Narrative:

Complacency had taken over. Toss in the 'let's get home' attitude, and the stage was set. On this particular stop, with clear skies and unlimited visibility, I'd canceled the IFR and made a visual approach and landing at a nearby uncontrolled airport. After a quick stop for fuel, luggage and passenger, we were on our way. Took off VFR, contacted approach for the IFR clearance. Controller's first instructions were, 'stay out of the class C airspace, squawk...' uh-no! Where're we at? What big airport is that? Immediate turn away from airport. Where's the en route chart? Whew! I missed the class C airspace by climbing and turning. Approach gave me the IFR clearance, cleared me into the flight levels, and we had an uneventful trip the rest of the way home. Except I had plenty of time to think about what had just happened. What if I had been restr in my climb by a ceiling? What if I had proceeded straight out and had taken my time contacting approach? I would have plowed right into the middle of class C airspace and overflown a large airport, without a clearance! As mentioned, complacency and being in a hurry were factors leading to this situation. I had the en route chart out and folded to the general area, but didn't take the time to review it before takeoff. I just assumed that there was nothing in my way. This incident is a clear call to be on guard for complacent attitudes, getting in a hurry, and failing to do the simplest of preflight planning. In the future, I will specifically review the applicable en route chart before departing any airport VFR. I would not enjoy being an uninvited guest in certain classes of airspace.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CPR CITATION PIC CONFESSES TO FAILING TO PROPERLY FLT PLAN A VFR DEP PROC FROM A NON TWR ARPT AND ALMOST FLIES INTO THE ADJOINING CLASS C AIRSPACE OF CMH, 5 MI W OF VTA, OH.

Narrative: COMPLACENCY HAD TAKEN OVER. TOSS IN THE 'LET'S GET HOME' ATTITUDE, AND THE STAGE WAS SET. ON THIS PARTICULAR STOP, WITH CLR SKIES AND UNLIMITED VISIBILITY, I'D CANCELED THE IFR AND MADE A VISUAL APCH AND LNDG AT A NEARBY UNCTLED ARPT. AFTER A QUICK STOP FOR FUEL, LUGGAGE AND PAX, WE WERE ON OUR WAY. TOOK OFF VFR, CONTACTED APCH FOR THE IFR CLRNC. CTLR'S FIRST INSTRUCTIONS WERE, 'STAY OUT OF THE CLASS C AIRSPACE, SQUAWK...' UH-NO! WHERE'RE WE AT? WHAT BIG ARPT IS THAT? IMMEDIATE TURN AWAY FROM ARPT. WHERE'S THE ENRTE CHART? WHEW! I MISSED THE CLASS C AIRSPACE BY CLBING AND TURNING. APCH GAVE ME THE IFR CLRNC, CLRED ME INTO THE FLT LEVELS, AND WE HAD AN UNEVENTFUL TRIP THE REST OF THE WAY HOME. EXCEPT I HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO THINK ABOUT WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED. WHAT IF I HAD BEEN RESTR IN MY CLB BY A CEILING? WHAT IF I HAD PROCEEDED STRAIGHT OUT AND HAD TAKEN MY TIME CONTACTING APCH? I WOULD HAVE PLOWED RIGHT INTO THE MIDDLE OF CLASS C AIRSPACE AND OVERFLOWN A LARGE ARPT, WITHOUT A CLRNC! AS MENTIONED, COMPLACENCY AND BEING IN A HURRY WERE FACTORS LEADING TO THIS SIT. I HAD THE ENRTE CHART OUT AND FOLDED TO THE GENERAL AREA, BUT DIDN'T TAKE THE TIME TO REVIEW IT BEFORE TKOF. I JUST ASSUMED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING IN MY WAY. THIS INCIDENT IS A CLR CALL TO BE ON GUARD FOR COMPLACENT ATTITUDES, GETTING IN A HURRY, AND FAILING TO DO THE SIMPLEST OF PREFLT PLANNING. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL SPECIFICALLY REVIEW THE APPLICABLE ENRTE CHART BEFORE DEPARTING ANY ARPT VFR. I WOULD NOT ENJOY BEING AN UNINVITED GUEST IN CERTAIN CLASSES OF AIRSPACE.

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.