Narrative:

I took off from cgs after repairs to the trim system on my 1973 piper arrow 1. Destination ttn. When I started to level off at 1500 ft, the trim wheel was stuck with nose up takeoff trim. I experimented with various power settings, and found that I could maintain pretty good control at about 15 inches of manifold pressure. I decided that I didn't want to attempt a landing in this condition at college park which has only a 2600 ft runway. I also decided that I didn't want to go into the busy bwi airport, and decided to head for mtn where the 7000 ft runway was oriented right into the prevailing wind. Using GPS/moving map, I planned to navigation around and under the bwi class B airspace. While looking at the sectional chart, my altitude ballooned up to 2000 ft. At that point, I thought I was under the outermost ring of the class B where controled airspace started at 2500 ft. A min or so later, I saw a B737 on approach to bwi at what appeared to be my altitude. I changed the resolution on my GPS, and realized that I was inside the class B, inside the second ring where controled airspace starts at 1500 ft. I immediately turned 90 degrees to my course to make the most direct exit from the class B, and also reduced power to descend below 1500 ft. At about that point, I tried the trim wheel again, and this time it moved. With trim control back, I decided to continue my original destination, ttn. The rest of the flight was uneventful, and I had additional maintenance done on the trim system at ttn. The obvious cause of the incursion was my loss of complete situational awareness while dealing with a problem. Looking back on the experience, I should have been tuned to the bwi approach frequency on departure, even though my planned course would not have taken me into bwi airspace. Part of the reason I ballooned up to 2000 ft, I think, was that I was trying to find the frequency on the sectional chart. My plan at that point was to tell bwi approach about my problem and get flight following to mtn. If class B approach frequencys were printed on sectionals in the same way my class C approach frequencys are, it would at least have been easier to find the frequency. For what it's worth, I have wondered in the past why this is not the case. That is certainly not the cause of this incursion, but it might help prevent similar sits in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 PLT FINDS THAT HIS ELEVATION TRIM WHEEL IS STUCK AS HE ATTEMPTS TO LEVEL OFF AT 1500 FT. AS HE CONTINUED TO INVESTIGATE THE PROB AND PLAN TO DIVERT HE ACCIDENTALLY CLBED AND ENTERED CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT TALKING TO THE APCH CTLR.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF FROM CGS AFTER REPAIRS TO THE TRIM SYS ON MY 1973 PIPER ARROW 1. DEST TTN. WHEN I STARTED TO LEVEL OFF AT 1500 FT, THE TRIM WHEEL WAS STUCK WITH NOSE UP TKOF TRIM. I EXPERIMENTED WITH VARIOUS PWR SETTINGS, AND FOUND THAT I COULD MAINTAIN PRETTY GOOD CTL AT ABOUT 15 INCHES OF MANIFOLD PRESSURE. I DECIDED THAT I DIDN'T WANT TO ATTEMPT A LNDG IN THIS CONDITION AT COLLEGE PARK WHICH HAS ONLY A 2600 FT RWY. I ALSO DECIDED THAT I DIDN'T WANT TO GO INTO THE BUSY BWI ARPT, AND DECIDED TO HEAD FOR MTN WHERE THE 7000 FT RWY WAS ORIENTED RIGHT INTO THE PREVAILING WIND. USING GPS/MOVING MAP, I PLANNED TO NAV AROUND AND UNDER THE BWI CLASS B AIRSPACE. WHILE LOOKING AT THE SECTIONAL CHART, MY ALT BALLOONED UP TO 2000 FT. AT THAT POINT, I THOUGHT I WAS UNDER THE OUTERMOST RING OF THE CLASS B WHERE CTLED AIRSPACE STARTED AT 2500 FT. A MIN OR SO LATER, I SAW A B737 ON APCH TO BWI AT WHAT APPEARED TO BE MY ALT. I CHANGED THE RESOLUTION ON MY GPS, AND REALIZED THAT I WAS INSIDE THE CLASS B, INSIDE THE SECOND RING WHERE CTLED AIRSPACE STARTS AT 1500 FT. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED 90 DEGS TO MY COURSE TO MAKE THE MOST DIRECT EXIT FROM THE CLASS B, AND ALSO REDUCED PWR TO DSND BELOW 1500 FT. AT ABOUT THAT POINT, I TRIED THE TRIM WHEEL AGAIN, AND THIS TIME IT MOVED. WITH TRIM CTL BACK, I DECIDED TO CONTINUE MY ORIGINAL DEST, TTN. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL, AND I HAD ADDITIONAL MAINT DONE ON THE TRIM SYS AT TTN. THE OBVIOUS CAUSE OF THE INCURSION WAS MY LOSS OF COMPLETE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS WHILE DEALING WITH A PROB. LOOKING BACK ON THE EXPERIENCE, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN TUNED TO THE BWI APCH FREQ ON DEP, EVEN THOUGH MY PLANNED COURSE WOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN ME INTO BWI AIRSPACE. PART OF THE REASON I BALLOONED UP TO 2000 FT, I THINK, WAS THAT I WAS TRYING TO FIND THE FREQ ON THE SECTIONAL CHART. MY PLAN AT THAT POINT WAS TO TELL BWI APCH ABOUT MY PROB AND GET FLT FOLLOWING TO MTN. IF CLASS B APCH FREQS WERE PRINTED ON SECTIONALS IN THE SAME WAY MY CLASS C APCH FREQS ARE, IT WOULD AT LEAST HAVE BEEN EASIER TO FIND THE FREQ. FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, I HAVE WONDERED IN THE PAST WHY THIS IS NOT THE CASE. THAT IS CERTAINLY NOT THE CAUSE OF THIS INCURSION, BUT IT MIGHT HELP PREVENT SIMILAR SITS IN THE FUTURE.

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.