Narrative:

I filed the 2 legs of the flight plan at XA30 with ZZZ FSS. XC15 -- I was then informed that we would be taking a different aircraft, a citation C-550 bravo. I then called ZZZ FSS at approximately XG30 to change the n-number and aircraft type and other pertinent information. The first leg was normal, and there were no problems. We dropped off 3 passenger, then took on fuel for the flight back to ZZZ. I tried to reach clearance on the ground to receive our IFR clearance. We were unable to get clearance on the ground either on communication 1 or on communication 2. We also tried contacting charlotte approach on communication 1 and communication 2, but we had no success. We then decided to depart VFR, and pick up the clearance from approach control in the air. We leveled off at 2000 ft MSL, because we knew we were below the class B airspace. I called charlotte approach and asked them for the IFR clearance to ZZZ. The controller said that there was not an IFR flight plan on file. I asked the controller if we could get a VFR climb to 8500 ft MSL, but the response was negative, and that we should remain clear of the class B airspace. The controller also gave us a squawk code. I asked the controller if they could put an IFR flight plan in for us. The controller said that they could not do that for us. I then told the controller that we were going to change frequencys in order to file a flight plan with a FSS. I also asked the controller again if we could climb to a higher VFR altitude, but again, the controller denied the request and told us to remain clear of the class B airspace. We were still level at 2000 ft MSL, and we were on a heading that would take us away from the overlying class B airspace. I called FSS and filed an IFR flight plan. While I was filing the IFR flight plan, the first officer told me that he was going to start a slow climb, because he felt that we were beyond the limits of the class B airspace. There were also other airports in the area, and he did not want to fly through their airport traffic patterns. We were not in an aircraft equipped with a TCASII. By the time that I had gotten back to approach control, we had climbed to 5500 ft MSL. I asked them for the IFR clearance. They informed us that we had entered the class B airspace without a clearance to do so. They then gave us the IFR clearance to ZZZ. We landed and then called the approach controller and talked over what had happened. The controller told us what had happened, and they had pulled the tapes and reviewed what had happened. We told the controller what had happened from our point of view. We had definitely entered the class B airspace prior to receiving the clearance to do so. Many thing led us to this incident. First was the change in the aircraft n-number. This may have been what led to the fact that the flight plan got dropped out of the system. If the flight plan would not have been dropped, we could have gotten the clearance from the controller when we asked for it. Second, was the inability to receive the clearance prior to departure. Neither frequency listed on the chart worked. We had another aircraft at monroe earlier in the day, and they could not reach clearance delivery on the ground either. If we could have talked to clearance on the ground, then we would have known that there was not a flight plan in the system, and we could have filed a new flight plan. Our biggest mistake was that we did not get out the class B airspace chart to see exactly where the limits of the airspace were. In the future, I will not take off without a clearance at a VFR airport that has busy airspace around it. I will also have all available charts out and ready to use. I will also brief the other pilot of what altitudes and courses to take if we are unable to get the proper clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C550 FLT CREW INADVERTENTLY ENTERS CLASS B AIRSPACE AT CLT.

Narrative: I FILED THE 2 LEGS OF THE FLT PLAN AT XA30 WITH ZZZ FSS. XC15 -- I WAS THEN INFORMED THAT WE WOULD BE TAKING A DIFFERENT ACFT, A CITATION C-550 BRAVO. I THEN CALLED ZZZ FSS AT APPROX XG30 TO CHANGE THE N-NUMBER AND ACFT TYPE AND OTHER PERTINENT INFO. THE FIRST LEG WAS NORMAL, AND THERE WERE NO PROBS. WE DROPPED OFF 3 PAX, THEN TOOK ON FUEL FOR THE FLT BACK TO ZZZ. I TRIED TO REACH CLRNC ON THE GND TO RECEIVE OUR IFR CLRNC. WE WERE UNABLE TO GET CLRNC ON THE GND EITHER ON COM 1 OR ON COM 2. WE ALSO TRIED CONTACTING CHARLOTTE APCH ON COM 1 AND COM 2, BUT WE HAD NO SUCCESS. WE THEN DECIDED TO DEPART VFR, AND PICK UP THE CLRNC FROM APCH CTL IN THE AIR. WE LEVELED OFF AT 2000 FT MSL, BECAUSE WE KNEW WE WERE BELOW THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. I CALLED CHARLOTTE APCH AND ASKED THEM FOR THE IFR CLRNC TO ZZZ. THE CTLR SAID THAT THERE WAS NOT AN IFR FLT PLAN ON FILE. I ASKED THE CTLR IF WE COULD GET A VFR CLB TO 8500 FT MSL, BUT THE RESPONSE WAS NEGATIVE, AND THAT WE SHOULD REMAIN CLR OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. THE CTLR ALSO GAVE US A SQUAWK CODE. I ASKED THE CTLR IF THEY COULD PUT AN IFR FLT PLAN IN FOR US. THE CTLR SAID THAT THEY COULD NOT DO THAT FOR US. I THEN TOLD THE CTLR THAT WE WERE GOING TO CHANGE FREQS IN ORDER TO FILE A FLT PLAN WITH A FSS. I ALSO ASKED THE CTLR AGAIN IF WE COULD CLB TO A HIGHER VFR ALT, BUT AGAIN, THE CTLR DENIED THE REQUEST AND TOLD US TO REMAIN CLR OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. WE WERE STILL LEVEL AT 2000 FT MSL, AND WE WERE ON A HDG THAT WOULD TAKE US AWAY FROM THE OVERLYING CLASS B AIRSPACE. I CALLED FSS AND FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN. WHILE I WAS FILING THE IFR FLT PLAN, THE FO TOLD ME THAT HE WAS GOING TO START A SLOW CLB, BECAUSE HE FELT THAT WE WERE BEYOND THE LIMITS OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. THERE WERE ALSO OTHER ARPTS IN THE AREA, AND HE DID NOT WANT TO FLY THROUGH THEIR ARPT TFC PATTERNS. WE WERE NOT IN AN ACFT EQUIPPED WITH A TCASII. BY THE TIME THAT I HAD GOTTEN BACK TO APCH CTL, WE HAD CLBED TO 5500 FT MSL. I ASKED THEM FOR THE IFR CLRNC. THEY INFORMED US THAT WE HAD ENTERED THE CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT A CLRNC TO DO SO. THEY THEN GAVE US THE IFR CLRNC TO ZZZ. WE LANDED AND THEN CALLED THE APCH CTLR AND TALKED OVER WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THE CTLR TOLD US WHAT HAD HAPPENED, AND THEY HAD PULLED THE TAPES AND REVIEWED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. WE TOLD THE CTLR WHAT HAD HAPPENED FROM OUR POINT OF VIEW. WE HAD DEFINITELY ENTERED THE CLASS B AIRSPACE PRIOR TO RECEIVING THE CLRNC TO DO SO. MANY THING LED US TO THIS INCIDENT. FIRST WAS THE CHANGE IN THE ACFT N-NUMBER. THIS MAY HAVE BEEN WHAT LED TO THE FACT THAT THE FLT PLAN GOT DROPPED OUT OF THE SYS. IF THE FLT PLAN WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DROPPED, WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN THE CLRNC FROM THE CTLR WHEN WE ASKED FOR IT. SECOND, WAS THE INABILITY TO RECEIVE THE CLRNC PRIOR TO DEP. NEITHER FREQ LISTED ON THE CHART WORKED. WE HAD ANOTHER ACFT AT MONROE EARLIER IN THE DAY, AND THEY COULD NOT REACH CLRNC DELIVERY ON THE GND EITHER. IF WE COULD HAVE TALKED TO CLRNC ON THE GND, THEN WE WOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT THERE WAS NOT A FLT PLAN IN THE SYS, AND WE COULD HAVE FILED A NEW FLT PLAN. OUR BIGGEST MISTAKE WAS THAT WE DID NOT GET OUT THE CLASS B AIRSPACE CHART TO SEE EXACTLY WHERE THE LIMITS OF THE AIRSPACE WERE. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL NOT TAKE OFF WITHOUT A CLRNC AT A VFR ARPT THAT HAS BUSY AIRSPACE AROUND IT. I WILL ALSO HAVE ALL AVAILABLE CHARTS OUT AND READY TO USE. I WILL ALSO BRIEF THE OTHER PLT OF WHAT ALTS AND COURSES TO TAKE IF WE ARE UNABLE TO GET THE PROPER CLRNC.

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.