Narrative:

Prior to departure, called new orleans approach for a departure clearance and received no reply. Good VFR prevailed and having flown all day and being anxious to get home we departed VFR to pick up a clearance on flight. Thinking that msy lays further to the south of the lakeshore than it actually does, I asked the copilot to load direct hou in the FMS. As we did the climb checks, I asked him to call approach. Upon checking on, we were blocked by another aircraft looking for clearance from new as well (he was still on the ground). The controller gave us a squawk code at about 800 ft and then responded with the other aircraft's clearance. At about 2000 ft we were 'cleared as filed, maintain 15000 ft.' as we climbed out, I suddenly realized that msy is close to the lakeshore also. I had the copilot pull the terminal chart and saw that we may have penetrated the surface based portion of the class B airspace before we received our clearance. If not, we were just beyond it. At any rate numerous lessons were learned, and a couple were relearned. High on the list of culprits here was tiredness. Not just from the day, which was long but just within legal duty, but from several long days preceding and a hectic month in general. Given the late hour the decision to launch VFR was not so much the problem as was not briefing a VFR launch. We had prepared for an IFR departure, the passenger were on board and we were hurrying to get home. We practiced good VFR departure procedures. Captain flying and copilot maintaining a traffic watch and monitoring the radios, but we did not consider the airspace. Whether we penetrated the class B airspace or not, it is a lesson to learn that no matter how familiar you think you are with an area, you should review the procedure to follow. Lessons remembered: 1) when tired, slow down and be more methodical -- use checklists, etc. 2) when changes occur prior to departure, stop and review the routing and options. 3) familiarity breeds complacency. Beware. 4) use down time/wait time to review charts, departures, local airspace, etc. This makes revisions easier to cope with. 5) VFR departures for IFR aircraft expecting to pick up clrncs airborne need to be fully understood and briefed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ATX JET FLC DEPARTS LAKEFRONT ARPT NEAR MSY VFR AND DURING THE ATTEMPT TO PICK UP AN IFR CLRNC VIOLATES THE GND PORTION OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE OF MSY, LA.

Narrative: PRIOR TO DEP, CALLED NEW ORLEANS APCH FOR A DEP CLRNC AND RECEIVED NO REPLY. GOOD VFR PREVAILED AND HAVING FLOWN ALL DAY AND BEING ANXIOUS TO GET HOME WE DEPARTED VFR TO PICK UP A CLRNC ON FLT. THINKING THAT MSY LAYS FURTHER TO THE S OF THE LAKESHORE THAN IT ACTUALLY DOES, I ASKED THE COPLT TO LOAD DIRECT HOU IN THE FMS. AS WE DID THE CLB CHKS, I ASKED HIM TO CALL APCH. UPON CHKING ON, WE WERE BLOCKED BY ANOTHER ACFT LOOKING FOR CLRNC FROM NEW AS WELL (HE WAS STILL ON THE GND). THE CTLR GAVE US A SQUAWK CODE AT ABOUT 800 FT AND THEN RESPONDED WITH THE OTHER ACFT'S CLRNC. AT ABOUT 2000 FT WE WERE 'CLRED AS FILED, MAINTAIN 15000 FT.' AS WE CLBED OUT, I SUDDENLY REALIZED THAT MSY IS CLOSE TO THE LAKESHORE ALSO. I HAD THE COPLT PULL THE TERMINAL CHART AND SAW THAT WE MAY HAVE PENETRATED THE SURFACE BASED PORTION OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE BEFORE WE RECEIVED OUR CLRNC. IF NOT, WE WERE JUST BEYOND IT. AT ANY RATE NUMEROUS LESSONS WERE LEARNED, AND A COUPLE WERE RELEARNED. HIGH ON THE LIST OF CULPRITS HERE WAS TIREDNESS. NOT JUST FROM THE DAY, WHICH WAS LONG BUT JUST WITHIN LEGAL DUTY, BUT FROM SEVERAL LONG DAYS PRECEDING AND A HECTIC MONTH IN GENERAL. GIVEN THE LATE HR THE DECISION TO LAUNCH VFR WAS NOT SO MUCH THE PROB AS WAS NOT BRIEFING A VFR LAUNCH. WE HAD PREPARED FOR AN IFR DEP, THE PAX WERE ON BOARD AND WE WERE HURRYING TO GET HOME. WE PRACTICED GOOD VFR DEP PROCS. CAPT FLYING AND COPLT MAINTAINING A TFC WATCH AND MONITORING THE RADIOS, BUT WE DID NOT CONSIDER THE AIRSPACE. WHETHER WE PENETRATED THE CLASS B AIRSPACE OR NOT, IT IS A LESSON TO LEARN THAT NO MATTER HOW FAMILIAR YOU THINK YOU ARE WITH AN AREA, YOU SHOULD REVIEW THE PROC TO FOLLOW. LESSONS REMEMBERED: 1) WHEN TIRED, SLOW DOWN AND BE MORE METHODICAL -- USE CHKLISTS, ETC. 2) WHEN CHANGES OCCUR PRIOR TO DEP, STOP AND REVIEW THE ROUTING AND OPTIONS. 3) FAMILIARITY BREEDS COMPLACENCY. BEWARE. 4) USE DOWN TIME/WAIT TIME TO REVIEW CHARTS, DEPS, LCL AIRSPACE, ETC. THIS MAKES REVISIONS EASIER TO COPE WITH. 5) VFR DEPS FOR IFR ACFT EXPECTING TO PICK UP CLRNCS AIRBORNE NEED TO BE FULLY UNDERSTOOD AND BRIEFED.

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.