Narrative:

I was wearing foggles practicing ADF interception and tracking of bearings with a CFIT. He uses a local radio station in lowell, ma, for this (in VMC) which was unfamiliar to me, but appeared to be far enough away from the class B, C, and D airspace in the area to avoid their airspace. During maneuvering to the northeast it became apparent that the wind from the southwest was strong enough that inbound legs were approximately 3 mins for 45 second outbound legs. He had me move to the west of the station. I was purposely ignoring the VOR and RNAV displays for the purpose of this flight. Following this maneuvering, our plans were for me to fly a practice NDB runway 5 approach at lwm. He gave me a heading to hold and attempted to contact bos approach to set up the approach. While we were waiting to work into the communications in progress, I asked twice if we should reverse course to avoid lwm's airspace and accepted his assurances that we were 'fine.' when he was able to state our request, bos approach informed us that we were inside lwm's airspace. He then noticed that he had been using the RNAV to monitor our position which was in RNAV (not VOR) mode, and therefore, when he switched to VOR mode, confirmed that we were 3.3 NM away from lwm, within their airspace at 2200 ft. Contributing factors: one pilot 'under the hood' intentionally using one navigational instrument for training who relied on the situational awareness of the instructor. The other pilot, a relatively new instructor, may not have been familiar with the local area at night enough to judge distances accurately. RNAV's can be insidious if you are not particularly careful of the mode selection. I could have easily looked at the VOR and RNAV displays to confirm our location, but did not. I could have also removed the foggles and helped to determine our location, but did not. 'Once again' I 'learned' to listen to my misgivings about a situation and act on them. I hope that this is the last time that I ignore them. Supplemental information from acn 380845: at the time we were obtaining ATIS for lwm and trying to contact bos approach for the NDB runway 5 approach. I noticed an airport out of the front of the aircraft which looked like lwm.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 INSTRUCTOR PLTS EXPERIENCE AN AIRSPACE INCURSION DURING A NIGHT TRAINING FLT. ACFT ENTERED THE LWM CTL ZONE OF BOS PRIOR TO CONTACTING BOS APCH CTLR. ACFT'S MODE WAS RNAV INSTEAD OF THE VOR SELECTION.

Narrative: I WAS WEARING FOGGLES PRACTICING ADF INTERCEPTION AND TRACKING OF BEARINGS WITH A CFIT. HE USES A LCL RADIO STATION IN LOWELL, MA, FOR THIS (IN VMC) WHICH WAS UNFAMILIAR TO ME, BUT APPEARED TO BE FAR ENOUGH AWAY FROM THE CLASS B, C, AND D AIRSPACE IN THE AREA TO AVOID THEIR AIRSPACE. DURING MANEUVERING TO THE NE IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE WIND FROM THE SW WAS STRONG ENOUGH THAT INBOUND LEGS WERE APPROX 3 MINS FOR 45 SECOND OUTBOUND LEGS. HE HAD ME MOVE TO THE W OF THE STATION. I WAS PURPOSELY IGNORING THE VOR AND RNAV DISPLAYS FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS FLT. FOLLOWING THIS MANEUVERING, OUR PLANS WERE FOR ME TO FLY A PRACTICE NDB RWY 5 APCH AT LWM. HE GAVE ME A HEADING TO HOLD AND ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT BOS APCH TO SET UP THE APCH. WHILE WE WERE WAITING TO WORK INTO THE COMS IN PROGRESS, I ASKED TWICE IF WE SHOULD REVERSE COURSE TO AVOID LWM'S AIRSPACE AND ACCEPTED HIS ASSURANCES THAT WE WERE 'FINE.' WHEN HE WAS ABLE TO STATE OUR REQUEST, BOS APCH INFORMED US THAT WE WERE INSIDE LWM'S AIRSPACE. HE THEN NOTICED THAT HE HAD BEEN USING THE RNAV TO MONITOR OUR POS WHICH WAS IN RNAV (NOT VOR) MODE, AND THEREFORE, WHEN HE SWITCHED TO VOR MODE, CONFIRMED THAT WE WERE 3.3 NM AWAY FROM LWM, WITHIN THEIR AIRSPACE AT 2200 FT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: ONE PLT 'UNDER THE HOOD' INTENTIONALLY USING ONE NAVIGATIONAL INST FOR TRAINING WHO RELIED ON THE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS OF THE INSTRUCTOR. THE OTHER PLT, A RELATIVELY NEW INSTRUCTOR, MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FAMILIAR WITH THE LCL AREA AT NIGHT ENOUGH TO JUDGE DISTANCES ACCURATELY. RNAV'S CAN BE INSIDIOUS IF YOU ARE NOT PARTICULARLY CAREFUL OF THE MODE SELECTION. I COULD HAVE EASILY LOOKED AT THE VOR AND RNAV DISPLAYS TO CONFIRM OUR LOCATION, BUT DID NOT. I COULD HAVE ALSO REMOVED THE FOGGLES AND HELPED TO DETERMINE OUR LOCATION, BUT DID NOT. 'ONCE AGAIN' I 'LEARNED' TO LISTEN TO MY MISGIVINGS ABOUT A SIT AND ACT ON THEM. I HOPE THAT THIS IS THE LAST TIME THAT I IGNORE THEM. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 380845: AT THE TIME WE WERE OBTAINING ATIS FOR LWM AND TRYING TO CONTACT BOS APCH FOR THE NDB RWY 5 APCH. I NOTICED AN ARPT OUT OF THE FRONT OF THE ACFT WHICH LOOKED LIKE LWM.

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.