Narrative:

I departed sql direct to watsonville to pick up a passenger for a scenic flight along the monterey coast. I've flown this portion of the coastline a few times before, but always directly out of sql. I departed watsonville VFR at approximately XA00 local squawking 1200. The visibility was greater than 40 mi, and no measurable ceiling was apparent. There was some thin scattered fog along the coastline very close to the ground. I climbed to 1500 ft MSL. At that point, I turned south and began some turning maneuvers, intending to show my passenger some of the basic controls of the aircraft. In the next few mins, I allowed the aircraft to climb to 2000 ft MSL. I soon noticed monterey airport on my left. I quickly consulted my VFR chart and realized I had unwittingly entered the outer ring of the monterey class C airspace, whose floor began at 1500 ft. I descended below 1500 ft and called monterey approach and received permission to enter the class C. At this point, the flight continued south along the coastline, and back north, maintaining contact with monterey approach until we were out of their airspace. Miffed about my airspace error, I reviewed my VFR chart when I returned home. I realized that I should've contacted monterey approach immediately after switching away from my unicom frequency. It would've been safer for the scenic flight, and I certainly wouldn't have busted any airspace. I also noticed an area south of the monterey peninsula along the coast that was an otter sanctuary. There was a request on the chart for pilots to remain above 2000 ft AGL in that area. During that portion of the flight, I had been between 1500 ft and 2000 ft AGL. I was well off-shore, and approach had not mentioned that particular sanctuary area to me while I was there. However, it was my responsibility to be familiar with the chart and be sensitive to this sanctuary area if I believed myself to be anywhere near it. The take-home message for me was: don't plan a scenic flight in an area that I'm not intimately familiar with unless I've gone over the chart carefully. In previous flts over this area, I've always been in contact with a controling agency through flight following. Because I initiated my flight out of watsonville without getting VFR flight following or without contacting monterey approach, I opened myself up to an airspace bust, and a potentially hazardous flight. I anything, carrying a passenger on a scenic flight is the most important time to opt for flight following. The pilot is more likely to be paying attention to the passenger, or landmarks, rather than having his head on the swivel looking for other aircraft. I had become complacent about the location and my responsibilities in the air, and failed to contact a controling agency when necessary.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ON A SCENIC FLT WITH PAX, ENTERED CLASS C AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC. CONTACTED CTLR AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO PROCEED THROUGH THE AREA. POSSIBLE ENTRY INTO RESTR AIRSPACE PROTECTING WILDLIFE.

Narrative: I DEPARTED SQL DIRECT TO WATSONVILLE TO PICK UP A PAX FOR A SCENIC FLT ALONG THE MONTEREY COAST. I'VE FLOWN THIS PORTION OF THE COASTLINE A FEW TIMES BEFORE, BUT ALWAYS DIRECTLY OUT OF SQL. I DEPARTED WATSONVILLE VFR AT APPROX XA00 LCL SQUAWKING 1200. THE VISIBILITY WAS GREATER THAN 40 MI, AND NO MEASURABLE CEILING WAS APPARENT. THERE WAS SOME THIN SCATTERED FOG ALONG THE COASTLINE VERY CLOSE TO THE GND. I CLBED TO 1500 FT MSL. AT THAT POINT, I TURNED S AND BEGAN SOME TURNING MANEUVERS, INTENDING TO SHOW MY PAX SOME OF THE BASIC CTLS OF THE ACFT. IN THE NEXT FEW MINS, I ALLOWED THE ACFT TO CLB TO 2000 FT MSL. I SOON NOTICED MONTEREY ARPT ON MY L. I QUICKLY CONSULTED MY VFR CHART AND REALIZED I HAD UNWITTINGLY ENTERED THE OUTER RING OF THE MONTEREY CLASS C AIRSPACE, WHOSE FLOOR BEGAN AT 1500 FT. I DSNDED BELOW 1500 FT AND CALLED MONTEREY APCH AND RECEIVED PERMISSION TO ENTER THE CLASS C. AT THIS POINT, THE FLT CONTINUED S ALONG THE COASTLINE, AND BACK N, MAINTAINING CONTACT WITH MONTEREY APCH UNTIL WE WERE OUT OF THEIR AIRSPACE. MIFFED ABOUT MY AIRSPACE ERROR, I REVIEWED MY VFR CHART WHEN I RETURNED HOME. I REALIZED THAT I SHOULD'VE CONTACTED MONTEREY APCH IMMEDIATELY AFTER SWITCHING AWAY FROM MY UNICOM FREQ. IT WOULD'VE BEEN SAFER FOR THE SCENIC FLT, AND I CERTAINLY WOULDN'T HAVE BUSTED ANY AIRSPACE. I ALSO NOTICED AN AREA S OF THE MONTEREY PENINSULA ALONG THE COAST THAT WAS AN OTTER SANCTUARY. THERE WAS A REQUEST ON THE CHART FOR PLTS TO REMAIN ABOVE 2000 FT AGL IN THAT AREA. DURING THAT PORTION OF THE FLT, I HAD BEEN BTWN 1500 FT AND 2000 FT AGL. I WAS WELL OFF-SHORE, AND APCH HAD NOT MENTIONED THAT PARTICULAR SANCTUARY AREA TO ME WHILE I WAS THERE. HOWEVER, IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO BE FAMILIAR WITH THE CHART AND BE SENSITIVE TO THIS SANCTUARY AREA IF I BELIEVED MYSELF TO BE ANYWHERE NEAR IT. THE TAKE-HOME MESSAGE FOR ME WAS: DON'T PLAN A SCENIC FLT IN AN AREA THAT I'M NOT INTIMATELY FAMILIAR WITH UNLESS I'VE GONE OVER THE CHART CAREFULLY. IN PREVIOUS FLTS OVER THIS AREA, I'VE ALWAYS BEEN IN CONTACT WITH A CTLING AGENCY THROUGH FLT FOLLOWING. BECAUSE I INITIATED MY FLT OUT OF WATSONVILLE WITHOUT GETTING VFR FLT FOLLOWING OR WITHOUT CONTACTING MONTEREY APCH, I OPENED MYSELF UP TO AN AIRSPACE BUST, AND A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS FLT. I ANYTHING, CARRYING A PAX ON A SCENIC FLT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TIME TO OPT FOR FLT FOLLOWING. THE PLT IS MORE LIKELY TO BE PAYING ATTN TO THE PAX, OR LANDMARKS, RATHER THAN HAVING HIS HEAD ON THE SWIVEL LOOKING FOR OTHER ACFT. I HAD BECOME COMPLACENT ABOUT THE LOCATION AND MY RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE AIR, AND FAILED TO CONTACT A CTLING AGENCY WHEN NECESSARY.

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.