A C172 private pilot enters the class D airspace during an air rally event near end.

Attributes
ACN	483160
Time
Date	200008
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : end.airport
State Reference	OK
Altitude	msl single value : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : bdr.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 310 flight time type : 215
ASRS Report	483160
Person 2
Affiliation	government : military
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : military
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited penetrated airspace none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During an air rally the aircraft was flown nwbound to a private airstrip which was to be overflown as a check point. The flight had been planned and course calculated. While en route to the airstrip, the winds had become stronger and course correction was needed. The aircraft overflew the airstrip (which later was found to have grass grown over the pavement) and continued northbound when it was realized that the aircraft was flown into the class D airspace. The aircraft was turned around and information on the class D airspace was looked up to find the effective hours not to be at the time for that location. It was discovered that the airspace was violated when the airport became visible and identifiable. Strong winds, misplanning and unimproved field conditions contributed to this occurrence. Better navigational planning can contribute to the corrective action and refresher on airspace sectors have been taken to prevent this occurrence from happening again.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 PVT PLT ENTERS THE CLASS D AIRSPACE DURING AN AIR RALLY EVENT NEAR END.

Narrative: DURING AN AIR RALLY THE ACFT WAS FLOWN NWBOUND TO A PVT AIRSTRIP WHICH WAS TO BE OVERFLOWN AS A CHK POINT. THE FLT HAD BEEN PLANNED AND COURSE CALCULATED. WHILE ENRTE TO THE AIRSTRIP, THE WINDS HAD BECOME STRONGER AND COURSE CORRECTION WAS NEEDED. THE ACFT OVERFLEW THE AIRSTRIP (WHICH LATER WAS FOUND TO HAVE GRASS GROWN OVER THE PAVEMENT) AND CONTINUED NBOUND WHEN IT WAS REALIZED THAT THE ACFT WAS FLOWN INTO THE CLASS D AIRSPACE. THE ACFT WAS TURNED AROUND AND INFO ON THE CLASS D AIRSPACE WAS LOOKED UP TO FIND THE EFFECTIVE HRS NOT TO BE AT THE TIME FOR THAT LOCATION. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE AIRSPACE WAS VIOLATED WHEN THE ARPT BECAME VISIBLE AND IDENTIFIABLE. STRONG WINDS, MISPLANNING AND UNIMPROVED FIELD CONDITIONS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS OCCURRENCE. BETTER NAVIGATIONAL PLANNING CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE CORRECTIVE ACTION AND REFRESHER ON AIRSPACE SECTORS HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO PREVENT THIS OCCURRENCE FROM HAPPENING AGAIN.

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.