C172 pilot entered class B airspace without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	504360
Time
Date	200103
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : fgt.vortac
State Reference	MN
Altitude	msl single value : 4500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : m98.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Route In Use	arrival : vfr arrival other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 150 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	504360
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry inflight encounter other non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited penetrated airspace none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Loss of situational awareness after turning onto V13 from V148 at cinci intersection. Turned onto V13 at 6500 ft MSL and had strong right quartering tailwind. Held course for 3 mins and descended to 4500 ft MSL. DME speed and distance erratic from fgt VORTAC. Could not find visual reference to msp or stp (destination) until in the 80/40 ring of msp class B airspace at 4500 ft MSL. Factors involved in loss of situational awareness were: strong right quartering tailwinds and erratic indications from DME. After realizing that I was in class B airspace without contact or permission from ZMP, descended to 1800 ft MSL and landed uneventfully at stp.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT ENTERED CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: LOSS OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AFTER TURNING ONTO V13 FROM V148 AT CINCI INTXN. TURNED ONTO V13 AT 6500 FT MSL AND HAD STRONG R QUARTERING TAILWIND. HELD COURSE FOR 3 MINS AND DSNDED TO 4500 FT MSL. DME SPD AND DISTANCE ERRATIC FROM FGT VORTAC. COULD NOT FIND VISUAL REF TO MSP OR STP (DEST) UNTIL IN THE 80/40 RING OF MSP CLASS B AIRSPACE AT 4500 FT MSL. FACTORS INVOLVED IN LOSS OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS WERE: STRONG R QUARTERING TAILWINDS AND ERRATIC INDICATIONS FROM DME. AFTER REALIZING THAT I WAS IN CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT CONTACT OR PERMISSION FROM ZMP, DSNDED TO 1800 FT MSL AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AT STP.

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.