Narrative:

I believe that I may have penetrated the newark class B airspace west of ewr and east of mmu. The portion of the class B I believe I inadvertently penetrated is the area of the outer ring coinciding with a ceiling of 7000 ft and floor of +500 ft. This occurred as I was VFR heading to cdw, having just dropped off passenger at 47N. The aircraft I was flying is a rental, and it was due back by PM30. I was in a hurry and I did not adequately plan my flight from 47N to cdw. I conducted my pre-takeoff checks at 47N but did not set the frequencys for the cdw ATIS and tower. En route to cdw from points south, my usual practice is to fly west of the mmu class D, then approach cdw from the west. On this occasion, I decided to expand my level of experience by approaching cdw from the south. I intended to remain east of mmu and under the class B by flying at 1200 ft MSL under the class B shelf area, where the ceiling is 7000 ft and the floor is 1800 ft. I was not prepared to fly the route I had selected. As I was attempting to stay east of the mmu class D and west of the ewr class B, while at the same time I was getting the ATIS information, setting tower and ground frequencys, scanning for other traffic and terrain, and looking for the airport. The result of trying to manage this workload was a brief loss of situational awareness. I cannot be positive, but I believe I may have drifted slightly east of my intended course and penetrated the class B shelf. While the rental aircraft is equipped with GPS, I usually try to use pilotage and VOR's as my primary means of navigation, because I believe those disciplines build important skills. Therefore, I was not following the moving map display on the GPS. When I glanced at it, I believe I saw the airplane slightly penetrating the class B. I immediately turned left. In a short time, I had cdw in sight and landed uneventfully. It is amazing to me how many mistakes I made on this flight of only 26 NM. Ironically, the mistakes occurred because I was attempting to expand my level of knowledge, experience, and airmanship. However, that is no excuse for what was probably a class B violation. Here is what I learned: while I knew many of these things already, I will certainly follow them more rigorously now: 1) to the extent possible, always get prepared on the ground, not while in the air. 2) don't let external pressures like time allow me to do something I haven't thoroughly prepared for. 3) use all forms of navigation available when attempting an unfamiliar approach that will have me close to class B or other airspace that I need to avoid. 4) always try to fly with navigational precision and refuse to accept any deviations. (Such precision may not be necessary where the airspace is 'wide open' but the skills developed will certainly assist when trying to fly in more confined areas.). 5) always think situational awareness and don't let it slip for even a moment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH COORD PENETRATION OF CLASS B AIRSPACE BY A C182 PVT PLT AT 1200 FT, JUST W OF EWR, NJ.

Narrative: I BELIEVE THAT I MAY HAVE PENETRATED THE NEWARK CLASS B AIRSPACE W OF EWR AND E OF MMU. THE PORTION OF THE CLASS B I BELIEVE I INADVERTENTLY PENETRATED IS THE AREA OF THE OUTER RING COINCIDING WITH A CEILING OF 7000 FT AND FLOOR OF +500 FT. THIS OCCURRED AS I WAS VFR HEADING TO CDW, HAVING JUST DROPPED OFF PAX AT 47N. THE ACFT I WAS FLYING IS A RENTAL, AND IT WAS DUE BACK BY PM30. I WAS IN A HURRY AND I DID NOT ADEQUATELY PLAN MY FLT FROM 47N TO CDW. I CONDUCTED MY PRE-TKOF CHKS AT 47N BUT DID NOT SET THE FREQS FOR THE CDW ATIS AND TWR. ENRTE TO CDW FROM POINTS S, MY USUAL PRACTICE IS TO FLY W OF THE MMU CLASS D, THEN APCH CDW FROM THE W. ON THIS OCCASION, I DECIDED TO EXPAND MY LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE BY APCHING CDW FROM THE S. I INTENDED TO REMAIN E OF MMU AND UNDER THE CLASS B BY FLYING AT 1200 FT MSL UNDER THE CLASS B SHELF AREA, WHERE THE CEILING IS 7000 FT AND THE FLOOR IS 1800 FT. I WAS NOT PREPARED TO FLY THE RTE I HAD SELECTED. AS I WAS ATTEMPTING TO STAY E OF THE MMU CLASS D AND W OF THE EWR CLASS B, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME I WAS GETTING THE ATIS INFO, SETTING TWR AND GND FREQS, SCANNING FOR OTHER TFC AND TERRAIN, AND LOOKING FOR THE ARPT. THE RESULT OF TRYING TO MANAGE THIS WORKLOAD WAS A BRIEF LOSS OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. I CANNOT BE POSITIVE, BUT I BELIEVE I MAY HAVE DRIFTED SLIGHTLY E OF MY INTENDED COURSE AND PENETRATED THE CLASS B SHELF. WHILE THE RENTAL ACFT IS EQUIPPED WITH GPS, I USUALLY TRY TO USE PILOTAGE AND VOR'S AS MY PRIMARY MEANS OF NAV, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THOSE DISCIPLINES BUILD IMPORTANT SKILLS. THEREFORE, I WAS NOT FOLLOWING THE MOVING MAP DISPLAY ON THE GPS. WHEN I GLANCED AT IT, I BELIEVE I SAW THE AIRPLANE SLIGHTLY PENETRATING THE CLASS B. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED L. IN A SHORT TIME, I HAD CDW IN SIGHT AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. IT IS AMAZING TO ME HOW MANY MISTAKES I MADE ON THIS FLT OF ONLY 26 NM. IRONICALLY, THE MISTAKES OCCURRED BECAUSE I WAS ATTEMPTING TO EXPAND MY LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE, AND AIRMANSHIP. HOWEVER, THAT IS NO EXCUSE FOR WHAT WAS PROBABLY A CLASS B VIOLATION. HERE IS WHAT I LEARNED: WHILE I KNEW MANY OF THESE THINGS ALREADY, I WILL CERTAINLY FOLLOW THEM MORE RIGOROUSLY NOW: 1) TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE, ALWAYS GET PREPARED ON THE GND, NOT WHILE IN THE AIR. 2) DON'T LET EXTERNAL PRESSURES LIKE TIME ALLOW ME TO DO SOMETHING I HAVEN'T THOROUGHLY PREPARED FOR. 3) USE ALL FORMS OF NAV AVAILABLE WHEN ATTEMPTING AN UNFAMILIAR APCH THAT WILL HAVE ME CLOSE TO CLASS B OR OTHER AIRSPACE THAT I NEED TO AVOID. 4) ALWAYS TRY TO FLY WITH NAVIGATIONAL PRECISION AND REFUSE TO ACCEPT ANY DEVS. (SUCH PRECISION MAY NOT BE NECESSARY WHERE THE AIRSPACE IS 'WIDE OPEN' BUT THE SKILLS DEVELOPED WILL CERTAINLY ASSIST WHEN TRYING TO FLY IN MORE CONFINED AREAS.). 5) ALWAYS THINK SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND DON'T LET IT SLIP FOR EVEN A MOMENT.

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.