Narrative:

Flight following. At frederick, md (fdk), I was with ZDC. I had lost my LORAN on the flight down, and had only a VOR for navigation. I had no distance measuring equipment. ZDC passed me to dulles approach, and I contacted dulles. The person in the right seat, my husband, a private pilot, was changing VOR frequencys on the MX300. Without my knowledge, he pushed the communication FLIP/flop button, and switched me off dulles approach. I continued holding my heading, thinking dulles would contact me. When I did not hear aircraft X call, I called dulles approach. The controller came back, and said he was ZDC, and told me to contact dulles approach on 133.15 (I believe). I looked at my radio, and realized the frequencys had been switched. I contacted dulles approach. By this time, I had entered dulles class B airspace. Upon thinking about what happened, and analyzing why I did what I did, the primary factor, in my opinion, is lack of experience in class B airspace. I have naved through the washington tri-area terminal on trips to florida without a problem, but experienced smooth handoffs, and I had distance measuring equipment functioning. I also have naved to manassas (fdk), and landed, coming up from florida, and naved back to elm, from there. But, only twice, in 1998 and 1999. The majority of my flying experience occurs locally, from elmira, and deals with class C -- class G airspace. Compounding the lack of experience with class B airspace was the factor of losing distance measuring equipment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT ENTERED IAD CLASS B WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: FLT FOLLOWING. AT FREDERICK, MD (FDK), I WAS WITH ZDC. I HAD LOST MY LORAN ON THE FLT DOWN, AND HAD ONLY A VOR FOR NAV. I HAD NO DISTANCE MEASURING EQUIP. ZDC PASSED ME TO DULLES APCH, AND I CONTACTED DULLES. THE PERSON IN THE R SEAT, MY HUSBAND, A PVT PLT, WAS CHANGING VOR FREQS ON THE MX300. WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE, HE PUSHED THE COM FLIP/FLOP BUTTON, AND SWITCHED ME OFF DULLES APCH. I CONTINUED HOLDING MY HEADING, THINKING DULLES WOULD CONTACT ME. WHEN I DID NOT HEAR ACFT X CALL, I CALLED DULLES APCH. THE CTLR CAME BACK, AND SAID HE WAS ZDC, AND TOLD ME TO CONTACT DULLES APCH ON 133.15 (I BELIEVE). I LOOKED AT MY RADIO, AND REALIZED THE FREQS HAD BEEN SWITCHED. I CONTACTED DULLES APCH. BY THIS TIME, I HAD ENTERED DULLES CLASS B AIRSPACE. UPON THINKING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED, AND ANALYZING WHY I DID WHAT I DID, THE PRIMARY FACTOR, IN MY OPINION, IS LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN CLASS B AIRSPACE. I HAVE NAVED THROUGH THE WASHINGTON TRI-AREA TERMINAL ON TRIPS TO FLORIDA WITHOUT A PROB, BUT EXPERIENCED SMOOTH HDOFS, AND I HAD DISTANCE MEASURING EQUIP FUNCTIONING. I ALSO HAVE NAVED TO MANASSAS (FDK), AND LANDED, COMING UP FROM FLORIDA, AND NAVED BACK TO ELM, FROM THERE. BUT, ONLY TWICE, IN 1998 AND 1999. THE MAJORITY OF MY FLYING EXPERIENCE OCCURS LOCALLY, FROM ELMIRA, AND DEALS WITH CLASS C -- CLASS G AIRSPACE. COMPOUNDING THE LACK OF EXPERIENCE WITH CLASS B AIRSPACE WAS THE FACTOR OF LOSING DISTANCE MEASURING EQUIP.

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.