR INTENTIONS OF LNDG RWY 32. THEY ASKED IF WE WERE IFR AND I RESPONDED 'NO,' BUT THINKING OF THE CEILINGS BEING BELOW 1000 FT, I SAID I WAS SPECIAL VFR. THIS WAS MY SECOND MISTAKE, NOT ACCURATELY COMMUNICATING. I WAS IN FACT VFR AND HAD I SAID THIS, FSS WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TOLD ME TO CONTACT PAX APCH. HOWEVER, I AM SURE HE THOUGHT I WAS TALKING TO PAX AND CLRED US TO THE ARPT. IT WAS NOT MY INTENTION TO CONFUSE OR DECEIVE ANYONE BUT THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED. WHEN WE WERE ON BASE TO RWY 32, AN ACFT RPTED IN ON THE ILS TO RWY 32. HE WAS TOLD TO RPT 2 NM. I THEN CALLED BASE AND WAS CLRED TO LAND. BECAUSE I KNEW THERE WAS AN ACFT ON THE ILS, I IMMEDIATELY ASKED TO REPOS TO THE OTHER RWY. FSS ASKED US TO MOVE TO THE TXWY, I THEN DECIDED TO DEPART BEFORE THE ILS TFC ARRIVED. WE WERE CLRED TO DEPART AND AS WE WERE APCHING THE FIELD BOUNDARY, THE COPLT RPTED TO ME 'VISUAL CONTACT' WITH THE ILS TFC AS HE RPTED 2 NM. WE HAD CLRED THE ARPT BOUNDARY WHEN HE TOUCHED DOWN. WHEN I RPTED CLR OF THE ARPT THE FSS AGAIN ASKED IF I WAS IFR AND I RESPONDED 'NO.' IT WAS THEN FSS INFORMED ME I HAD VIOLATED THE AIRSPACE BECAUSE PAX APCH WAS IN CTL DURING IFR WX. HAVING FLOWN THIS ACFT FOR MORE THAN 120 HRS, WITH ITS ADVANCED NAV SYS, I HAD BECOME OVER CONFIDENT IN THE ABILITY TO 'GO ANYWHERE.' THIS, ALONG WITH THE 'CAN DO' ATTITUDE TO FINISH THE FLT TRAINING SO THE STUDENTS COULD DEPART FOR HOME, CAUSED ME TO NOT FULLY RECOGNIZE THE SIT WE WERE GETTING INTO.

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.