Narrative:

I have been a private pilot for approximately 5 yrs. During that time I have flown exclusively to the san diego and los angeles area. I feel that I know the airspace in both areas well. Several months ago, I made the decision to improve on my flying skills. The best and most affordable way for me to do this was to start training for a commercial rating. I started in earnest 3 weeks ago. My instructor has been extremely helpful in teaching the maneuvers and knowledge for my rating. On the night in question we decided to complete the night cross country requirement. I planned for a VFR flight, san diego montgomery to brown field, then north negotiated the VFR corridor over lindbergh field north up the coast to santa monica and returning to montgomery. After landing at brown field, we departed for the VFR corridor climbing to 4500 ft. I was not night current and in fact had not flown at night in several yrs. This flight would accomplish my night currency as well. As we entered the corridor to the south, I remained on the east shore of san diego bay. It appeared I was too far east and the instructor asked for a 10 degree correction to the west. I remained on this heading. It was difficult for me to see out of the right side of the aircraft and make out the east shoreline. I found that night also made it difficult for me to see lindbergh field in the distance. This combination of unfamiliarity with night flying and difficulty making out the lindbergh runways may have led to me straying too far west and crossing the departure end of the runways into class B airspace. This instead of remaining midfield and in the VFR corridor. This was not discovered until I contacted approach for flight following after leaving the corridor. I have flown this route many times during the day without incident. Night in this instance was the most contributing factor as well as poor cockpit management on my and my instructor's part. I negotiated los angeles class B and special flight rules areas without incident, returning to san diego 2 hours later.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PIPER PA28 INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PLT ENTERED SAN CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT A CLRNC.

Narrative: I HAVE BEEN A PVT PLT FOR APPROX 5 YRS. DURING THAT TIME I HAVE FLOWN EXCLUSIVELY TO THE SAN DIEGO AND LOS ANGELES AREA. I FEEL THAT I KNOW THE AIRSPACE IN BOTH AREAS WELL. SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, I MADE THE DECISION TO IMPROVE ON MY FLYING SKILLS. THE BEST AND MOST AFFORDABLE WAY FOR ME TO DO THIS WAS TO START TRAINING FOR A COMMERCIAL RATING. I STARTED IN EARNEST 3 WKS AGO. MY INSTRUCTOR HAS BEEN EXTREMELY HELPFUL IN TEACHING THE MANEUVERS AND KNOWLEDGE FOR MY RATING. ON THE NIGHT IN QUESTION WE DECIDED TO COMPLETE THE NIGHT XCOUNTRY REQUIREMENT. I PLANNED FOR A VFR FLT, SAN DIEGO MONTGOMERY TO BROWN FIELD, THEN N NEGOTIATED THE VFR CORRIDOR OVER LINDBERGH FIELD N UP THE COAST TO SANTA MONICA AND RETURNING TO MONTGOMERY. AFTER LNDG AT BROWN FIELD, WE DEPARTED FOR THE VFR CORRIDOR CLBING TO 4500 FT. I WAS NOT NIGHT CURRENT AND IN FACT HAD NOT FLOWN AT NIGHT IN SEVERAL YRS. THIS FLT WOULD ACCOMPLISH MY NIGHT CURRENCY AS WELL. AS WE ENTERED THE CORRIDOR TO THE S, I REMAINED ON THE E SHORE OF SAN DIEGO BAY. IT APPEARED I WAS TOO FAR E AND THE INSTRUCTOR ASKED FOR A 10 DEG CORRECTION TO THE W. I REMAINED ON THIS HDG. IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR ME TO SEE OUT OF THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT AND MAKE OUT THE E SHORELINE. I FOUND THAT NIGHT ALSO MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR ME TO SEE LINDBERGH FIELD IN THE DISTANCE. THIS COMBINATION OF UNFAMILIARITY WITH NIGHT FLYING AND DIFFICULTY MAKING OUT THE LINDBERGH RWYS MAY HAVE LED TO ME STRAYING TOO FAR W AND XING THE DEP END OF THE RWYS INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE. THIS INSTEAD OF REMAINING MIDFIELD AND IN THE VFR CORRIDOR. THIS WAS NOT DISCOVERED UNTIL I CONTACTED APCH FOR FLT FOLLOWING AFTER LEAVING THE CORRIDOR. I HAVE FLOWN THIS RTE MANY TIMES DURING THE DAY WITHOUT INCIDENT. NIGHT IN THIS INSTANCE WAS THE MOST CONTRIBUTING FACTOR AS WELL AS POOR COCKPIT MGMNT ON MY AND MY INSTRUCTOR'S PART. I NEGOTIATED LOS ANGELES CLASS B AND SPECIAL FLT RULES AREAS WITHOUT INCIDENT, RETURNING TO SAN DIEGO 2 HRS LATER.

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.