Narrative:

At approximately XX00 hours on sep/xa/98 I was acting as the captain of a sikorsky S76 helicopter on a VFR flight from gai to ttn. Upon departing gai, I set the autoplt system up to climb to and capture 3000 ft. During the climb out, several issues distraction me and I failed to notice that upon reaching 3000 ft the autoplt did not capture the preselected altitude, but had continued to climb. During this same time frame, the first officer had been attempting to establish communications with bwi approach control to no avail as the frequency was very congested. When the altitude discrepancy was finally noticed, we were climbing through 4000 ft. At the same time, bwi approach finally got us in radar contact. The controller then requested that in the future we establish communications and radar contact with him prior to going above 3500 ft in that area (as that is the base of the class B airspace). We responded positively to the request and the situation ended. At no time during this incident were there any significant safety issues, only the obvious airspace incursion. Our aircraft is equipped with tcasi. Another factor involved in this incident was the fact that I was (no excuse) somewhat unfamiliar with the balance/dca class B airspace, and quite surprised to realize that the base of that airspace was so low, so far away from the 2 metropolises (in comparison to the new york class B where the lateral boundaries are 20 mi). As we only go to the balance/dca occasionally, we will be certain to make ourselves more familiar with the airspace in the future. Supplemental information from acn 416557: I was the PNF and had just finished the after takeoff checklist. The captain was the PF and announced that he was going to climb to 5500 ft to take advantage of the expected tailwinds. The PF selected the altitude on autoplt selector and commenced to climb. I called bwi approach when an opening came available and requested TA's to our destination and that we were at '3000 ft climbing to 5500 ft.' ATC responded with a code and to 'identify.' glancing at the moving map display, I asked the PF 'where is the class B?' meaning where are the boundaries of the class B airspace in this area. He glanced at the moving map and realized it was only on the 1 mi range. None of our crews normally miss this kind of thing. The VFR charts were open and available. We fly this route at least once a month. We had not been flying constantly all day this day, we had several hours of waiting time. We had each taken a nap, eaten lunch and taken a 1/2 hour walk earlier and were ready for takeoff before the passenger arrived. We were not sure why our situational awareness was down on the climb out, that we missed the airspace restr. We are used to operating under and in and around class B airspace and usually know our restrs to the 'T.' perhaps we were too relaxed from having such a long and easy waiting period before flight and not as familiar with the class B as we are of the one where we are based.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SK76 ROTARY WINGED TFC ACFT CLBS INTO THE CLASS B OF DCA 20 MI W OF BWI WITHOUT CLRNC FROM BWI APCH CTLR.

Narrative: AT APPROX XX00 HRS ON SEP/XA/98 I WAS ACTING AS THE CAPT OF A SIKORSKY S76 HELI ON A VFR FLT FROM GAI TO TTN. UPON DEPARTING GAI, I SET THE AUTOPLT SYS UP TO CLB TO AND CAPTURE 3000 FT. DURING THE CLBOUT, SEVERAL ISSUES DISTR ME AND I FAILED TO NOTICE THAT UPON REACHING 3000 FT THE AUTOPLT DID NOT CAPTURE THE PRESELECTED ALT, BUT HAD CONTINUED TO CLB. DURING THIS SAME TIME FRAME, THE FO HAD BEEN ATTEMPTING TO ESTABLISH COMS WITH BWI APCH CTL TO NO AVAIL AS THE FREQ WAS VERY CONGESTED. WHEN THE ALT DISCREPANCY WAS FINALLY NOTICED, WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 4000 FT. AT THE SAME TIME, BWI APCH FINALLY GOT US IN RADAR CONTACT. THE CTLR THEN REQUESTED THAT IN THE FUTURE WE ESTABLISH COMS AND RADAR CONTACT WITH HIM PRIOR TO GOING ABOVE 3500 FT IN THAT AREA (AS THAT IS THE BASE OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE). WE RESPONDED POSITIVELY TO THE REQUEST AND THE SIT ENDED. AT NO TIME DURING THIS INCIDENT WERE THERE ANY SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUES, ONLY THE OBVIOUS AIRSPACE INCURSION. OUR ACFT IS EQUIPPED WITH TCASI. ANOTHER FACTOR INVOLVED IN THIS INCIDENT WAS THE FACT THAT I WAS (NO EXCUSE) SOMEWHAT UNFAMILIAR WITH THE BAL/DCA CLASS B AIRSPACE, AND QUITE SURPRISED TO REALIZE THAT THE BASE OF THAT AIRSPACE WAS SO LOW, SO FAR AWAY FROM THE 2 METROPOLISES (IN COMPARISON TO THE NEW YORK CLASS B WHERE THE LATERAL BOUNDARIES ARE 20 MI). AS WE ONLY GO TO THE BAL/DCA OCCASIONALLY, WE WILL BE CERTAIN TO MAKE OURSELVES MORE FAMILIAR WITH THE AIRSPACE IN THE FUTURE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 416557: I WAS THE PNF AND HAD JUST FINISHED THE AFTER TKOF CHKLIST. THE CAPT WAS THE PF AND ANNOUNCED THAT HE WAS GOING TO CLB TO 5500 FT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE EXPECTED TAILWINDS. THE PF SELECTED THE ALT ON AUTOPLT SELECTOR AND COMMENCED TO CLB. I CALLED BWI APCH WHEN AN OPENING CAME AVAILABLE AND REQUESTED TA'S TO OUR DEST AND THAT WE WERE AT '3000 FT CLBING TO 5500 FT.' ATC RESPONDED WITH A CODE AND TO 'IDENT.' GLANCING AT THE MOVING MAP DISPLAY, I ASKED THE PF 'WHERE IS THE CLASS B?' MEANING WHERE ARE THE BOUNDARIES OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE IN THIS AREA. HE GLANCED AT THE MOVING MAP AND REALIZED IT WAS ONLY ON THE 1 MI RANGE. NONE OF OUR CREWS NORMALLY MISS THIS KIND OF THING. THE VFR CHARTS WERE OPEN AND AVAILABLE. WE FLY THIS RTE AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH. WE HAD NOT BEEN FLYING CONSTANTLY ALL DAY THIS DAY, WE HAD SEVERAL HRS OF WAITING TIME. WE HAD EACH TAKEN A NAP, EATEN LUNCH AND TAKEN A 1/2 HR WALK EARLIER AND WERE READY FOR TKOF BEFORE THE PAX ARRIVED. WE WERE NOT SURE WHY OUR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS WAS DOWN ON THE CLBOUT, THAT WE MISSED THE AIRSPACE RESTR. WE ARE USED TO OPERATING UNDER AND IN AND AROUND CLASS B AIRSPACE AND USUALLY KNOW OUR RESTRS TO THE 'T.' PERHAPS WE WERE TOO RELAXED FROM HAVING SUCH A LONG AND EASY WAITING PERIOD BEFORE FLT AND NOT AS FAMILIAR WITH THE CLASS B AS WE ARE OF THE ONE WHERE WE ARE BASED.

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.