Narrative:

On october 1996 I plted aztec piper from ilg to bcb. I had a friend, mr X, acting as copilot (over 8000 hours military). Purpose of the flight was to return my nephew to college. Departing ilg runway 27 at AB20 pm we commenced a climb to 10500 ft to fly over the washington/baltimore class B airspace. We stayed clear of the aberdeen proving ground restr area by flying south of it. I was monitoring my GPS for position en route to bcb. The initial course took us down over the maryland eastern shore, thus keeping us well clear of aberdeen. Upon reaching our final altitude (10500 ft) prior to the border of the washington/baltimore class B airspace, I placed the plane on autoplt and began to fly the course by GPS and utilizing heading bug to maintain track. We were flying generally direct to bcb and I was keeping the aircraft on an approximately bearing. I checked the current altimeter setting on 115.1 bwi ATIS, to make sure that we were at the correct altitude over the class B airspace, and then asked mr. X to obtain a WX update from washington flight watch on 122.0. Washington flight watch reported a 2900 ft overcast ceiling at roa, some 50 mi east of bcb, so we decided to file an IFR flight plan from the air with leesburg radio, to fly IFR from montebello VOR to bcb, and planned to shoot the localizer approach to runway 12. Leesburg radio gave us our IFR plan and asked us to contact ZDC on 124.65, which we did. On our acknowledgement, ZDC informed me that I had encroached the P56 restr area. Since my GPS gives warnings on the presence of sua ahead, I was shocked. I had received no warning from the GPS. I was sure that we had passed on a track southeast of P56. I was not looking at the ground. I was looking for traffic and flying the plane, however, mr. X said that he had seen andrews field pass under our left wing, which would have meant we did in fact remain clear of P56. We continued our flight, picked up our clearance at montebello VOR, and ultimately made a visual approach to bcb, landing approximately at AD34 pm. If I did encroach the P56 restr airspace, it was inadvertent. In the future, I will file an IFR plan prior to departure or at a minimum be in touch with ZDC or other control services when flying over the washington/baltimore or other class B airspace. Supplemental information from acn 349451: observed both mtn and bwi well off to our right. Observed that andrews AFB should pass under our left wing -- tuned washington 111.0 and observed a 11 DME and indications that we were passing 11 mi southeast of that fix and clear of P56. Landed at bcb at approximately AD35 local, made the requested call, and complied with all the requests of the contacted agency. After completing interviews with their representative we were advised we were clear to depart. From my observations, it was not apparent to me that we had encroached any restr or prohibited airspace. It is also apparent to me, that in the future, IFR flight plans are appropriate for this area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A GA PA23 IS ALLEGED BY ATC TO HAVE PERFORMED AN UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE. PROX OF RESTR AREA.

Narrative: ON OCTOBER 1996 I PLTED AZTEC PIPER FROM ILG TO BCB. I HAD A FRIEND, MR X, ACTING AS COPLT (OVER 8000 HRS MIL). PURPOSE OF THE FLT WAS TO RETURN MY NEPHEW TO COLLEGE. DEPARTING ILG RWY 27 AT AB20 PM WE COMMENCED A CLB TO 10500 FT TO FLY OVER THE WASHINGTON/BALTIMORE CLASS B AIRSPACE. WE STAYED CLR OF THE ABERDEEN PROVING GND RESTR AREA BY FLYING S OF IT. I WAS MONITORING MY GPS FOR POS ENRTE TO BCB. THE INITIAL COURSE TOOK US DOWN OVER THE MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE, THUS KEEPING US WELL CLR OF ABERDEEN. UPON REACHING OUR FINAL ALT (10500 FT) PRIOR TO THE BORDER OF THE WASHINGTON/BALTIMORE CLASS B AIRSPACE, I PLACED THE PLANE ON AUTOPLT AND BEGAN TO FLY THE COURSE BY GPS AND UTILIZING HDG BUG TO MAINTAIN TRACK. WE WERE FLYING GENERALLY DIRECT TO BCB AND I WAS KEEPING THE ACFT ON AN APPROX BEARING. I CHKED THE CURRENT ALTIMETER SETTING ON 115.1 BWI ATIS, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE AT THE CORRECT ALT OVER THE CLASS B AIRSPACE, AND THEN ASKED MR. X TO OBTAIN A WX UPDATE FROM WASHINGTON FLT WATCH ON 122.0. WASHINGTON FLT WATCH RPTED A 2900 FT OVCST CEILING AT ROA, SOME 50 MI E OF BCB, SO WE DECIDED TO FILE AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM THE AIR WITH LEESBURG RADIO, TO FLY IFR FROM MONTEBELLO VOR TO BCB, AND PLANNED TO SHOOT THE LOC APCH TO RWY 12. LEESBURG RADIO GAVE US OUR IFR PLAN AND ASKED US TO CONTACT ZDC ON 124.65, WHICH WE DID. ON OUR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, ZDC INFORMED ME THAT I HAD ENCROACHED THE P56 RESTR AREA. SINCE MY GPS GIVES WARNINGS ON THE PRESENCE OF SUA AHEAD, I WAS SHOCKED. I HAD RECEIVED NO WARNING FROM THE GPS. I WAS SURE THAT WE HAD PASSED ON A TRACK SE OF P56. I WAS NOT LOOKING AT THE GND. I WAS LOOKING FOR TFC AND FLYING THE PLANE, HOWEVER, MR. X SAID THAT HE HAD SEEN ANDREWS FIELD PASS UNDER OUR L WING, WHICH WOULD HAVE MEANT WE DID IN FACT REMAIN CLR OF P56. WE CONTINUED OUR FLT, PICKED UP OUR CLRNC AT MONTEBELLO VOR, AND ULTIMATELY MADE A VISUAL APCH TO BCB, LNDG APPROX AT AD34 PM. IF I DID ENCROACH THE P56 RESTR AIRSPACE, IT WAS INADVERTENT. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL FILE AN IFR PLAN PRIOR TO DEP OR AT A MINIMUM BE IN TOUCH WITH ZDC OR OTHER CTL SVCS WHEN FLYING OVER THE WASHINGTON/BALTIMORE OR OTHER CLASS B AIRSPACE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 349451: OBSERVED BOTH MTN AND BWI WELL OFF TO OUR R. OBSERVED THAT ANDREWS AFB SHOULD PASS UNDER OUR L WING -- TUNED WASHINGTON 111.0 AND OBSERVED A 11 DME AND INDICATIONS THAT WE WERE PASSING 11 MI SE OF THAT FIX AND CLR OF P56. LANDED AT BCB AT APPROX AD35 LCL, MADE THE REQUESTED CALL, AND COMPLIED WITH ALL THE REQUESTS OF THE CONTACTED AGENCY. AFTER COMPLETING INTERVIEWS WITH THEIR REPRESENTATIVE WE WERE ADVISED WE WERE CLR TO DEPART. FROM MY OBSERVATIONS, IT WAS NOT APPARENT TO ME THAT WE HAD ENCROACHED ANY RESTR OR PROHIBITED AIRSPACE. IT IS ALSO APPARENT TO ME, THAT IN THE FUTURE, IFR FLT PLANS ARE APPROPRIATE FOR THIS 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.