Narrative:

Inadvertent flight into cincinnati class B airspace. Flight proceeded as planned and filed to shb. I used the GPS as a xchk typically using the GPS as a VOR in the to/from method. I was xchking in between navaids with the VOR and ADF. On the last leg of the flight I was using the GPS as the primary navigation as there is no airway defined between shb and mgy. The route of the last leg of the trip (shb to mgy) makes a course just north the cincinnati class B airspace. I elected not to use indianapolis approach for flight following as my course was north of that location. I was intending to use dayton approach as I got closer to mgy and planned to report to dayton approach when I was directly south of rid. As I was about to contact dayton approach, I dialed in rid on the DME. Upon contact with dayton approach, I advised that I was on the 180 degree radial of rid and 25 mi south. At that time dayton advised me that I was out of their airspace and in cvg class B airspace at which time they advised me to call cvg approach. I was advised by cvg approach that I was in class B airspace. The cvg approach controller directed me for headings to mgy and gave me a number to call upon landing. The 10-20 mins that this issued played out went quickly with little time to diagnose what went wrong with a plan that should have been easy to follow. The reason that I was confused is that I was tracking to what I had dialed in which is not where I intended to fly. I had forgotten to enter the 'K' but was not aware of the mistake as the GPS gave me a location that appeared to be what I wanted. I have reviewed the cincinnati charts and found no mgy navaids with that identify. I have asked GPS company to check their database and confirm that mgy does not exist. I conclude that this location (mgy) has been created and stored as a user idented location. Failure to track the shb 'from' radial long enough to establish a good course direction to xchk against the GPS. Failure to verify VFR position by ground reference to establish good course direction. Failure to operate with all available control ctrs. Utilizing the IFR system with VFR WX would have been a good option. Believing that the GPS was better than all other forms of navigation available at the time was a poor decision, which was against the basic premise of VFR flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 CFI WANDERS INTO THE CLASS B AIRSPACE OF CVG WHEN DEPENDING SOLELY UPON THE NAV INFO FROM HIS GPS WHICH WAS UNKNOWINGLY MISPROGRAMMED TO A POINT 25 MI S OF RID, IN.

Narrative: INADVERTENT FLT INTO CINCINNATI CLASS B AIRSPACE. FLT PROCEEDED AS PLANNED AND FILED TO SHB. I USED THE GPS AS A XCHK TYPICALLY USING THE GPS AS A VOR IN THE TO/FROM METHOD. I WAS XCHKING IN BTWN NAVAIDS WITH THE VOR AND ADF. ON THE LAST LEG OF THE FLT I WAS USING THE GPS AS THE PRIMARY NAV AS THERE IS NO AIRWAY DEFINED BTWN SHB AND MGY. THE RTE OF THE LAST LEG OF THE TRIP (SHB TO MGY) MAKES A COURSE JUST N THE CINCINNATI CLASS B AIRSPACE. I ELECTED NOT TO USE INDIANAPOLIS APCH FOR FLT FOLLOWING AS MY COURSE WAS N OF THAT LOCATION. I WAS INTENDING TO USE DAYTON APCH AS I GOT CLOSER TO MGY AND PLANNED TO RPT TO DAYTON APCH WHEN I WAS DIRECTLY S OF RID. AS I WAS ABOUT TO CONTACT DAYTON APCH, I DIALED IN RID ON THE DME. UPON CONTACT WITH DAYTON APCH, I ADVISED THAT I WAS ON THE 180 DEG RADIAL OF RID AND 25 MI S. AT THAT TIME DAYTON ADVISED ME THAT I WAS OUT OF THEIR AIRSPACE AND IN CVG CLASS B AIRSPACE AT WHICH TIME THEY ADVISED ME TO CALL CVG APCH. I WAS ADVISED BY CVG APCH THAT I WAS IN CLASS B AIRSPACE. THE CVG APCH CTLR DIRECTED ME FOR HDGS TO MGY AND GAVE ME A NUMBER TO CALL UPON LNDG. THE 10-20 MINS THAT THIS ISSUED PLAYED OUT WENT QUICKLY WITH LITTLE TIME TO DIAGNOSE WHAT WENT WRONG WITH A PLAN THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN EASY TO FOLLOW. THE REASON THAT I WAS CONFUSED IS THAT I WAS TRACKING TO WHAT I HAD DIALED IN WHICH IS NOT WHERE I INTENDED TO FLY. I HAD FORGOTTEN TO ENTER THE 'K' BUT WAS NOT AWARE OF THE MISTAKE AS THE GPS GAVE ME A LOCATION THAT APPEARED TO BE WHAT I WANTED. I HAVE REVIEWED THE CINCINNATI CHARTS AND FOUND NO MGY NAVAIDS WITH THAT IDENT. I HAVE ASKED GPS COMPANY TO CHK THEIR DATABASE AND CONFIRM THAT MGY DOES NOT EXIST. I CONCLUDE THAT THIS LOCATION (MGY) HAS BEEN CREATED AND STORED AS A USER IDENTED LOCATION. FAILURE TO TRACK THE SHB 'FROM' RADIAL LONG ENOUGH TO ESTABLISH A GOOD COURSE DIRECTION TO XCHK AGAINST THE GPS. FAILURE TO VERIFY VFR POS BY GND REF TO ESTABLISH GOOD COURSE DIRECTION. FAILURE TO OPERATE WITH ALL AVAILABLE CTL CTRS. UTILIZING THE IFR SYS WITH VFR WX WOULD HAVE BEEN A GOOD OPTION. BELIEVING THAT THE GPS WAS BETTER THAN ALL OTHER FORMS OF NAV AVAILABLE AT THE TIME WAS A POOR DECISION, WHICH WAS AGAINST THE BASIC PREMISE OF VFR FLT.

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.