Narrative:

On a day/VFR trip, returning from apc to rhv, I flew into sfo's class B airspace without an ATC clearance. I had flown to napa with 2 friends on a pleasure flight for lunch. The WX was very hazy and there was an overcast over most of the san francisco area, although conditions were clear where we were flying. I am based at rhv and have flown around the oakland area on numerous occasions, often as part of a so-called 'bay tour' trip around the san francisco bay but also transitioning under or through the local class B on trips to destinations further north such as santa rosa and mendocino. I am instrument rated, feel comfortable working with ATC, and have usually received flight following from bay approach in the area. I had flown from rhv to apc IFR because of reported overcast at apc but it was clear when we arrived, so I planned to fly back VFR to see if we might be able to overfly san francisco. My WX update reported 1000-1300 ft overcast over sfo, however, so I decided to fly back along a more direct route, following the hills along the coast because I remembered past routings had taken me right along the hills under the shelf of the 4500 ft/8000 ft shelf of sfo's class B. I thought staying close to the hills would be sufficient to help me remain clear of the class B airspace. I expected to merely stray into the 4500 ft/8000 ft segment (20 NM from sfo) and thought staying close to the hills would keep me well clear of the 3000 ft/8000 ft segment (15 NM). In the back of my mind I'd planned to request flight following early and request a clearance to transition the class B airspace at a higher altitude. Consequently I wasn't sufficiently concerned about remaining outside the borders of the 3000 ft/8000 ft segment. I was late getting in touch with the right bay approach controller and the first hint of something wrong was a stern reminder from ATC and an immediate vector east and a command to descend to clear the class B segment. There are many things I could have done to prevent this: I had DME onboard and could have kept it tuned to sfo to stay outside its 15 NM ring (the limits of the 3000 ft/8000 ft segment). If I had thought about the importance of remaining clear of the 15 NM ring I also could have drawn a xradial from sgd VOR that would have kept me clear of class B airspace at my planned altitude. The final irony is that I had a recently acquired, highly capable GPS on board (garmin GPS map 195) which displayed class B airspace segments along with ground features. Mindful of the stories of accidents that happened because a new GPS kept the pilot's eyes inside the cockpit rather than outside in VFR conditions I consciously avoided paying too much detailed attention to it. This was just CRM at its worst.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PF A PA28 FROM APC STRAYS INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE ENRTE TO RHV.

Narrative: ON A DAY/VFR TRIP, RETURNING FROM APC TO RHV, I FLEW INTO SFO'S CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT AN ATC CLRNC. I HAD FLOWN TO NAPA WITH 2 FRIENDS ON A PLEASURE FLT FOR LUNCH. THE WX WAS VERY HAZY AND THERE WAS AN OVCST OVER MOST OF THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA, ALTHOUGH CONDITIONS WERE CLR WHERE WE WERE FLYING. I AM BASED AT RHV AND HAVE FLOWN AROUND THE OAKLAND AREA ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, OFTEN AS PART OF A SO-CALLED 'BAY TOUR' TRIP AROUND THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY BUT ALSO TRANSITIONING UNDER OR THROUGH THE LCL CLASS B ON TRIPS TO DESTS FURTHER N SUCH AS SANTA ROSA AND MENDOCINO. I AM INST RATED, FEEL COMFORTABLE WORKING WITH ATC, AND HAVE USUALLY RECEIVED FLT FOLLOWING FROM BAY APCH IN THE AREA. I HAD FLOWN FROM RHV TO APC IFR BECAUSE OF RPTED OVCST AT APC BUT IT WAS CLR WHEN WE ARRIVED, SO I PLANNED TO FLY BACK VFR TO SEE IF WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO OVERFLY SAN FRANCISCO. MY WX UPDATE RPTED 1000-1300 FT OVCST OVER SFO, HOWEVER, SO I DECIDED TO FLY BACK ALONG A MORE DIRECT RTE, FOLLOWING THE HILLS ALONG THE COAST BECAUSE I REMEMBERED PAST ROUTINGS HAD TAKEN ME RIGHT ALONG THE HILLS UNDER THE SHELF OF THE 4500 FT/8000 FT SHELF OF SFO'S CLASS B. I THOUGHT STAYING CLOSE TO THE HILLS WOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO HELP ME REMAIN CLR OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. I EXPECTED TO MERELY STRAY INTO THE 4500 FT/8000 FT SEGMENT (20 NM FROM SFO) AND THOUGHT STAYING CLOSE TO THE HILLS WOULD KEEP ME WELL CLR OF THE 3000 FT/8000 FT SEGMENT (15 NM). IN THE BACK OF MY MIND I'D PLANNED TO REQUEST FLT FOLLOWING EARLY AND REQUEST A CLRNC TO TRANSITION THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AT A HIGHER ALT. CONSEQUENTLY I WASN'T SUFFICIENTLY CONCERNED ABOUT REMAINING OUTSIDE THE BORDERS OF THE 3000 FT/8000 FT SEGMENT. I WAS LATE GETTING IN TOUCH WITH THE RIGHT BAY APCH CTLR AND THE FIRST HINT OF SOMETHING WRONG WAS A STERN REMINDER FROM ATC AND AN IMMEDIATE VECTOR E AND A COMMAND TO DSND TO CLR THE CLASS B SEGMENT. THERE ARE MANY THINGS I COULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT THIS: I HAD DME ONBOARD AND COULD HAVE KEPT IT TUNED TO SFO TO STAY OUTSIDE ITS 15 NM RING (THE LIMITS OF THE 3000 FT/8000 FT SEGMENT). IF I HAD THOUGHT ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF REMAINING CLR OF THE 15 NM RING I ALSO COULD HAVE DRAWN A XRADIAL FROM SGD VOR THAT WOULD HAVE KEPT ME CLR OF CLASS B AIRSPACE AT MY PLANNED ALT. THE FINAL IRONY IS THAT I HAD A RECENTLY ACQUIRED, HIGHLY CAPABLE GPS ON BOARD (GARMIN GPS MAP 195) WHICH DISPLAYED CLASS B AIRSPACE SEGMENTS ALONG WITH GND FEATURES. MINDFUL OF THE STORIES OF ACCIDENTS THAT HAPPENED BECAUSE A NEW GPS KEPT THE PLT'S EYES INSIDE THE COCKPIT RATHER THAN OUTSIDE IN VFR CONDITIONS I CONSCIOUSLY AVOIDED PAYING TOO MUCH DETAILED ATTN TO IT. THIS WAS JUST CRM AT ITS WORST.

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.