BE35 pilot on equipment check flight enters the sfr corridor over lax. On visual check, he believes ...

Attributes
ACN	339612
Time
Date	199606
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : smo
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4800
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : lax
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Bonanza 35
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 32 flight time total : 2150 flight time type : 750
ASRS Report	339612
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was on a VFR flight from smo through the special flight rules corridor over lax to the ocean side VOR and return to check a recently repaired regulator when at approximately XA00 pm, I began to enter the special flight rules corridor over lax in a northwest direction. I was at 4500 ft MSL and attempting to intercept the 132 degree radial of the santa monica VOR. The sun was very low in the sky and there was a very heavy haze and scattered clouds below me with tops at approximately 3500 ft. Because of the sun and haze forward visibility was very poor. As the needle on my VOR centered indicating that I was on course to traverse the special flight rules corridor I could see directly below me what appeared to me to be the coastline. From this observation I concluded that my VOR indication was faulty and that I was entering an area of conflict with the commercial traffic departing lax so I took a heading to the right to position my aircraft where I believed I should be to pass over lax. My ground speed was 140 KTS and before I realized that my VOR indicator was providing me with correct information and that what I believed to be the shoreline was probably a freeway I had strayed into the los angeles class B airspace. I immediately turned to a heading to recapture the 132 degree radial of the santa monica VOR and completed my transition of the corridor. My altitude varied during this time from 4000-4800 ft because of my confusion. I am not certain I entered the class B airspace but suspect that I did. In retrospect, I should have believed my instruments rather than visual cues in a low visibility situation. Better still, I should have filed an instrument flight plan. I am also contemplating the purchase of a GPS device with a moving map. Had I had the use of a moving map display, my position in relation to the class B airspace would have been more easily determined.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE35 PLT ON EQUIP CHK FLT ENTERS THE SFR CORRIDOR OVER LAX. ON VISUAL CHK, HE BELIEVES HIMSELF TO BE OVER THE SHORELINE AND CORRECTS ACCORDINGLY. HE IS ACTUALLY ON THE CORRECT RADIAL. THUS HE LEAVES THE CORRIDOR AND ENTERS THE CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I WAS ON A VFR FLT FROM SMO THROUGH THE SPECIAL FLT RULES CORRIDOR OVER LAX TO THE OCEAN SIDE VOR AND RETURN TO CHK A RECENTLY REPAIRED REGULATOR WHEN AT APPROX XA00 PM, I BEGAN TO ENTER THE SPECIAL FLT RULES CORRIDOR OVER LAX IN A NW DIRECTION. I WAS AT 4500 FT MSL AND ATTEMPTING TO INTERCEPT THE 132 DEG RADIAL OF THE SANTA MONICA VOR. THE SUN WAS VERY LOW IN THE SKY AND THERE WAS A VERY HVY HAZE AND SCATTERED CLOUDS BELOW ME WITH TOPS AT APPROX 3500 FT. BECAUSE OF THE SUN AND HAZE FORWARD VISIBILITY WAS VERY POOR. AS THE NEEDLE ON MY VOR CTRED INDICATING THAT I WAS ON COURSE TO TRAVERSE THE SPECIAL FLT RULES CORRIDOR I COULD SEE DIRECTLY BELOW ME WHAT APPEARED TO ME TO BE THE COASTLINE. FROM THIS OBSERVATION I CONCLUDED THAT MY VOR INDICATION WAS FAULTY AND THAT I WAS ENTERING AN AREA OF CONFLICT WITH THE COMMERCIAL TFC DEPARTING LAX SO I TOOK A HEADING TO THE R TO POS MY ACFT WHERE I BELIEVED I SHOULD BE TO PASS OVER LAX. MY GND SPD WAS 140 KTS AND BEFORE I REALIZED THAT MY VOR INDICATOR WAS PROVIDING ME WITH CORRECT INFO AND THAT WHAT I BELIEVED TO BE THE SHORELINE WAS PROBABLY A FREEWAY I HAD STRAYED INTO THE LOS ANGELES CLASS B AIRSPACE. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED TO A HEADING TO RECAPTURE THE 132 DEG RADIAL OF THE SANTA MONICA VOR AND COMPLETED MY TRANSITION OF THE CORRIDOR. MY ALT VARIED DURING THIS TIME FROM 4000-4800 FT BECAUSE OF MY CONFUSION. I AM NOT CERTAIN I ENTERED THE CLASS B AIRSPACE BUT SUSPECT THAT I DID. IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD HAVE BELIEVED MY INSTS RATHER THAN VISUAL CUES IN A LOW VISIBILITY SIT. BETTER STILL, I SHOULD HAVE FILED AN INST FLT PLAN. I AM ALSO CONTEMPLATING THE PURCHASE OF A GPS DEVICE WITH A MOVING MAP. HAD I HAD THE USE OF A MOVING MAP DISPLAY, MY POS IN RELATION TO THE CLASS B AIRSPACE WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE EASILY DETERMINED.

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.

BE35 pilot on equipment check flight enters the sfr corridor over lax. On visual check, he believes himself to be over the shoreline and corrects accordingly. He is actually on the correct radial. Thus he leaves the corridor and enters the class B airspace.