Narrative:

After departing runway 34 at clw, I turned to a heading of 030 degrees as advised by local noise abatement procedures. I was under the mistaken belief that my flight path would remain below the 3000 ft floor of tpa class B airspace in the immediate vicinity. Upon reaching a cruise altitude of 2500 ft, I requested VFR flight following from tpa approach. At that time I was informed that I had entered class B airspace without clearance. I immediately responded to instructions from approach to exit the airspace to the north and expect an on-course heading in 4 mi. During climb out, heading and ground track were not well controled and I drifted east of my desired flight path. An initial leveloff at 1000 ft would have perhaps allowed me to better assess my position considering my close proximity to the 1200 ft floor sector of the controled airspace. During preflight planning, I recall thinking how convenient it was that the airspace is defined by the coastline in the western sectors. Closer scrutiny and more timely reference to the chart in-flight would have quickly revealed that this was not entirely true. This early morning flight followed an emotional and exhausting visit the previous day with our 12 yr old daughter. She was reluctantly admitted to a mental health care facility a week early. Sleep deprivation and preoccupation with our personal anguish very likely contributed to a cursory preflight plan and poor situational awareness.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C182 PVT PLT STRAYS INTO THE CLASS B AIRSPACE OF TPA ON A VFR FLT 7 MI N OF TPA, FL.

Narrative: AFTER DEPARTING RWY 34 AT CLW, I TURNED TO A HDG OF 030 DEGS AS ADVISED BY LCL NOISE ABATEMENT PROCS. I WAS UNDER THE MISTAKEN BELIEF THAT MY FLT PATH WOULD REMAIN BELOW THE 3000 FT FLOOR OF TPA CLASS B AIRSPACE IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY. UPON REACHING A CRUISE ALT OF 2500 FT, I REQUESTED VFR FLT FOLLOWING FROM TPA APCH. AT THAT TIME I WAS INFORMED THAT I HAD ENTERED CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC. I IMMEDIATELY RESPONDED TO INSTRUCTIONS FROM APCH TO EXIT THE AIRSPACE TO THE N AND EXPECT AN ON-COURSE HDG IN 4 MI. DURING CLBOUT, HDG AND GND TRACK WERE NOT WELL CTLED AND I DRIFTED E OF MY DESIRED FLT PATH. AN INITIAL LEVELOFF AT 1000 FT WOULD HAVE PERHAPS ALLOWED ME TO BETTER ASSESS MY POS CONSIDERING MY CLOSE PROX TO THE 1200 FT FLOOR SECTOR OF THE CTLED AIRSPACE. DURING PREFLT PLANNING, I RECALL THINKING HOW CONVENIENT IT WAS THAT THE AIRSPACE IS DEFINED BY THE COASTLINE IN THE WESTERN SECTORS. CLOSER SCRUTINY AND MORE TIMELY REF TO THE CHART INFLT WOULD HAVE QUICKLY REVEALED THAT THIS WAS NOT ENTIRELY TRUE. THIS EARLY MORNING FLT FOLLOWED AN EMOTIONAL AND EXHAUSTING VISIT THE PREVIOUS DAY WITH OUR 12 YR OLD DAUGHTER. SHE WAS RELUCTANTLY ADMITTED TO A MENTAL HEALTH CARE FACILITY A WK EARLY. SLEEP DEPRIVATION AND PREOCCUPATION WITH OUR PERSONAL ANGUISH VERY LIKELY CONTRIBUTED TO A CURSORY PREFLT PLAN AND POOR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.

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.