Narrative:

I had recently gotten checked out to fly as tow pilot for a new glider school. The glider school has a very strict tow pattern to fly after takeoff, and I was doing my best to fit into the new operation. We hooked up the glider, I lined up, and per procedure, announced our operation on the CTAF and commenced the takeoff. I was determined to follow the set tow pattern, which was a left turn after airborne, then at 500 ft, a right turn wbound, and at 1000 ft a turn to due east until release (normally at 2500 ft). As I said, the day was very hot, and the glider had the instructor and a student, so the climb was proceeding slowly. I had towed solo students the day before, so I guess I was subconsciously expecting to reach release altitude at the same place. Of course, this wasn't the case with 2 people in the glider. I failed to notice that with the anemic climb, we were proceeding further east than normal. Just about 2000 ft, I realized the situation with homestead AFB, and its class D airspace (which is larger than normal), which laid due east of my position. I made a 45 degree turn to the south, and missed the class D airspace at hst. After release, I returned to X51 normally, with a new lesson learned. 1ST, I had subconsciously thought that there really wasn't any airspace to worry about flying out of X51 as long as I didn't go north. Although I knew hst and its class D was there, I paid it no mind since it seemed so far away. 2ND, I allowed myself to become accustomed to the performance of the tow plane with 1 person in the glider, and where reaching the release altitude occurred (normally not so far east). 3RD, I fell into the rut of making sure I followed the tow pattern precisely, without taking into account the lowered performance. 4TH, I fell into the trap of fixating on 1 task. Finally, I could have always given the tower at homestead AFB a call. How hard was that? But when you do repeated operations out of an uncontrolled field, eventually you feel like it's too much trouble, and just avoid their airspace.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GLIDER TOW PLT OPERATING OUT OF X51 ALMOST, BUT NOT QUITE, ENTERED CLASS D AIRSPACE AT HST WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: I HAD RECENTLY GOTTEN CHKED OUT TO FLY AS TOW PLT FOR A NEW GLIDER SCHOOL. THE GLIDER SCHOOL HAS A VERY STRICT TOW PATTERN TO FLY AFTER TKOF, AND I WAS DOING MY BEST TO FIT INTO THE NEW OP. WE HOOKED UP THE GLIDER, I LINED UP, AND PER PROC, ANNOUNCED OUR OP ON THE CTAF AND COMMENCED THE TKOF. I WAS DETERMINED TO FOLLOW THE SET TOW PATTERN, WHICH WAS A L TURN AFTER AIRBORNE, THEN AT 500 FT, A R TURN WBOUND, AND AT 1000 FT A TURN TO DUE E UNTIL RELEASE (NORMALLY AT 2500 FT). AS I SAID, THE DAY WAS VERY HOT, AND THE GLIDER HAD THE INSTRUCTOR AND A STUDENT, SO THE CLB WAS PROCEEDING SLOWLY. I HAD TOWED SOLO STUDENTS THE DAY BEFORE, SO I GUESS I WAS SUBCONSCIOUSLY EXPECTING TO REACH RELEASE ALT AT THE SAME PLACE. OF COURSE, THIS WASN'T THE CASE WITH 2 PEOPLE IN THE GLIDER. I FAILED TO NOTICE THAT WITH THE ANEMIC CLB, WE WERE PROCEEDING FURTHER E THAN NORMAL. JUST ABOUT 2000 FT, I REALIZED THE SIT WITH HOMESTEAD AFB, AND ITS CLASS D AIRSPACE (WHICH IS LARGER THAN NORMAL), WHICH LAID DUE E OF MY POS. I MADE A 45 DEG TURN TO THE S, AND MISSED THE CLASS D AIRSPACE AT HST. AFTER RELEASE, I RETURNED TO X51 NORMALLY, WITH A NEW LESSON LEARNED. 1ST, I HAD SUBCONSCIOUSLY THOUGHT THAT THERE REALLY WASN'T ANY AIRSPACE TO WORRY ABOUT FLYING OUT OF X51 AS LONG AS I DIDN'T GO N. ALTHOUGH I KNEW HST AND ITS CLASS D WAS THERE, I PAID IT NO MIND SINCE IT SEEMED SO FAR AWAY. 2ND, I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO THE PERFORMANCE OF THE TOW PLANE WITH 1 PERSON IN THE GLIDER, AND WHERE REACHING THE RELEASE ALT OCCURRED (NORMALLY NOT SO FAR E). 3RD, I FELL INTO THE RUT OF MAKING SURE I FOLLOWED THE TOW PATTERN PRECISELY, WITHOUT TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE LOWERED PERFORMANCE. 4TH, I FELL INTO THE TRAP OF FIXATING ON 1 TASK. FINALLY, I COULD HAVE ALWAYS GIVEN THE TWR AT HOMESTEAD AFB A CALL. HOW HARD WAS THAT? BUT WHEN YOU DO REPEATED OPS OUT OF AN UNCTLED FIELD, EVENTUALLY YOU FEEL LIKE IT'S TOO MUCH TROUBLE, AND JUST AVOID THEIR AIRSPACE.

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.