Narrative:

When ready for departure, we were asked where we were headed, and we responded with a request for departure toward deland. I then made the incorrect assumption that the tower controller was coordinating a departure handoff with tpa approach, so as to transition back toward tpa international (the way we came in) and receive class B clearance with them once airborne. Apparently, no such coordination was really taking place and, therefore, when told to 'make a left turn for an eastbound departure,' we didn't realize that tpa approach was not expecting our departure and subsequent request for a class B clearance. Adding to our confusion is the way that the class B/class D overlap is charted on the sectional chart. We happened to be using a (current) terminal VFR chart for the tampa/orlando area, with the larger scale making it much easier to read. According to those charts, the whitted class D airspace is segregated into 2 overlying class B 'zones.' west of and above the airport, the class B is charted as 100/30. East of and above the airport, the class C is charted as 100/12. However, the segmented blue line that depicts class D airspace has a [15] bracket around the entire zone. Therefore, east of the airport, there is an overlap where we were -- at 1400 ft MSL. According to the class D segmented circle and [15] bracket, we should have still been in class D airspace. According to the 100/12 notation, we would also be in the charted class B area. At about XA30, when reaching 1400 ft, the whitted tower informed us (per tower radar, I presume) that we were in class B airspace, and he informed us that class B started at 1200 ft, and we were at 1500 ft and, therefore, in violation. He then called out bonanza traffic to us, my student reported it in sight, and I took the controls and descended to an altitude of 900 ft MSL to exit the class B airspace. Subsequent to this, we exited whitted's class D to the east of 900 ft MSL, staying clear of macdill's class D airspace per GPS, called tpa approach and asked for class B clearance and flight following to deland. They gave us a transponder code, told us to stay clear of class B (we were by this point), and then later gave us radar contact, 'clearance to operate in the class B airspace,' and permission to resume own navigation direct deland, and altitude at our discretion. The rest of the flight continued without incident. My whole confusion surrounding the incident involves the way that whitted's class D and class B overlap areas are charted on sectionals and terminal VFR charts. It would appear to me at first glance that whitted's class airspace goes up to 1500 ft omni-directional out to the published 4 mi radius limit. I'm still not sure why, at 1400 ft MSL, you are still considered in class B airspace, with the way that it is charted. Therefore, it would lead people (like myself) to the conclusion that the class D circle takes precedence over the overlapping class B, when both are charted in the same area. After all, we figure macdill's airspace wouldn't make much sense. If everything over macdill is class B above 1200 ft, then why chart [26] for the whole area? After realizing our violation, we were quick to exit the class B airspace, prompt to comply with tower instructions, and completed the flight safely. However, we were still unclr as to the charting of those 2 airspace limits. Would changing the charting help anybody else to avoid an airspace incursion? Perhaps the whole rest of the aviation world knows this charting policy already, and I just haven't learned it yet. However, in talking to enough people after this flight, I think there is widespread confusion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT, DEPARTING SPG, ENTERED CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT A CLRNC.

Narrative: WHEN READY FOR DEP, WE WERE ASKED WHERE WE WERE HEADED, AND WE RESPONDED WITH A REQUEST FOR DEP TOWARD DELAND. I THEN MADE THE INCORRECT ASSUMPTION THAT THE TWR CTLR WAS COORDINATING A DEP HDOF WITH TPA APCH, SO AS TO TRANSITION BACK TOWARD TPA INTL (THE WAY WE CAME IN) AND RECEIVE CLASS B CLRNC WITH THEM ONCE AIRBORNE. APPARENTLY, NO SUCH COORD WAS REALLY TAKING PLACE AND, THEREFORE, WHEN TOLD TO 'MAKE A L TURN FOR AN EBOUND DEP,' WE DIDN'T REALIZE THAT TPA APCH WAS NOT EXPECTING OUR DEP AND SUBSEQUENT REQUEST FOR A CLASS B CLRNC. ADDING TO OUR CONFUSION IS THE WAY THAT THE CLASS B/CLASS D OVERLAP IS CHARTED ON THE SECTIONAL CHART. WE HAPPENED TO BE USING A (CURRENT) TERMINAL VFR CHART FOR THE TAMPA/ORLANDO AREA, WITH THE LARGER SCALE MAKING IT MUCH EASIER TO READ. ACCORDING TO THOSE CHARTS, THE WHITTED CLASS D AIRSPACE IS SEGREGATED INTO 2 OVERLYING CLASS B 'ZONES.' W OF AND ABOVE THE ARPT, THE CLASS B IS CHARTED AS 100/30. E OF AND ABOVE THE ARPT, THE CLASS C IS CHARTED AS 100/12. HOWEVER, THE SEGMENTED BLUE LINE THAT DEPICTS CLASS D AIRSPACE HAS A [15] BRACKET AROUND THE ENTIRE ZONE. THEREFORE, E OF THE ARPT, THERE IS AN OVERLAP WHERE WE WERE -- AT 1400 FT MSL. ACCORDING TO THE CLASS D SEGMENTED CIRCLE AND [15] BRACKET, WE SHOULD HAVE STILL BEEN IN CLASS D AIRSPACE. ACCORDING TO THE 100/12 NOTATION, WE WOULD ALSO BE IN THE CHARTED CLASS B AREA. AT ABOUT XA30, WHEN REACHING 1400 FT, THE WHITTED TWR INFORMED US (PER TWR RADAR, I PRESUME) THAT WE WERE IN CLASS B AIRSPACE, AND HE INFORMED US THAT CLASS B STARTED AT 1200 FT, AND WE WERE AT 1500 FT AND, THEREFORE, IN VIOLATION. HE THEN CALLED OUT BONANZA TFC TO US, MY STUDENT RPTED IT IN SIGHT, AND I TOOK THE CTLS AND DSNDED TO AN ALT OF 900 FT MSL TO EXIT THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. SUBSEQUENT TO THIS, WE EXITED WHITTED'S CLASS D TO THE E OF 900 FT MSL, STAYING CLR OF MACDILL'S CLASS D AIRSPACE PER GPS, CALLED TPA APCH AND ASKED FOR CLASS B CLRNC AND FLT FOLLOWING TO DELAND. THEY GAVE US A XPONDER CODE, TOLD US TO STAY CLR OF CLASS B (WE WERE BY THIS POINT), AND THEN LATER GAVE US RADAR CONTACT, 'CLRNC TO OPERATE IN THE CLASS B AIRSPACE,' AND PERMISSION TO RESUME OWN NAV DIRECT DELAND, AND ALT AT OUR DISCRETION. THE REST OF THE FLT CONTINUED WITHOUT INCIDENT. MY WHOLE CONFUSION SURROUNDING THE INCIDENT INVOLVES THE WAY THAT WHITTED'S CLASS D AND CLASS B OVERLAP AREAS ARE CHARTED ON SECTIONALS AND TERMINAL VFR CHARTS. IT WOULD APPEAR TO ME AT FIRST GLANCE THAT WHITTED'S CLASS AIRSPACE GOES UP TO 1500 FT OMNI-DIRECTIONAL OUT TO THE PUBLISHED 4 MI RADIUS LIMIT. I'M STILL NOT SURE WHY, AT 1400 FT MSL, YOU ARE STILL CONSIDERED IN CLASS B AIRSPACE, WITH THE WAY THAT IT IS CHARTED. THEREFORE, IT WOULD LEAD PEOPLE (LIKE MYSELF) TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE CLASS D CIRCLE TAKES PRECEDENCE OVER THE OVERLAPPING CLASS B, WHEN BOTH ARE CHARTED IN THE SAME AREA. AFTER ALL, WE FIGURE MACDILL'S AIRSPACE WOULDN'T MAKE MUCH SENSE. IF EVERYTHING OVER MACDILL IS CLASS B ABOVE 1200 FT, THEN WHY CHART [26] FOR THE WHOLE AREA? AFTER REALIZING OUR VIOLATION, WE WERE QUICK TO EXIT THE CLASS B AIRSPACE, PROMPT TO COMPLY WITH TWR INSTRUCTIONS, AND COMPLETED THE FLT SAFELY. HOWEVER, WE WERE STILL UNCLR AS TO THE CHARTING OF THOSE 2 AIRSPACE LIMITS. WOULD CHANGING THE CHARTING HELP ANYBODY ELSE TO AVOID AN AIRSPACE INCURSION? PERHAPS THE WHOLE REST OF THE AVIATION WORLD KNOWS THIS CHARTING POLICY ALREADY, AND I JUST HAVEN'T LEARNED IT YET. HOWEVER, IN TALKING TO ENOUGH PEOPLE AFTER THIS FLT, I THINK THERE IS WIDESPREAD CONFUSION.

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.