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An ATP pilot in a small complex aircraft climbs into the class a airspace near dover while distraction with thunderstorm activity avoidance.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 513270 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200105 |
| Day | Tue |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zdc.artcc |
| State Reference | DC |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 17500 msl bound upper : 19000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 4300 flight time type : 100 |
| ASRS Report | 513270 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe airspace violation : entry altitude deviation : overshoot inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : exited penetrated airspace |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Airspace Structure Aircraft Weather |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
While flying from islip to dulles VFR at 14500 ft I was circumnaving a large line of thunderstorms to the east. I noticed ahead a small group of secondary clouds. Instead of going farther east, I decided to top them and tuned 17500 ft into my altitude preselect and activated the preselect climb and turned my attention to planning my descent and landing at dulles. When next I looked at the altimeter, I was at FL190 and well into class a airspace. I disengaged the autoplt, pushed the nose over and descended to 17500 ft. The cause was 1) an inoperative preselect, 2) distrs. For #1 in the future will check the preselect function before relying on it. For #2 I will continue to support the pilot group to decommission restr airspace. The workload on a pilot on the east coast when plans change is excessive, even with working autoplt and moving map avoiding terrain, other traffic, WX and numerous restr airspaces is a workload challenge requiring substantial planning. I will, in the future, make sure I have done that planning.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ATP PLT IN A SMALL COMPLEX ACFT CLBS INTO THE CLASS A AIRSPACE NEAR DOVER WHILE DISTR WITH TSTM ACTIVITY AVOIDANCE.
Narrative: WHILE FLYING FROM ISLIP TO DULLES VFR AT 14500 FT I WAS CIRCUMNAVING A LARGE LINE OF TSTMS TO THE E. I NOTICED AHEAD A SMALL GROUP OF SECONDARY CLOUDS. INSTEAD OF GOING FARTHER E, I DECIDED TO TOP THEM AND TUNED 17500 FT INTO MY ALT PRESELECT AND ACTIVATED THE PRESELECT CLB AND TURNED MY ATTN TO PLANNING MY DSCNT AND LNDG AT DULLES. WHEN NEXT I LOOKED AT THE ALTIMETER, I WAS AT FL190 AND WELL INTO CLASS A AIRSPACE. I DISENGAGED THE AUTOPLT, PUSHED THE NOSE OVER AND DSNDED TO 17500 FT. THE CAUSE WAS 1) AN INOP PRESELECT, 2) DISTRS. FOR #1 IN THE FUTURE WILL CHK THE PRESELECT FUNCTION BEFORE RELYING ON IT. FOR #2 I WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE PLT GROUP TO DECOMMISSION RESTR AIRSPACE. THE WORKLOAD ON A PLT ON THE EAST COAST WHEN PLANS CHANGE IS EXCESSIVE, EVEN WITH WORKING AUTOPLT AND MOVING MAP AVOIDING TERRAIN, OTHER TFC, WX AND NUMEROUS RESTR AIRSPACES IS A WORKLOAD CHALLENGE REQUIRING SUBSTANTIAL PLANNING. I WILL, IN THE FUTURE, MAKE SURE I HAVE DONE THAT PLANNING.
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.