Narrative:

The flight was a short cross country from henderson to blythe, ca. My wife and I were accompanied by another couple. My friend and I are both retired military test pilots. I had recently checked out in the seneca and viewed this as an opportunity to build experience. Preflight and taxi were normal. At runup, I had my friend read the checklist to me in a challenge/response arrangement. As we completed the runup, 2 aircraft pulled up behind us. I felt some pressure to depart rather than hold up these acrs. We reviewed emergency engine loss procedures, got a clearance from tower, took the runway, and departed. I focused on aircraft confign, acceleration to climb speed, and terrain clearance as we turned on course for blythe. Intercom discipline had not been a topic during the preflight briefing so passenger conversation was distracting. Because of the minor rush on departure, I failed to have a sectional chart unfolded for reference and I was not monitoring DME versus altitude. Although no agency advised me regarding a deviation, my postflt math shows me that it was possible for me to have unintentionally flown in class B airspace without a clearance (see diagram). While climb rate is not a factor for the single engine aircraft I instruct in on other wkends, the twin's climb rate was sufficient to make it possible to get to the class B airspace. At takeoff, I had not considered this performance and did not include it in my departure planning. My copilot read the checklist professionally but didn't monitor my departure because I had not tasked him. Henderson tower may have advised me regarding altitude, but cabin conversation may have prevented me from hearing them. Several points are worthy of note regarding this event: 1) cabin (crew and non crew) intercom discipline is an important preflight briefing item. 2) flight planning must include departure limitations when operating higher performance aircraft. 3) cockpit duties and expectations must be clearly understood by pilot and additional crew member. 4) operating an aircraft that I have little time in requires attention to detail and precludes rushing for any reason. Although I'm pretty sure that I did not enter class B airspace, my postflt math effort shows me that it was possible. I wanted to submit this to emphasize the points I made so you could use the information for your database.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A PIPER SENECA INADVERTENTLY CLBED INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE DURING A VFR DEP FROM AN UNDERLYING ARPT OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS A SHORT XCOUNTRY FROM HENDERSON TO BLYTHE, CA. MY WIFE AND I WERE ACCOMPANIED BY ANOTHER COUPLE. MY FRIEND AND I ARE BOTH RETIRED MIL TEST PLTS. I HAD RECENTLY CHKED OUT IN THE SENECA AND VIEWED THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD EXPERIENCE. PREFLT AND TAXI WERE NORMAL. AT RUNUP, I HAD MY FRIEND READ THE CHKLIST TO ME IN A CHALLENGE/RESPONSE ARRANGEMENT. AS WE COMPLETED THE RUNUP, 2 ACFT PULLED UP BEHIND US. I FELT SOME PRESSURE TO DEPART RATHER THAN HOLD UP THESE ACRS. WE REVIEWED EMER ENG LOSS PROCS, GOT A CLRNC FROM TWR, TOOK THE RWY, AND DEPARTED. I FOCUSED ON ACFT CONFIGN, ACCELERATION TO CLB SPD, AND TERRAIN CLRNC AS WE TURNED ON COURSE FOR BLYTHE. INTERCOM DISCIPLINE HAD NOT BEEN A TOPIC DURING THE PREFLT BRIEFING SO PAX CONVERSATION WAS DISTRACTING. BECAUSE OF THE MINOR RUSH ON DEP, I FAILED TO HAVE A SECTIONAL CHART UNFOLDED FOR REF AND I WAS NOT MONITORING DME VERSUS ALT. ALTHOUGH NO AGENCY ADVISED ME REGARDING A DEV, MY POSTFLT MATH SHOWS ME THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE FOR ME TO HAVE UNINTENTIONALLY FLOWN IN CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT A CLRNC (SEE DIAGRAM). WHILE CLB RATE IS NOT A FACTOR FOR THE SINGLE ENG ACFT I INSTRUCT IN ON OTHER WKENDS, THE TWIN'S CLB RATE WAS SUFFICIENT TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO GET TO THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. AT TKOF, I HAD NOT CONSIDERED THIS PERFORMANCE AND DID NOT INCLUDE IT IN MY DEP PLANNING. MY COPLT READ THE CHKLIST PROFESSIONALLY BUT DIDN'T MONITOR MY DEP BECAUSE I HAD NOT TASKED HIM. HENDERSON TWR MAY HAVE ADVISED ME REGARDING ALT, BUT CABIN CONVERSATION MAY HAVE PREVENTED ME FROM HEARING THEM. SEVERAL POINTS ARE WORTHY OF NOTE REGARDING THIS EVENT: 1) CABIN (CREW AND NON CREW) INTERCOM DISCIPLINE IS AN IMPORTANT PREFLT BRIEFING ITEM. 2) FLT PLANNING MUST INCLUDE DEP LIMITATIONS WHEN OPERATING HIGHER PERFORMANCE ACFT. 3) COCKPIT DUTIES AND EXPECTATIONS MUST BE CLRLY UNDERSTOOD BY PLT AND ADDITIONAL CREW MEMBER. 4) OPERATING AN ACFT THAT I HAVE LITTLE TIME IN REQUIRES ATTN TO DETAIL AND PRECLUDES RUSHING FOR ANY REASON. ALTHOUGH I'M PRETTY SURE THAT I DID NOT ENTER CLASS B AIRSPACE, MY POSTFLT MATH EFFORT SHOWS ME THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE. I WANTED TO SUBMIT THIS TO EMPHASIZE THE POINTS I MADE SO YOU COULD USE THE INFO FOR YOUR DATABASE.

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.