Narrative:

While on a VFR day flight between la porte, in, (ppo) and lewis university, il, (lot) with flight following from chicago approach, I was cruising at 3000 ft MSL and advised by ATC to 'maintain VFR flight conditions.' I approached a scattered cloud layer at my altitude and began climbing to maintain separation from the clouds and continued to 4500 ft to maintain VFR flight (even +500 ft) altitude. ATC advised of traffic 1 mi behind and faster and requested me to make a 20 degree right turn. ATC called back to advise I was approaching class B airspace and again requested that I 'maintain VFR flight conditions.' to avoid unauthorized entry into the class B airspace and maintain proper separation from the clouds, I descended through an opening to 2500 ft into gary, in, (gyy) class D airspace, which ATC then informed me I had done so without gary's knowledge. My actions were based on maintaining proper separation from the clouds and ATC's request to remain clear of the class B airspace. Better communication of the cloud situation with ATC would probably have helped to avoid this situation. A deviation in course to avoid the clouds completely may have also been possible. However, the extent of the cloud coverage was not known at the time. A formal request to transition the class B airspace could have also been made. Contributing human performance factor was the pilot's limited exposure to class B flight following and misunderstanding of ATC's involvement in the transition into gary's class D airspace.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PVT NON IFR RATED PLT INVADES THE CLASS D OF GYY, IN, WHEN HE ENCOUNTERS CLOUDS AT HIS CRUISE ALT.

Narrative: WHILE ON A VFR DAY FLT BTWN LA PORTE, IN, (PPO) AND LEWIS UNIVERSITY, IL, (LOT) WITH FLT FOLLOWING FROM CHICAGO APCH, I WAS CRUISING AT 3000 FT MSL AND ADVISED BY ATC TO 'MAINTAIN VFR FLT CONDITIONS.' I APCHED A SCATTERED CLOUD LAYER AT MY ALT AND BEGAN CLBING TO MAINTAIN SEPARATION FROM THE CLOUDS AND CONTINUED TO 4500 FT TO MAINTAIN VFR FLT (EVEN +500 FT) ALT. ATC ADVISED OF TFC 1 MI BEHIND AND FASTER AND REQUESTED ME TO MAKE A 20 DEG R TURN. ATC CALLED BACK TO ADVISE I WAS APCHING CLASS B AIRSPACE AND AGAIN REQUESTED THAT I 'MAINTAIN VFR FLT CONDITIONS.' TO AVOID UNAUTH ENTRY INTO THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AND MAINTAIN PROPER SEPARATION FROM THE CLOUDS, I DSNDED THROUGH AN OPENING TO 2500 FT INTO GARY, IN, (GYY) CLASS D AIRSPACE, WHICH ATC THEN INFORMED ME I HAD DONE SO WITHOUT GARY'S KNOWLEDGE. MY ACTIONS WERE BASED ON MAINTAINING PROPER SEPARATION FROM THE CLOUDS AND ATC'S REQUEST TO REMAIN CLR OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. BETTER COM OF THE CLOUD SIT WITH ATC WOULD PROBABLY HAVE HELPED TO AVOID THIS SIT. A DEV IN COURSE TO AVOID THE CLOUDS COMPLETELY MAY HAVE ALSO BEEN POSSIBLE. HOWEVER, THE EXTENT OF THE CLOUD COVERAGE WAS NOT KNOWN AT THE TIME. A FORMAL REQUEST TO TRANSITION THE CLASS B AIRSPACE COULD HAVE ALSO BEEN MADE. CONTRIBUTING HUMAN PERFORMANCE FACTOR WAS THE PLT'S LIMITED EXPOSURE TO CLASS B FLT FOLLOWING AND MISUNDERSTANDING OF ATC'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE TRANSITION INTO GARY'S CLASS D AIRSPACE.

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.