A navion entered ont class C airspace without clearance while in hazy VMC flight conditions.

Attributes
ACN	426297
Time
Date	199901
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pdz
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Navion
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 3 flight time total : 1600 flight time type : 830
ASRS Report	426297
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Departed big bear airport, ca, VFR for chino airport, ca. Plan was to fly between the ont class C and the march AFB class C and along the south side of ont class C while descending from 8500 ft to 2500 ft to arrive at 2500 ft just south of corona for entry into the chino traffic pattern. The WX was clear with a haze layer at about 4000 ft. The sun was low on the horizon and the glare off of the haze layer made it very difficult to see anything on the ground other than directly under the airplane. When I reached an altitude of about 3500 ft I was able to pick out the chino and corona airports and by my position relative to them it looked like I had descended into the southern edge of the ont class C airspace. I expedited my descent and turned more to the south to get out of there as quickly as possible. In retrospect, I did not have the details of an otherwise acceptable navigation plan worked out sufficiently to prevent an error like this. In the future, I will not let the fact that it is just a local flight lull me into complacency and I will try to make more use of radar advisories from socal. Had I been talking with them on this occasion, this would probably not have happened.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A NAVION ENTERED ONT CLASS C AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC WHILE IN HAZY VMC FLT CONDITIONS.

Narrative: DEPARTED BIG BEAR ARPT, CA, VFR FOR CHINO ARPT, CA. PLAN WAS TO FLY BTWN THE ONT CLASS C AND THE MARCH AFB CLASS C AND ALONG THE S SIDE OF ONT CLASS C WHILE DSNDING FROM 8500 FT TO 2500 FT TO ARRIVE AT 2500 FT JUST S OF CORONA FOR ENTRY INTO THE CHINO TFC PATTERN. THE WX WAS CLR WITH A HAZE LAYER AT ABOUT 4000 FT. THE SUN WAS LOW ON THE HORIZON AND THE GLARE OFF OF THE HAZE LAYER MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE ANYTHING ON THE GND OTHER THAN DIRECTLY UNDER THE AIRPLANE. WHEN I REACHED AN ALT OF ABOUT 3500 FT I WAS ABLE TO PICK OUT THE CHINO AND CORONA ARPTS AND BY MY POS RELATIVE TO THEM IT LOOKED LIKE I HAD DSNDED INTO THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF THE ONT CLASS C AIRSPACE. I EXPEDITED MY DSCNT AND TURNED MORE TO THE S TO GET OUT OF THERE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. IN RETROSPECT, I DID NOT HAVE THE DETAILS OF AN OTHERWISE ACCEPTABLE NAV PLAN WORKED OUT SUFFICIENTLY TO PREVENT AN ERROR LIKE THIS. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL NOT LET THE FACT THAT IT IS JUST A LCL FLT LULL ME INTO COMPLACENCY AND I WILL TRY TO MAKE MORE USE OF RADAR ADVISORIES FROM SOCAL. HAD I BEEN TALKING WITH THEM ON THIS OCCASION, THIS WOULD PROBABLY NOT HAVE HAPPENED.

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.