Narrative:

The incident occurred during a VFR flight from gai to baf. I was acting as a flight instructor with a student flying the airplane in the left seat. After departing gai, turning to our on course heading and beginning the climb to our planned cruising altitude of 5500 ft MSL, we entered the baltimore class B airspace prior to receiving clearance by climbing above the 3500 ft floor of the outer ring. After establishing communication with baltimore approach, we were informed of the infraction, given a code and allowed to continue on course without further incident. The student and I had done a complete preflight briefing and were both aware of the boundaries of the class B airspace prior to departing on the flight. As part of the briefing, we had determined that we would not climb above 3000 ft MSL until we had been cleared into the class B airspace. I believe the violation occurred because of several factors. The student's attention became focused on establishing communication due to a radio that was producing poor reception. My attention was temporarily drawn from scanning the flight instruments to working with the radio sand listening to the student's attempts to establish communication and also trying to visually scan for traffic in this busy area. It was during this period that the student continued to climb and entered the class B airspace. Continuing to scan the flight instruments during this high workload phase of flight would more than likely have allowed us to avoid this incident. Also, a better division of responsibilities, once it was determined that we were having communication problems with one of our radios, would have allowed the student to focus on flying the airplane while we worked out the problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLASS B AIRSPACE INCURSION BY A PA28 CFI MONITORED STUDENT PLT XCOUNTRY TRAINING FLT.

Narrative: THE INCIDENT OCCURRED DURING A VFR FLT FROM GAI TO BAF. I WAS ACTING AS A FLT INSTRUCTOR WITH A STUDENT FLYING THE AIRPLANE IN THE L SEAT. AFTER DEPARTING GAI, TURNING TO OUR ON COURSE HDG AND BEGINNING THE CLB TO OUR PLANNED CRUISING ALT OF 5500 FT MSL, WE ENTERED THE BALTIMORE CLASS B AIRSPACE PRIOR TO RECEIVING CLRNC BY CLBING ABOVE THE 3500 FT FLOOR OF THE OUTER RING. AFTER ESTABLISHING COM WITH BALTIMORE APCH, WE WERE INFORMED OF THE INFRACTION, GIVEN A CODE AND ALLOWED TO CONTINUE ON COURSE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE STUDENT AND I HAD DONE A COMPLETE PREFLT BRIEFING AND WERE BOTH AWARE OF THE BOUNDARIES OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE PRIOR TO DEPARTING ON THE FLT. AS PART OF THE BRIEFING, WE HAD DETERMINED THAT WE WOULD NOT CLB ABOVE 3000 FT MSL UNTIL WE HAD BEEN CLRED INTO THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. I BELIEVE THE VIOLATION OCCURRED BECAUSE OF SEVERAL FACTORS. THE STUDENT'S ATTN BECAME FOCUSED ON ESTABLISHING COM DUE TO A RADIO THAT WAS PRODUCING POOR RECEPTION. MY ATTN WAS TEMPORARILY DRAWN FROM SCANNING THE FLT INSTS TO WORKING WITH THE RADIO SAND LISTENING TO THE STUDENT'S ATTEMPTS TO ESTABLISH COM AND ALSO TRYING TO VISUALLY SCAN FOR TFC IN THIS BUSY AREA. IT WAS DURING THIS PERIOD THAT THE STUDENT CONTINUED TO CLB AND ENTERED THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. CONTINUING TO SCAN THE FLT INSTS DURING THIS HIGH WORKLOAD PHASE OF FLT WOULD MORE THAN LIKELY HAVE ALLOWED US TO AVOID THIS INCIDENT. ALSO, A BETTER DIVISION OF RESPONSIBILITIES, ONCE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT WE WERE HAVING COM PROBS WITH ONE OF OUR RADIOS, WOULD HAVE ALLOWED THE STUDENT TO FOCUS ON FLYING THE AIRPLANE WHILE WE WORKED OUT THE PROB.

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.