Narrative:

On a flight from 5t6 (dona ana county at santa teresa), at an altitude of 7500 ft MSL, while approaching the destination aeg (double eagle ii), I believe I penetrated the abq class C airspace without establishing 2-WAY radio contact. The circumstances of the flight were as follows: earlier that day, I departed aeg to the south for 5t6 (and filed a VFR flight plan) in a C172N. To ensure separation from the abq class C airspace, I tuned a navigation radio to the abq VOR, and set the obs to 180 degrees. The reasoning behind this action was that the VOR is nearly on the edge of the abq class C upper layer if I kept the CDI to the left (towards abq), my aircraft would be west of the course line, which formed a tangent line with the western edge of the abq class C upper layer. My passenger and I noted the extinct volcanoes due south of the abq VOR, as they were approximately 1 NM east of the route. The rest of the flight to 5t6 was uneventful. I departed 5t6 for aeg without filing a VFR flight plan. The flight followed the rio grande river, but offset to the west approximately 1 NM to ensure separation from the restr areas along the route (5111, 5107, etc). Again, I tuned a navigation radio to the abq VOR, and set the obs to 180 degrees. I was again planning to keep separation by keeping the CDI needle towards abq. As we approached albuquerque (the city), I noted the CDI to be full scale towards the abq airport. As we approached further, my passenger and I noted the volcanoes we had seen earlier that day to be to the west of our position. I wondered if I had drifted too far to the east at this point, but was assured by the CDI deflected fully towards abq telling me I was safely west of the class C airspace. I consulted the abq sectional chart to check my position relative to the volcanoes, only to find that the volcanoes are in no way noted on the chart. I therefore assumed the fully deflected CDI to confirm my position. We progressed further, and looking to the northeast, I was able to clearly see runway 3 at abq. At this point, I new I was too far east, and executed a turn to a heading of 270 degrees. I flew this course until I could see the abq VOR, which was well west of my position at the time I turned to 270 degrees. As I flew west, I noted that my westward route would bring me south of the abq VOR, approximately 5 mi south of the VOR. As I passed abeam of the VOR, I noted the CDI change deflection. At this point, I realized that the obs should have been set on a reciprocal heading, as the unit was operating in the 'from' mode as I approached abq, which would make the CDI operate opposite of the way I imagined. So, the full scale deflection towards the airport, which I believed confirmed me safely away from the abq class C, had actually indicated a course far east of the abq VOR (and well into the abq class C). Once I was well west of the abq VOR, I initiated a descent to 6800 ft MSL (tpa) and continued north to my destination aeg. The landing was uneventful. I fully expected someone from abq on the phone demanding to talk to me, but there was none. The causes of the violation are as follows: insufficient attention paid to the operation of the VOR system. Inadequate situational awareness (I should have noticed the problem earlier). Omission of obvious landmarks from the abq sectional chart (the volcanoes south of the VOR). The PIC's decision to not use flight following. The PIC's reliance on the navigation radios which were operated incorrectly. Inexperience of the PIC. Relaxed vigilance on the part of the PIC near the end of the flight which led to reliance upon the incorrectly operated navigation radio. The actions that will be taken to correct the situation are as follows: pilot (me) will review the operation of all navigation system in the aircraft operated by him. And, will operate such system correctly in the future, but shall bear in mind that such system are secondary to skills such as pilotage. Pilot will review use of flight following (having never successfully used flight following due to controller load), and shall make use of the VFR services provided by flight following whenever practicable. Pilot will work on keeping better situational awareness when operating in regimes conducive to complacency (cruise near the end of a flight). All of the above reviewing shall be done with a CFI.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT PENETRATES ABQ CLASS C AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: ON A FLT FROM 5T6 (DONA ANA COUNTY AT SANTA TERESA), AT AN ALT OF 7500 FT MSL, WHILE APCHING THE DEST AEG (DOUBLE EAGLE II), I BELIEVE I PENETRATED THE ABQ CLASS C AIRSPACE WITHOUT ESTABLISHING 2-WAY RADIO CONTACT. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE FLT WERE AS FOLLOWS: EARLIER THAT DAY, I DEPARTED AEG TO THE S FOR 5T6 (AND FILED A VFR FLT PLAN) IN A C172N. TO ENSURE SEPARATION FROM THE ABQ CLASS C AIRSPACE, I TUNED A NAV RADIO TO THE ABQ VOR, AND SET THE OBS TO 180 DEGS. THE REASONING BEHIND THIS ACTION WAS THAT THE VOR IS NEARLY ON THE EDGE OF THE ABQ CLASS C UPPER LAYER IF I KEPT THE CDI TO THE L (TOWARDS ABQ), MY ACFT WOULD BE W OF THE COURSE LINE, WHICH FORMED A TANGENT LINE WITH THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE ABQ CLASS C UPPER LAYER. MY PAX AND I NOTED THE EXTINCT VOLCANOES DUE S OF THE ABQ VOR, AS THEY WERE APPROX 1 NM E OF THE RTE. THE REST OF THE FLT TO 5T6 WAS UNEVENTFUL. I DEPARTED 5T6 FOR AEG WITHOUT FILING A VFR FLT PLAN. THE FLT FOLLOWED THE RIO GRANDE RIVER, BUT OFFSET TO THE W APPROX 1 NM TO ENSURE SEPARATION FROM THE RESTR AREAS ALONG THE RTE (5111, 5107, ETC). AGAIN, I TUNED A NAV RADIO TO THE ABQ VOR, AND SET THE OBS TO 180 DEGS. I WAS AGAIN PLANNING TO KEEP SEPARATION BY KEEPING THE CDI NEEDLE TOWARDS ABQ. AS WE APCHED ALBUQUERQUE (THE CITY), I NOTED THE CDI TO BE FULL SCALE TOWARDS THE ABQ ARPT. AS WE APCHED FURTHER, MY PAX AND I NOTED THE VOLCANOES WE HAD SEEN EARLIER THAT DAY TO BE TO THE W OF OUR POS. I WONDERED IF I HAD DRIFTED TOO FAR TO THE E AT THIS POINT, BUT WAS ASSURED BY THE CDI DEFLECTED FULLY TOWARDS ABQ TELLING ME I WAS SAFELY W OF THE CLASS C AIRSPACE. I CONSULTED THE ABQ SECTIONAL CHART TO CHK MY POS RELATIVE TO THE VOLCANOES, ONLY TO FIND THAT THE VOLCANOES ARE IN NO WAY NOTED ON THE CHART. I THEREFORE ASSUMED THE FULLY DEFLECTED CDI TO CONFIRM MY POS. WE PROGRESSED FURTHER, AND LOOKING TO THE NE, I WAS ABLE TO CLRLY SEE RWY 3 AT ABQ. AT THIS POINT, I NEW I WAS TOO FAR E, AND EXECUTED A TURN TO A HDG OF 270 DEGS. I FLEW THIS COURSE UNTIL I COULD SEE THE ABQ VOR, WHICH WAS WELL W OF MY POS AT THE TIME I TURNED TO 270 DEGS. AS I FLEW W, I NOTED THAT MY WESTWARD RTE WOULD BRING ME S OF THE ABQ VOR, APPROX 5 MI S OF THE VOR. AS I PASSED ABEAM OF THE VOR, I NOTED THE CDI CHANGE DEFLECTION. AT THIS POINT, I REALIZED THAT THE OBS SHOULD HAVE BEEN SET ON A RECIPROCAL HDG, AS THE UNIT WAS OPERATING IN THE 'FROM' MODE AS I APCHED ABQ, WHICH WOULD MAKE THE CDI OPERATE OPPOSITE OF THE WAY I IMAGINED. SO, THE FULL SCALE DEFLECTION TOWARDS THE ARPT, WHICH I BELIEVED CONFIRMED ME SAFELY AWAY FROM THE ABQ CLASS C, HAD ACTUALLY INDICATED A COURSE FAR E OF THE ABQ VOR (AND WELL INTO THE ABQ CLASS C). ONCE I WAS WELL W OF THE ABQ VOR, I INITIATED A DSCNT TO 6800 FT MSL (TPA) AND CONTINUED N TO MY DEST AEG. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. I FULLY EXPECTED SOMEONE FROM ABQ ON THE PHONE DEMANDING TO TALK TO ME, BUT THERE WAS NONE. THE CAUSES OF THE VIOLATION ARE AS FOLLOWS: INSUFFICIENT ATTN PAID TO THE OP OF THE VOR SYS. INADEQUATE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS (I SHOULD HAVE NOTICED THE PROB EARLIER). OMISSION OF OBVIOUS LANDMARKS FROM THE ABQ SECTIONAL CHART (THE VOLCANOES S OF THE VOR). THE PIC'S DECISION TO NOT USE FLT FOLLOWING. THE PIC'S RELIANCE ON THE NAV RADIOS WHICH WERE OPERATED INCORRECTLY. INEXPERIENCE OF THE PIC. RELAXED VIGILANCE ON THE PART OF THE PIC NEAR THE END OF THE FLT WHICH LED TO RELIANCE UPON THE INCORRECTLY OPERATED NAV RADIO. THE ACTIONS THAT WILL BE TAKEN TO CORRECT THE SIT ARE AS FOLLOWS: PLT (ME) WILL REVIEW THE OP OF ALL NAV SYS IN THE ACFT OPERATED BY HIM. AND, WILL OPERATE SUCH SYS CORRECTLY IN THE FUTURE, BUT SHALL BEAR IN MIND THAT SUCH SYS ARE SECONDARY TO SKILLS SUCH AS PILOTAGE. PLT WILL REVIEW USE OF FLT FOLLOWING (HAVING NEVER SUCCESSFULLY USED FLT FOLLOWING DUE TO CTLR LOAD), AND SHALL MAKE USE OF THE VFR SVCS PROVIDED BY FLT FOLLOWING WHENEVER PRACTICABLE. PLT WILL WORK ON KEEPING BETTER SITUATIONAL AWARENESS WHEN OPERATING IN REGIMES CONDUCIVE TO COMPLACENCY (CRUISE NEAR THE END OF A FLT). ALL OF THE ABOVE REVIEWING SHALL BE DONE WITH A CFI.

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.