During a pilot training flight, pilots of a cessna 172, penetrated the lax class B airspace.

Attributes
ACN	335880
Time
Date	199605
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lax airport : smo
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1600 msl bound upper : 1600
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : lax
Operator	general aviation : personal
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	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 680 flight time type : 130
ASRS Report	335880
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited penetrated airspace
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was flying with a student around and below the lax class B airspace, instructing her on airspace awareness and avoidance. Visibility at the time of the flight was reduced substantially due to smoke and haze. We were circling la city hall and when the student stopped circling, she proceeded to head swbound along the harbor (110) freeway mistaking it for the santa monica (10) freeway. At the time, due to reduced visibilities, I was instructing the student on how to use VOR radials for navigation and orientation and at that time recognized the error and told the student to turn around and head directly towards the la coliseum. We then proceeded directly to santa monica airport via direct smo VOR and when we contacted smo tower, socal TRACON was tracking us, and at that time we were notified to contact the area manager upon landing, which I did and took full responsibility for our actions. Having flown low level around this area on a few occasions, I am quite confident that we would have never penetrated the class B airspace if the visibility wasn't so bad. The temporary disorientation by the student (who is a private pilot) was induced from not being able to see the ocean or surrounding foothills. I as an instructor was at fault for allowing my student to navigation via pilotage as I was showing her radio navigation. I was also in error to conduct this lesson on a day that was obviously MVFR, which was not apparent until we were in the downtown area.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING A PLT TRAINING FLT, PLTS OF A CESSNA 172, PENETRATED THE LAX CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING WITH A STUDENT AROUND AND BELOW THE LAX CLASS B AIRSPACE, INSTRUCTING HER ON AIRSPACE AWARENESS AND AVOIDANCE. VISIBILITY AT THE TIME OF THE FLT WAS REDUCED SUBSTANTIALLY DUE TO SMOKE AND HAZE. WE WERE CIRCLING LA CITY HALL AND WHEN THE STUDENT STOPPED CIRCLING, SHE PROCEEDED TO HEAD SWBOUND ALONG THE HARBOR (110) FREEWAY MISTAKING IT FOR THE SANTA MONICA (10) FREEWAY. AT THE TIME, DUE TO REDUCED VISIBILITIES, I WAS INSTRUCTING THE STUDENT ON HOW TO USE VOR RADIALS FOR NAV AND ORIENTATION AND AT THAT TIME RECOGNIZED THE ERROR AND TOLD THE STUDENT TO TURN AROUND AND HEAD DIRECTLY TOWARDS THE LA COLISEUM. WE THEN PROCEEDED DIRECTLY TO SANTA MONICA ARPT VIA DIRECT SMO VOR AND WHEN WE CONTACTED SMO TWR, SOCAL TRACON WAS TRACKING US, AND AT THAT TIME WE WERE NOTIFIED TO CONTACT THE AREA MGR UPON LNDG, WHICH I DID AND TOOK FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR ACTIONS. HAVING FLOWN LOW LEVEL AROUND THIS AREA ON A FEW OCCASIONS, I AM QUITE CONFIDENT THAT WE WOULD HAVE NEVER PENETRATED THE CLASS B AIRSPACE IF THE VISIBILITY WASN'T SO BAD. THE TEMPORARY DISORIENTATION BY THE STUDENT (WHO IS A PVT PLT) WAS INDUCED FROM NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE THE OCEAN OR SURROUNDING FOOTHILLS. I AS AN INSTRUCTOR WAS AT FAULT FOR ALLOWING MY STUDENT TO NAV VIA PILOTAGE AS I WAS SHOWING HER RADIO NAV. I WAS ALSO IN ERROR TO CONDUCT THIS LESSON ON A DAY THAT WAS OBVIOUSLY MVFR, WHICH WAS NOT APPARENT UNTIL WE WERE IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.

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.