Citabria aircraft in cruise entered cle class B airspace inadvertently.

Attributes
ACN	376310
Time
Date	199708
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : cle
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2700 msl bound upper : 2700
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cle tower : bkl
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Champion Citabria
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 1700 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	376310
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Approximately 10 NM northwest of bkl, I called tower for clearance to transit their airspace. They asked if we were in touch with approach, then asked us to contact them. After being assigned a transponder code, the controller asked to call him on the phone. Landed at cgf, co, called, and was asked a number of questions by a supervisor, then told that we were just inside the class B airspace. As I deliberately maintained a 300 ft margin below the class B floor of 3000 ft, I was quite surprised. As the second ring of the airspace (80/19) is over water, there are no landmarks to establish exact position -- with haze over the lake with resulting loss of horizon to the north, it is quite possible to err in estimating distance from shore. Other controled airspace has been modified to allow transit close to shore (isp class C on long island, ny, is one) for this reason. A factor was hesitation to contact approach (big city class B) due to previous experience with being vectored far out over water.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CITABRIA ACFT IN CRUISE ENTERED CLE CLASS B AIRSPACE INADVERTENTLY.

Narrative: APPROX 10 NM NW OF BKL, I CALLED TWR FOR CLRNC TO TRANSIT THEIR AIRSPACE. THEY ASKED IF WE WERE IN TOUCH WITH APCH, THEN ASKED US TO CONTACT THEM. AFTER BEING ASSIGNED A XPONDER CODE, THE CTLR ASKED TO CALL HIM ON THE PHONE. LANDED AT CGF, CO, CALLED, AND WAS ASKED A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS BY A SUPVR, THEN TOLD THAT WE WERE JUST INSIDE THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. AS I DELIBERATELY MAINTAINED A 300 FT MARGIN BELOW THE CLASS B FLOOR OF 3000 FT, I WAS QUITE SURPRISED. AS THE SECOND RING OF THE AIRSPACE (80/19) IS OVER WATER, THERE ARE NO LANDMARKS TO ESTABLISH EXACT POS -- WITH HAZE OVER THE LAKE WITH RESULTING LOSS OF HORIZON TO THE N, IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE TO ERR IN ESTIMATING DISTANCE FROM SHORE. OTHER CTLED AIRSPACE HAS BEEN MODIFIED TO ALLOW TRANSIT CLOSE TO SHORE (ISP CLASS C ON LONG ISLAND, NY, IS ONE) FOR THIS REASON. A FACTOR WAS HESITATION TO CONTACT APCH (BIG CITY CLASS B) DUE TO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH BEING VECTORED FAR OUT OVER WATER.

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.