Narrative:

I was flying wing in a loose flight of 2 from reno-stead (4SD). Lead was a piper archer. Nearing our destination, rhv, lead suggested I go in first to rhv. I agreed, but we were already following a route that was not my typical route into rhv. I typically overfly calaveras reservoir and report in to rhv there. Lead had already taken us into the santa clara valley, just west of the mountain peak just west of calaveras reservoir. At this point, I was low and descending, leveling out at 1500 ft. I could not see rhv from this point, but headed in the general direction I knew it to be. I knew the eastern edge of the san jose class C airspace followed the freeway, but in looking for rhv and seeing a freeway off to my right, I assumed that freeway was the border of the class C airspace. As I still did not have rhv in sight, I rechked my chart for landmarks. I realized that the freeway underneath me was the border of the class C airspace, and that I may have gone west of it, but certainly less than 1 mi, but still inside the class C airspace. At this point, I moved east of the freeway and continued the approach, and soon after that I visually acquired the airport and landed. All through this, I was in contact with rhv tower. The problem arose because, as the wingman in the formation, I had not been navigating, had not planned out this approach to the airport, and was not familiar with the route. I became preoccupied with locating rhv and did not pay attention to other nearby airspace. Also, I had a handheld GPS on board with airspace mapping and alerts, but it was left off due to interference it causes with the communication radio. In future, handoffs of lead and navigation will be briefed in more detail, with emphasis on familiarization with the route. I will also familiarize myself with all approachs to my local airport, as my typical route may not always be available due to WX, etc.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PITTS PLT ENTERED SJC CLASS C AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING WING IN A LOOSE FLT OF 2 FROM RENO-STEAD (4SD). LEAD WAS A PIPER ARCHER. NEARING OUR DEST, RHV, LEAD SUGGESTED I GO IN FIRST TO RHV. I AGREED, BUT WE WERE ALREADY FOLLOWING A RTE THAT WAS NOT MY TYPICAL RTE INTO RHV. I TYPICALLY OVERFLY CALAVERAS RESERVOIR AND RPT IN TO RHV THERE. LEAD HAD ALREADY TAKEN US INTO THE SANTA CLARA VALLEY, JUST W OF THE MOUNTAIN PEAK JUST W OF CALAVERAS RESERVOIR. AT THIS POINT, I WAS LOW AND DSNDING, LEVELING OUT AT 1500 FT. I COULD NOT SEE RHV FROM THIS POINT, BUT HEADED IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION I KNEW IT TO BE. I KNEW THE EASTERN EDGE OF THE SAN JOSE CLASS C AIRSPACE FOLLOWED THE FREEWAY, BUT IN LOOKING FOR RHV AND SEEING A FREEWAY OFF TO MY R, I ASSUMED THAT FREEWAY WAS THE BORDER OF THE CLASS C AIRSPACE. AS I STILL DID NOT HAVE RHV IN SIGHT, I RECHKED MY CHART FOR LANDMARKS. I REALIZED THAT THE FREEWAY UNDERNEATH ME WAS THE BORDER OF THE CLASS C AIRSPACE, AND THAT I MAY HAVE GONE W OF IT, BUT CERTAINLY LESS THAN 1 MI, BUT STILL INSIDE THE CLASS C AIRSPACE. AT THIS POINT, I MOVED E OF THE FREEWAY AND CONTINUED THE APCH, AND SOON AFTER THAT I VISUALLY ACQUIRED THE ARPT AND LANDED. ALL THROUGH THIS, I WAS IN CONTACT WITH RHV TWR. THE PROB AROSE BECAUSE, AS THE WINGMAN IN THE FORMATION, I HAD NOT BEEN NAVING, HAD NOT PLANNED OUT THIS APCH TO THE ARPT, AND WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE RTE. I BECAME PREOCCUPIED WITH LOCATING RHV AND DID NOT PAY ATTN TO OTHER NEARBY AIRSPACE. ALSO, I HAD A HANDHELD GPS ON BOARD WITH AIRSPACE MAPPING AND ALERTS, BUT IT WAS LEFT OFF DUE TO INTERFERENCE IT CAUSES WITH THE COM RADIO. IN FUTURE, HDOFS OF LEAD AND NAV WILL BE BRIEFED IN MORE DETAIL, WITH EMPHASIS ON FAMILIARIZATION WITH THE RTE. I WILL ALSO FAMILIARIZE MYSELF WITH ALL APCHS TO MY LCL ARPT, AS MY TYPICAL RTE MAY NOT ALWAYS BE AVAILABLE DUE TO WX, 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.