Narrative:

The circumstances discussed below occurred during a flight conducted at approximately XA00 hours on sep/xa/00, during the cruise part of a local VFR flight. I was flying from the mountains northeast of anchorage, ak, at 1000 ft MSL, proceeding direct to lake hood strip (anchorage, ak) in a wheel-equipped 1947 piper PA12 cruising at approximately 95 mph. The WX was near perfect: very high scattered clouds, unrestr visibility, daylight, and less than 10 KTS surface wind. During the flight described, I inadvertently entered the southeast corner of the merrill field (anchorage, ak, terminal area) control segment. For some unknown reason, I failed to recognize that I was entering merrill tower's airspace until after I had done so. When I realized what I had inadvertently done, I immediately checked to see how far outside traffic pattern I was, in order to confirm that my position posed no threat to takeoffs and lndgs being conducted at merrill field. This being confirmed, I elected to proceed on course, as I believed it was as safe to exit merrill's airspace by this route, as by any other. Shortly after discovering my error, I idented other sel traffic (I presumed had departed from merrill field runway 15) which I estimated to be 1-2 mi distant at my 2 O'clock position, flying in my general direction, and which I estimated to be about 500 ft above me. I continued to monitor that traffic as I progressed toward entering the eastern end of the lake hood segment (anchorage terminal area),. As my flight continued, it became apparent to me that the other traffic and I were converging, but that there was no cause for undue concern because of what I then estimated as 300-500 ft of vertical separation. I continued to monitor that traffic until our paths crossed, at which time I again estimated our separation at 300-500 ft. Immediately after our paths crossed, my son asked me what in the world the other airplane was doing (as he had been monitoring its position as well). I rocked my wings to look for the traffic which was now behind me. It appeared that the other aircraft, which was a wheel-equipped single engine cessna (either a C172 or C182 I thought), had done a tight, descending l-hand turn to reverse course, coming along side of me at my 4-5 O'clock position and at my altitude. He slowed to follow me at this position for just a few seconds, did some more steeply banked maneuvering, and then proceeded on course to return to merrill field, this time it appeared with intentions of landing on runway 33. I continued on course, exited the merrill segment as I had then intended, reported as I entered the lake hood segment (as I had been instructed by lake hood tower), and landed on lake hood strip runway 31 without incident. After clearing the active runway, the lake hood tower controller asked me to copy a telephone number and give the merrill controller a call. At that time, he advised me to tell the merrill controller that he had already advised me to be more careful so as not to intrude into the merrill segment as I approached the lake hood segment. My son and I tied down the airplane, and I called merrill tower as I had been advised. The lady controller questioned me about being in their segment. I responded that indeed I had mistakenly entered said airspace, and that I was very sorry for the mistake. She asked me if I knew another aircraft had been forced to maneuver in order to avoid a collision. I responded that I had observed the traffic which I thought she was describing, but that in point of fact, the other aircraft had initiated maneuvers after our paths had crossed. Regardless. I reiterated to her that I had unintentionally entered the merrill segment, which was indeed wrong, and that I was very sorry for the mistake. While I do not know what could have been done to prevent me from losing track of my position with respect to merrill's controled airspace, I do know that I feel horrible for having committed such a dumb mistake. I know better than doing what I inadvertently did, and can't imagine how I made such an error. Regardless, this event certainly impressed upon me the need to be meticulously careful in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A PIPER PA12 INADVERTENTLY ENTERED THE MRI CLASS D AIRSPACE WHILE TRANSITING THROUGH TO NEARBY LAKE HOOD, CAUSING ALARM TO THE PLT OF A C182 BY CONVERGING WITHIN 500 FT OF IT.

Narrative: THE CIRCUMSTANCES DISCUSSED BELOW OCCURRED DURING A FLT CONDUCTED AT APPROX XA00 HRS ON SEP/XA/00, DURING THE CRUISE PART OF A LCL VFR FLT. I WAS FLYING FROM THE MOUNTAINS NE OF ANCHORAGE, AK, AT 1000 FT MSL, PROCEEDING DIRECT TO LAKE HOOD STRIP (ANCHORAGE, AK) IN A WHEEL-EQUIPPED 1947 PIPER PA12 CRUISING AT APPROX 95 MPH. THE WX WAS NEAR PERFECT: VERY HIGH SCATTERED CLOUDS, UNRESTR VISIBILITY, DAYLIGHT, AND LESS THAN 10 KTS SURFACE WIND. DURING THE FLT DESCRIBED, I INADVERTENTLY ENTERED THE SE CORNER OF THE MERRILL FIELD (ANCHORAGE, AK, TERMINAL AREA) CTL SEGMENT. FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON, I FAILED TO RECOGNIZE THAT I WAS ENTERING MERRILL TWR'S AIRSPACE UNTIL AFTER I HAD DONE SO. WHEN I REALIZED WHAT I HAD INADVERTENTLY DONE, I IMMEDIATELY CHKED TO SEE HOW FAR OUTSIDE TFC PATTERN I WAS, IN ORDER TO CONFIRM THAT MY POS POSED NO THREAT TO TKOFS AND LNDGS BEING CONDUCTED AT MERRILL FIELD. THIS BEING CONFIRMED, I ELECTED TO PROCEED ON COURSE, AS I BELIEVED IT WAS AS SAFE TO EXIT MERRILL'S AIRSPACE BY THIS RTE, AS BY ANY OTHER. SHORTLY AFTER DISCOVERING MY ERROR, I IDENTED OTHER SEL TFC (I PRESUMED HAD DEPARTED FROM MERRILL FIELD RWY 15) WHICH I ESTIMATED TO BE 1-2 MI DISTANT AT MY 2 O'CLOCK POS, FLYING IN MY GENERAL DIRECTION, AND WHICH I ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT 500 FT ABOVE ME. I CONTINUED TO MONITOR THAT TFC AS I PROGRESSED TOWARD ENTERING THE EASTERN END OF THE LAKE HOOD SEGMENT (ANCHORAGE TERMINAL AREA),. AS MY FLT CONTINUED, IT BECAME APPARENT TO ME THAT THE OTHER TFC AND I WERE CONVERGING, BUT THAT THERE WAS NO CAUSE FOR UNDUE CONCERN BECAUSE OF WHAT I THEN ESTIMATED AS 300-500 FT OF VERT SEPARATION. I CONTINUED TO MONITOR THAT TFC UNTIL OUR PATHS CROSSED, AT WHICH TIME I AGAIN ESTIMATED OUR SEPARATION AT 300-500 FT. IMMEDIATELY AFTER OUR PATHS CROSSED, MY SON ASKED ME WHAT IN THE WORLD THE OTHER AIRPLANE WAS DOING (AS HE HAD BEEN MONITORING ITS POS AS WELL). I ROCKED MY WINGS TO LOOK FOR THE TFC WHICH WAS NOW BEHIND ME. IT APPEARED THAT THE OTHER ACFT, WHICH WAS A WHEEL-EQUIPPED SINGLE ENG CESSNA (EITHER A C172 OR C182 I THOUGHT), HAD DONE A TIGHT, DSNDING L-HAND TURN TO REVERSE COURSE, COMING ALONG SIDE OF ME AT MY 4-5 O'CLOCK POS AND AT MY ALT. HE SLOWED TO FOLLOW ME AT THIS POS FOR JUST A FEW SECONDS, DID SOME MORE STEEPLY BANKED MANEUVERING, AND THEN PROCEEDED ON COURSE TO RETURN TO MERRILL FIELD, THIS TIME IT APPEARED WITH INTENTIONS OF LNDG ON RWY 33. I CONTINUED ON COURSE, EXITED THE MERRILL SEGMENT AS I HAD THEN INTENDED, RPTED AS I ENTERED THE LAKE HOOD SEGMENT (AS I HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED BY LAKE HOOD TWR), AND LANDED ON LAKE HOOD STRIP RWY 31 WITHOUT INCIDENT. AFTER CLRING THE ACTIVE RWY, THE LAKE HOOD TWR CTLR ASKED ME TO COPY A TELEPHONE NUMBER AND GIVE THE MERRILL CTLR A CALL. AT THAT TIME, HE ADVISED ME TO TELL THE MERRILL CTLR THAT HE HAD ALREADY ADVISED ME TO BE MORE CAREFUL SO AS NOT TO INTRUDE INTO THE MERRILL SEGMENT AS I APCHED THE LAKE HOOD SEGMENT. MY SON AND I TIED DOWN THE AIRPLANE, AND I CALLED MERRILL TWR AS I HAD BEEN ADVISED. THE LADY CTLR QUESTIONED ME ABOUT BEING IN THEIR SEGMENT. I RESPONDED THAT INDEED I HAD MISTAKENLY ENTERED SAID AIRSPACE, AND THAT I WAS VERY SORRY FOR THE MISTAKE. SHE ASKED ME IF I KNEW ANOTHER ACFT HAD BEEN FORCED TO MANEUVER IN ORDER TO AVOID A COLLISION. I RESPONDED THAT I HAD OBSERVED THE TFC WHICH I THOUGHT SHE WAS DESCRIBING, BUT THAT IN POINT OF FACT, THE OTHER ACFT HAD INITIATED MANEUVERS AFTER OUR PATHS HAD CROSSED. REGARDLESS. I REITERATED TO HER THAT I HAD UNINTENTIONALLY ENTERED THE MERRILL SEGMENT, WHICH WAS INDEED WRONG, AND THAT I WAS VERY SORRY FOR THE MISTAKE. WHILE I DO NOT KNOW WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE TO PREVENT ME FROM LOSING TRACK OF MY POS WITH RESPECT TO MERRILL'S CTLED AIRSPACE, I DO KNOW THAT I FEEL HORRIBLE FOR HAVING COMMITTED SUCH A DUMB MISTAKE. I KNOW BETTER THAN DOING WHAT I INADVERTENTLY DID, AND CAN'T IMAGINE HOW I MADE SUCH AN ERROR. REGARDLESS, THIS EVENT CERTAINLY IMPRESSED UPON ME THE NEED TO BE METICULOUSLY CAREFUL IN THE FUTURE.

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.