An ATP PA32 pilot, during WX avoidance maneuvering, penetrates the class D airspace of sql, ca.

Attributes
ACN	535305
Time
Date	200201
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pao.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 800
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : pao.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-32 Cherokee Six/Lance/Saratoga
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 22000 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	535305
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited penetrated airspace flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airport Airspace Structure Flight Crew Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I obtained a WX briefing from oak FSS prior to departure to fly a friend to pao in her airplane for a doctor's appointment. I was told pao was clear. Santa rosa was also clear and we departed at XA20. Approaching the bay area VFR via the pye VOR 140 degree radial at 2900 ft to stay below class B airspace, I could see cumulus buildups ahead of me extending from about sfo airport over half moon bay and southward. A pretty solid line with tops to perhaps 12000 ft. It looked like I could get below them so I began a descent turning northward from a direct line to osi VOR due to 2400 ft terrain there. My attention was on avoiding cloud and terrain clearance and when I leveled off at 800 ft I saw a runway a few mi ahead of me which did not look familiar. The airports on the shoreline are hard to find in the ground clutter but I knew it wasn't palo alto. The GPS indicated I was 6 mi away from pao so I turned south to search for it. After landing there, ground asked me if I knew I was in san carlos class D airspace without a clearance. I told him I had figured that out and the reason was distraction caused by WX avoidance and concern for terrain clearance. He said it was ok, they had cleared it with san carlos. My feeling is a more comprehensive WX brief would have prepared me better.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ATP PA32 PLT, DURING WX AVOIDANCE MANEUVERING, PENETRATES THE CLASS D AIRSPACE OF SQL, CA.

Narrative: I OBTAINED A WX BRIEFING FROM OAK FSS PRIOR TO DEP TO FLY A FRIEND TO PAO IN HER AIRPLANE FOR A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT. I WAS TOLD PAO WAS CLR. SANTA ROSA WAS ALSO CLR AND WE DEPARTED AT XA20. APCHING THE BAY AREA VFR VIA THE PYE VOR 140 DEG RADIAL AT 2900 FT TO STAY BELOW CLASS B AIRSPACE, I COULD SEE CUMULUS BUILDUPS AHEAD OF ME EXTENDING FROM ABOUT SFO ARPT OVER HALF MOON BAY AND SOUTHWARD. A PRETTY SOLID LINE WITH TOPS TO PERHAPS 12000 FT. IT LOOKED LIKE I COULD GET BELOW THEM SO I BEGAN A DSCNT TURNING NORTHWARD FROM A DIRECT LINE TO OSI VOR DUE TO 2400 FT TERRAIN THERE. MY ATTN WAS ON AVOIDING CLOUD AND TERRAIN CLRNC AND WHEN I LEVELED OFF AT 800 FT I SAW A RWY A FEW MI AHEAD OF ME WHICH DID NOT LOOK FAMILIAR. THE ARPTS ON THE SHORELINE ARE HARD TO FIND IN THE GND CLUTTER BUT I KNEW IT WASN'T PALO ALTO. THE GPS INDICATED I WAS 6 MI AWAY FROM PAO SO I TURNED S TO SEARCH FOR IT. AFTER LNDG THERE, GND ASKED ME IF I KNEW I WAS IN SAN CARLOS CLASS D AIRSPACE WITHOUT A CLRNC. I TOLD HIM I HAD FIGURED THAT OUT AND THE REASON WAS DISTR CAUSED BY WX AVOIDANCE AND CONCERN FOR TERRAIN CLRNC. HE SAID IT WAS OK, THEY HAD CLRED IT WITH SAN CARLOS. MY FEELING IS A MORE COMPREHENSIVE WX BRIEF WOULD HAVE PREPARED ME BETTER.

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.