Narrative:

I may have unintentionally and inadvertently entered class B airspace. I say may have, because I did not realize this, until I was 2-4 mi outside the class B airspace, climbing to my desired altitude. Because of this, I do not know if I actually did incur the airspace. The reason why this may have happened is I was distracted from looking at exactly where I was at the time I began climbing, because I was watching outside the plane for traffic in a congested area during my climb. A corrective action I am taking is picking a specific point (check point) in my flight planning clearly outside of restr airspace to begin any climb. Until which I will have in my plan to stay at a specified altitude. The reverse would be true upon arrival of a restr airspace. A suggestion I have would be for the GPS moving map manufacturers to have a slightly lighter hue of the gray when within the vertical boundaries of class B, class C, MOA's and sua's. Class D within any of the aforementioned would be a normal hue of gray for contrast. At a glance situational awareness would be enhanced and the visual of these airspaces would give the pilot a reminder of where he/she is at. It would also help as a constant reminder in areas where the restr airspace is large and may cover most or all the display area on the GPS. The plane and pilot were current, the GPS database was current. I had current maps open with the route drawn out, etc.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PIPER PA28 PLT ENTERED CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC NEAR STL.

Narrative: I MAY HAVE UNINTENTIONALLY AND INADVERTENTLY ENTERED CLASS B AIRSPACE. I SAY MAY HAVE, BECAUSE I DID NOT REALIZE THIS, UNTIL I WAS 2-4 MI OUTSIDE THE CLASS B AIRSPACE, CLBING TO MY DESIRED ALT. BECAUSE OF THIS, I DO NOT KNOW IF I ACTUALLY DID INCUR THE AIRSPACE. THE REASON WHY THIS MAY HAVE HAPPENED IS I WAS DISTRACTED FROM LOOKING AT EXACTLY WHERE I WAS AT THE TIME I BEGAN CLBING, BECAUSE I WAS WATCHING OUTSIDE THE PLANE FOR TFC IN A CONGESTED AREA DURING MY CLB. A CORRECTIVE ACTION I AM TAKING IS PICKING A SPECIFIC POINT (CHK POINT) IN MY FLT PLANNING CLRLY OUTSIDE OF RESTR AIRSPACE TO BEGIN ANY CLB. UNTIL WHICH I WILL HAVE IN MY PLAN TO STAY AT A SPECIFIED ALT. THE REVERSE WOULD BE TRUE UPON ARR OF A RESTR AIRSPACE. A SUGGESTION I HAVE WOULD BE FOR THE GPS MOVING MAP MANUFACTURERS TO HAVE A SLIGHTLY LIGHTER HUE OF THE GRAY WHEN WITHIN THE VERT BOUNDARIES OF CLASS B, CLASS C, MOA'S AND SUA'S. CLASS D WITHIN ANY OF THE AFOREMENTIONED WOULD BE A NORMAL HUE OF GRAY FOR CONTRAST. AT A GLANCE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS WOULD BE ENHANCED AND THE VISUAL OF THESE AIRSPACES WOULD GIVE THE PLT A REMINDER OF WHERE HE/SHE IS AT. IT WOULD ALSO HELP AS A CONSTANT REMINDER IN AREAS WHERE THE RESTR AIRSPACE IS LARGE AND MAY COVER MOST OR ALL THE DISPLAY AREA ON THE GPS. THE PLANE AND PLT WERE CURRENT, THE GPS DATABASE WAS CURRENT. I HAD CURRENT MAPS OPEN WITH THE RTE DRAWN OUT, ETC.

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.