Narrative:

Taking off from oak on runway 29 in VFR conditions, the tower controller cleared us to make a tight left turn to heading 120 degrees, so we did. In that communication he also said, maintain VFR and below the class B airspace of sfo. I asked the first officer to look up the floor of the class B airspace which he did and said 3000 ft. Well, actually it is 2100 ft within 10 NM of sfo VOR. We were approximately 8 mi from the sfo VOR well within the sector of 2100 ft, not 3000 ft which is 10 NM from sfo VOR. The controller told us to descend to 2100 ft and we promptly did from 2400 ft. Solution: next time, ask the controller what altitude he wants us at. Also, do not go out of oak international VFR -- because it's a far too crowded airspace at oak and hwd below the sfo class B airspace. And lastly, don't blindly trust your first officer in a hurried environment. He was set up to guess wrong using the commercial terminal area chart. I could have made the same mistake. I should have reviewed the VFR terminal area chart.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A CESSNA 500 ENTERED CLASS B AIRSPACE DURING A VFR VECTOR CLB ON DEP EVEN THOUGH THE CTLR INCLUDED IN THE CLRNC TO REMAIN VFR UNDER THE CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: TAKING OFF FROM OAK ON RWY 29 IN VFR CONDITIONS, THE TWR CTLR CLRED US TO MAKE A TIGHT L TURN TO HDG 120 DEGS, SO WE DID. IN THAT COM HE ALSO SAID, MAINTAIN VFR AND BELOW THE CLASS B AIRSPACE OF SFO. I ASKED THE FO TO LOOK UP THE FLOOR OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE WHICH HE DID AND SAID 3000 FT. WELL, ACTUALLY IT IS 2100 FT WITHIN 10 NM OF SFO VOR. WE WERE APPROX 8 MI FROM THE SFO VOR WELL WITHIN THE SECTOR OF 2100 FT, NOT 3000 FT WHICH IS 10 NM FROM SFO VOR. THE CTLR TOLD US TO DSND TO 2100 FT AND WE PROMPTLY DID FROM 2400 FT. SOLUTION: NEXT TIME, ASK THE CTLR WHAT ALT HE WANTS US AT. ALSO, DO NOT GO OUT OF OAK INTL VFR -- BECAUSE IT'S A FAR TOO CROWDED AIRSPACE AT OAK AND HWD BELOW THE SFO CLASS B AIRSPACE. AND LASTLY, DON'T BLINDLY TRUST YOUR FO IN A HURRIED ENVIRONMENT. HE WAS SET UP TO GUESS WRONG USING THE COMMERCIAL TERMINAL AREA CHART. I COULD HAVE MADE THE SAME MISTAKE. I SHOULD HAVE REVIEWED THE VFR TERMINAL AREA CHART.

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.