Narrative:

One of my student pilots wished to make a solo flight from oakland to livermore to practice takeoffs and lndgs. I endorsed him to fly to lvk. After the endorsement I went home. My student had a sudden change of heart and decided to fly, unbeknownst to me, north along the coast, west of san francisco. The student stated that it seemed to him that it would be a 'challenge' in airspace avoidance. He flew south from oak to fremont, ca, and then proceeded west across the bay towards redwood city at 2000 ft MSL. He then crossed the low coastal range to the pacific by half moon bay. He knew he had to remain within 25 NM of the airport (oak) and did not have a class B endorsement. As he flew along the coast, the controller apparently cleared him into class B below a certain altitude, but he refused the clearance, knowing he didn't have the proper endorsement. He was told to change frequencys to another controller and failed to notice the floor of class B in sector K was 1500 ft. He realized his error after a min or so, and descended quickly below 1500 ft. He claims that the controller said 'you know you entered bravo airspace back there a few mins ago.' my student apologized and said the controller did not seem the slightest bit concerned. The flight continued through the golden gate to oak without further incident. The problem arose because my student was not endorsed to enter class B airspace and I had no prior knowledge of the flight across the bay. I discovered the incident when I spoke with my student the next day and he confessed to me. He realizes now how serious this could have been and that he should have discussed the flight with me in advance in order to get special class B training and an endorsement to have validated such low flight over inhospitable terrain. I have grounded the student for a week and have required that he clear all future solo flts with me as to the purpose and location of the flts. A contributing factor was the student's attitude that class B avoidance would be a 'challenge,' and my failure to make the student pilot aware of the consequences of a class B incursion. In the future I will stress more supervision over training flts, although in 500 hours of dual given, it has never been an issue. I will also spend more time discussing the legal and safety ramifications of proper class B avoidance/clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR PLT RPT REGARDING STUDENT WHO FLEW INTO AREAS FOR WHICH HE WAS NOT ENDORSED AND STRAYED INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ONE OF MY STUDENT PLTS WISHED TO MAKE A SOLO FLT FROM OAKLAND TO LIVERMORE TO PRACTICE TKOFS AND LNDGS. I ENDORSED HIM TO FLY TO LVK. AFTER THE ENDORSEMENT I WENT HOME. MY STUDENT HAD A SUDDEN CHANGE OF HEART AND DECIDED TO FLY, UNBEKNOWNST TO ME, N ALONG THE COAST, W OF SAN FRANCISCO. THE STUDENT STATED THAT IT SEEMED TO HIM THAT IT WOULD BE A 'CHALLENGE' IN AIRSPACE AVOIDANCE. HE FLEW S FROM OAK TO FREMONT, CA, AND THEN PROCEEDED W ACROSS THE BAY TOWARDS REDWOOD CITY AT 2000 FT MSL. HE THEN CROSSED THE LOW COASTAL RANGE TO THE PACIFIC BY HALF MOON BAY. HE KNEW HE HAD TO REMAIN WITHIN 25 NM OF THE ARPT (OAK) AND DID NOT HAVE A CLASS B ENDORSEMENT. AS HE FLEW ALONG THE COAST, THE CTLR APPARENTLY CLRED HIM INTO CLASS B BELOW A CERTAIN ALT, BUT HE REFUSED THE CLRNC, KNOWING HE DIDN'T HAVE THE PROPER ENDORSEMENT. HE WAS TOLD TO CHANGE FREQS TO ANOTHER CTLR AND FAILED TO NOTICE THE FLOOR OF CLASS B IN SECTOR K WAS 1500 FT. HE REALIZED HIS ERROR AFTER A MIN OR SO, AND DSNDED QUICKLY BELOW 1500 FT. HE CLAIMS THAT THE CTLR SAID 'YOU KNOW YOU ENTERED BRAVO AIRSPACE BACK THERE A FEW MINS AGO.' MY STUDENT APOLOGIZED AND SAID THE CTLR DID NOT SEEM THE SLIGHTEST BIT CONCERNED. THE FLT CONTINUED THROUGH THE GOLDEN GATE TO OAK WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE PROB AROSE BECAUSE MY STUDENT WAS NOT ENDORSED TO ENTER CLASS B AIRSPACE AND I HAD NO PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OF THE FLT ACROSS THE BAY. I DISCOVERED THE INCIDENT WHEN I SPOKE WITH MY STUDENT THE NEXT DAY AND HE CONFESSED TO ME. HE REALIZES NOW HOW SERIOUS THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AND THAT HE SHOULD HAVE DISCUSSED THE FLT WITH ME IN ADVANCE IN ORDER TO GET SPECIAL CLASS B TRAINING AND AN ENDORSEMENT TO HAVE VALIDATED SUCH LOW FLT OVER INHOSPITABLE TERRAIN. I HAVE GNDED THE STUDENT FOR A WK AND HAVE REQUIRED THAT HE CLR ALL FUTURE SOLO FLTS WITH ME AS TO THE PURPOSE AND LOCATION OF THE FLTS. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE STUDENT'S ATTITUDE THAT CLASS B AVOIDANCE WOULD BE A 'CHALLENGE,' AND MY FAILURE TO MAKE THE STUDENT PLT AWARE OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF A CLASS B INCURSION. IN THE FUTURE I WILL STRESS MORE SUPERVISION OVER TRAINING FLTS, ALTHOUGH IN 500 HRS OF DUAL GIVEN, IT HAS NEVER BEEN AN ISSUE. I WILL ALSO SPEND MORE TIME DISCUSSING THE LEGAL AND SAFETY RAMIFICATIONS OF PROPER CLASS B AVOIDANCE/CLRNC.

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.