Narrative:

Took off from burke lakefront airport in C172 for vectors to ILS runway 24R return to lakefront airport. I was the safety pilot in the right seat. The burke lakefront class D is immediately underneath a section of the cleveland class B that begins at 3000 ft floor. We normally restrict our climb for a few mins when departing from burke lakefront on northeast heading to avoid inadvertently entering the class B. About 4 mi northeast of burke, the class B floor rises to 4000 ft MSL. On this occasion, I decided to climb to 3000 ft MSL a bit earlier than usual, since we expected to be cleared to that altitude later by the cleveland departure controller for a practice approach back to burke lakefront. We were not on an IFR flight plan, but planning only to call in for a VFR practice approach. We were still set to 1200 on the transponder, and were still in contact with burke tower when the class B incursion supposedly occurred. Unfortunately, the left seat pilot was a bit rusty due to lack of flying activity and over-climbed the intended cruise altitude of 3000 ft MSL. We then contacted cleveland departure (left seat pilot on radio) to request the vector for the ILS runway 24R back to burke. At this time, the controller advised us that we had entered the class B airspace before we had contacted him. We acknowledged the call and proceeded with the vectors for the ILS back to burke. The remainder of the flight was normal. This class B incursion was an outbound incursion in which we over-climbed our intended airspace and apparently skirted the edge of the class B at the 3000 ft MSL floor just prior to exiting the 3000 ft ring. A good procedure to avoid this problem would be to use a 2000 ft cruise altitude after northeast departure from burke, and then delay the climb to higher cruise altitude until visual navigation indicates the climb is safe, or depart IFR. Note: the purpose of the flight was to collect information on pilot performance as part of a psychological study. The r-seat pilot was acting as safety pilot while gathering data for the study. These 2 functions are somewhat in conflict with each other, since data gathering requires restricting input to the pilot-subject in the left seat, whereas the function of safety pilot may require that information be provided to the pilot under the hood. Obviously, the function of safety pilot must take priority over research interests when in-flight data gathering is involved.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 PLT CREW OF C172 ON PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION TEST FLT INADVERTENTLY CLB THROUGH FLOOR OF CLE CLASS B AIRSPACE WHILE PREPARING FOR PRACTICE ILS APCH TO BKL.

Narrative: TOOK OFF FROM BURKE LAKEFRONT ARPT IN C172 FOR VECTORS TO ILS RWY 24R RETURN TO LAKEFRONT ARPT. I WAS THE SAFETY PLT IN THE R SEAT. THE BURKE LAKEFRONT CLASS D IS IMMEDIATELY UNDERNEATH A SECTION OF THE CLEVELAND CLASS B THAT BEGINS AT 3000 FT FLOOR. WE NORMALLY RESTRICT OUR CLB FOR A FEW MINS WHEN DEPARTING FROM BURKE LAKEFRONT ON NE HEADING TO AVOID INADVERTENTLY ENTERING THE CLASS B. ABOUT 4 MI NE OF BURKE, THE CLASS B FLOOR RISES TO 4000 FT MSL. ON THIS OCCASION, I DECIDED TO CLB TO 3000 FT MSL A BIT EARLIER THAN USUAL, SINCE WE EXPECTED TO BE CLRED TO THAT ALT LATER BY THE CLEVELAND DEP CTLR FOR A PRACTICE APCH BACK TO BURKE LAKEFRONT. WE WERE NOT ON AN IFR FLT PLAN, BUT PLANNING ONLY TO CALL IN FOR A VFR PRACTICE APCH. WE WERE STILL SET TO 1200 ON THE XPONDER, AND WERE STILL IN CONTACT WITH BURKE TWR WHEN THE CLASS B INCURSION SUPPOSEDLY OCCURRED. UNFORTUNATELY, THE L SEAT PLT WAS A BIT RUSTY DUE TO LACK OF FLYING ACTIVITY AND OVER-CLBED THE INTENDED CRUISE ALT OF 3000 FT MSL. WE THEN CONTACTED CLEVELAND DEP (L SEAT PLT ON RADIO) TO REQUEST THE VECTOR FOR THE ILS RWY 24R BACK TO BURKE. AT THIS TIME, THE CTLR ADVISED US THAT WE HAD ENTERED THE CLASS B AIRSPACE BEFORE WE HAD CONTACTED HIM. WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE CALL AND PROCEEDED WITH THE VECTORS FOR THE ILS BACK TO BURKE. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS NORMAL. THIS CLASS B INCURSION WAS AN OUTBOUND INCURSION IN WHICH WE OVER-CLBED OUR INTENDED AIRSPACE AND APPARENTLY SKIRTED THE EDGE OF THE CLASS B AT THE 3000 FT MSL FLOOR JUST PRIOR TO EXITING THE 3000 FT RING. A GOOD PROC TO AVOID THIS PROB WOULD BE TO USE A 2000 FT CRUISE ALT AFTER NE DEP FROM BURKE, AND THEN DELAY THE CLB TO HIGHER CRUISE ALT UNTIL VISUAL NAV INDICATES THE CLB IS SAFE, OR DEPART IFR. NOTE: THE PURPOSE OF THE FLT WAS TO COLLECT INFO ON PLT PERFORMANCE AS PART OF A PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDY. THE R-SEAT PLT WAS ACTING AS SAFETY PLT WHILE GATHERING DATA FOR THE STUDY. THESE 2 FUNCTIONS ARE SOMEWHAT IN CONFLICT WITH EACH OTHER, SINCE DATA GATHERING REQUIRES RESTRICTING INPUT TO THE PLT-SUBJECT IN THE L SEAT, WHEREAS THE FUNCTION OF SAFETY PLT MAY REQUIRE THAT INFO BE PROVIDED TO THE PLT UNDER THE HOOD. OBVIOUSLY, THE FUNCTION OF SAFETY PLT MUST TAKE PRIORITY OVER RESEARCH INTERESTS WHEN INFLT DATA GATHERING IS INVOLVED.

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.