Unauthorized class B airspace penetration after altitude overshot following a heading track deviation by an LR35 flight crew during a VFR departure from smo, ca.

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Attributes
ACN	598156
Time
Date	200310
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : smo.vor
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 5500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon tower : smo.tower
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Learjet 35
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure : vfr
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	598156
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter other non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence other other anomaly other anomaly other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action flight crew : exited penetrated airspace flight crew : exited adverse environment
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Facility Airspace Structure Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Just before departure, socal approach was evacuate/evacuationed and shut down because of local wild fires. No IFR departures were available for santa monica airport. After studying the published tfr's (for fires) and the appropriate charts, we found an appropriate route and decided to depart VFR. We decided to follow santa monica's noise abatement procedure which leads you very close to lax class B airspace. Although we turned prior to entering class B airspace, we may not have started the turn early enough. We may have entered class B airspace. Soon afterward, we leveled at 4500 ft MSL underneath class B airspace. We found ourselves boxed in by a plume of smoke from a fire, although there was not a published tfr associated with the smoke, we could not maintain VFR if we flew through it. We climbed and may have entered class B airspace again. Soon afterward, we picked up our IFR clearance and proceeded uneventfully to our destination. Although we did not cause any traffic conflicts (our tcad was clear the whole time), it was not a good idea to depart VFR in a jet aircraft. Controled airspace boundaries are sometimes difficult to identify in-flight, and things happen quickly at 200 KTS. Also, the local FSS may have fallen behind in issuing tfr's. We may have flown through some areas that were not tfr'ed, but should have been.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH CLASS B AIRSPACE PENETRATION AFTER ALT OVERSHOT FOLLOWING A HDG TRACK DEV BY AN LR35 FLT CREW DURING A VFR DEP FROM SMO, CA.

Narrative: JUST BEFORE DEP, SOCAL APCH WAS EVACED AND SHUT DOWN BECAUSE OF LCL WILD FIRES. NO IFR DEPS WERE AVAILABLE FOR SANTA MONICA ARPT. AFTER STUDYING THE PUBLISHED TFR'S (FOR FIRES) AND THE APPROPRIATE CHARTS, WE FOUND AN APPROPRIATE RTE AND DECIDED TO DEPART VFR. WE DECIDED TO FOLLOW SANTA MONICA'S NOISE ABATEMENT PROC WHICH LEADS YOU VERY CLOSE TO LAX CLASS B AIRSPACE. ALTHOUGH WE TURNED PRIOR TO ENTERING CLASS B AIRSPACE, WE MAY NOT HAVE STARTED THE TURN EARLY ENOUGH. WE MAY HAVE ENTERED CLASS B AIRSPACE. SOON AFTERWARD, WE LEVELED AT 4500 FT MSL UNDERNEATH CLASS B AIRSPACE. WE FOUND OURSELVES BOXED IN BY A PLUME OF SMOKE FROM A FIRE, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NOT A PUBLISHED TFR ASSOCIATED WITH THE SMOKE, WE COULD NOT MAINTAIN VFR IF WE FLEW THROUGH IT. WE CLBED AND MAY HAVE ENTERED CLASS B AIRSPACE AGAIN. SOON AFTERWARD, WE PICKED UP OUR IFR CLRNC AND PROCEEDED UNEVENTFULLY TO OUR DEST. ALTHOUGH WE DID NOT CAUSE ANY TFC CONFLICTS (OUR TCAD WAS CLR THE WHOLE TIME), IT WAS NOT A GOOD IDEA TO DEPART VFR IN A JET ACFT. CTLED AIRSPACE BOUNDARIES ARE SOMETIMES DIFFICULT TO IDENT INFLT, AND THINGS HAPPEN QUICKLY AT 200 KTS. ALSO, THE LCL FSS MAY HAVE FALLEN BEHIND IN ISSUING TFR'S. WE MAY HAVE FLOWN THROUGH SOME AREAS THAT WERE NOT TFR'ED, BUT SHOULD HAVE BEEN.

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.