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A corporate pilot entered class B airspace during the descent, after having canceled IFR. When he realized his mistake, he queried the controller.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 334060 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199604 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : hpn |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 3500 msl bound upper : 3500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : n90 |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 35 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 500 |
| ASRS Report | 334060 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : exited penetrated airspace |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Having canceled an IFR plan in order to go direct to the airport and so avoid a long IFR routing to the airport, descent was made to 3500 ft from 6000 ft in order to stay below class B airspace. I had misread base of class B in this area. I thought it was 4000 ft, where in actual fact it was 3000 ft. When I asked approach if I had missed a transmission, they confirmed that they had given me a descent to 3000 ft. By this time I was now inside class B by about a half a mi. Descent was made by the time the aircraft had reached overhead the white planes airport (which is 1 1/2 NM inside class B airspace). Major contributing factor was that I had my attention distracted at or about the time I was organizing descent to remain outside class B. With 20/20 hindsight, first, I could have gotten clearance into class B airspace, and second, descend below base of airspace after having double checked the base of airspace.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A CORPORATE PLT ENTERED CLASS B AIRSPACE DURING THE DSCNT, AFTER HAVING CANCELED IFR. WHEN HE REALIZED HIS MISTAKE, HE QUERIED THE CTLR.
Narrative: HAVING CANCELED AN IFR PLAN IN ORDER TO GO DIRECT TO THE ARPT AND SO AVOID A LONG IFR ROUTING TO THE ARPT, DSCNT WAS MADE TO 3500 FT FROM 6000 FT IN ORDER TO STAY BELOW CLASS B AIRSPACE. I HAD MISREAD BASE OF CLASS B IN THIS AREA. I THOUGHT IT WAS 4000 FT, WHERE IN ACTUAL FACT IT WAS 3000 FT. WHEN I ASKED APCH IF I HAD MISSED A XMISSION, THEY CONFIRMED THAT THEY HAD GIVEN ME A DSCNT TO 3000 FT. BY THIS TIME I WAS NOW INSIDE CLASS B BY ABOUT A HALF A MI. DSCNT WAS MADE BY THE TIME THE ACFT HAD REACHED OVERHEAD THE WHITE PLANES ARPT (WHICH IS 1 1/2 NM INSIDE CLASS B AIRSPACE). MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THAT I HAD MY ATTN DISTRACTED AT OR ABOUT THE TIME I WAS ORGANIZING DSCNT TO REMAIN OUTSIDE CLASS B. WITH 20/20 HINDSIGHT, FIRST, I COULD HAVE GOTTEN CLRNC INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE, AND SECOND, DSND BELOW BASE OF AIRSPACE AFTER HAVING DOUBLE CHKED THE BASE OF AIRSPACE.
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.