Narrative:

I was on the final segment of a flight from chico, ca (controller in charge) to auburn, ca (aun). I was cruising at 5500 ft MSL and participating in flight following with norcal approach. I was flying a course of 145 degrees true between smartville and auburn. At 5500 ft I was flying over clouds that were becoming taller and more frequent. This concerned me enough that I wanted to get under them before too long so that I could land at auburn. I had passed smartville a few mins earlier, however I thought I was further along on my route than I actually was. Wanting to radio FSS and close my flight plan before nearing auburn, I canceled flight following with approach and began my descent to 3500 ft. (I believe this was my first and worst mistake that led to the incursion.) beale's class C shelf runs from 2600 ft to 4100 ft in this area. After radioing FSS, I began to realize that I was not seeing what I expected on the ground below. I saw camp far west reservoir off my right wing, so I assumed I was south of beal's airspace. I continued to try and figure my location from landmarks, holding my heading while I assessed the situation. I was varying my altitude with the base of the clouds during this time. Then I remembered that this aircraft had a GPS that might help. The GPS was flashing that it had a message for me, which was that I was in beale's airspace. According to the GPS, I was at the outermost edge. However, this was when I noticed it. I am sure I was inside for longer than this. I continued to hold course, as this would be the quickest way out (within 30 seconds). I could not climb, due to clouds, and I was hesitant to descend due to my disorientation. Once out of class C, I returned my attention to navigation. It turned out that I was on proper course, thankfully. My disorientation appears to have been limited to distance traveled. Lessons: always have flight following when flying over/near controled airspace. I had not seen this as needed since my planned altitude was 5500 ft, well over beale's airspace. However, WX changed my plans and my altitude. I did not respond appropriately. I continued on with my pre-planned sequence of events after beginning my descent. If I would have just stayed with flight following, this would have been a non-event. Be aware of disorientation. I believe the combination of busy radio work and transitioning between/under the clouds contributed to my misjudging distance. I will be more aware of these factors in the future. Make use of all cockpit resources more quickly. I was purposely ignoring VOR and GPS for this flight so as to practice pilotage. This led me to be hesitant to 'give up' and use navigation equipment that would have alerted me to my exact position.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PLT ENTERED BAB CLASS C WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: I WAS ON THE FINAL SEGMENT OF A FLT FROM CHICO, CA (CIC) TO AUBURN, CA (AUN). I WAS CRUISING AT 5500 FT MSL AND PARTICIPATING IN FLT FOLLOWING WITH NORCAL APCH. I WAS FLYING A COURSE OF 145 DEGS TRUE BTWN SMARTVILLE AND AUBURN. AT 5500 FT I WAS FLYING OVER CLOUDS THAT WERE BECOMING TALLER AND MORE FREQUENT. THIS CONCERNED ME ENOUGH THAT I WANTED TO GET UNDER THEM BEFORE TOO LONG SO THAT I COULD LAND AT AUBURN. I HAD PASSED SMARTVILLE A FEW MINS EARLIER, HOWEVER I THOUGHT I WAS FURTHER ALONG ON MY RTE THAN I ACTUALLY WAS. WANTING TO RADIO FSS AND CLOSE MY FLT PLAN BEFORE NEARING AUBURN, I CANCELED FLT FOLLOWING WITH APCH AND BEGAN MY DSCNT TO 3500 FT. (I BELIEVE THIS WAS MY FIRST AND WORST MISTAKE THAT LED TO THE INCURSION.) BEALE'S CLASS C SHELF RUNS FROM 2600 FT TO 4100 FT IN THIS AREA. AFTER RADIOING FSS, I BEGAN TO REALIZE THAT I WAS NOT SEEING WHAT I EXPECTED ON THE GND BELOW. I SAW CAMP FAR WEST RESERVOIR OFF MY R WING, SO I ASSUMED I WAS S OF BEAL'S AIRSPACE. I CONTINUED TO TRY AND FIGURE MY LOCATION FROM LANDMARKS, HOLDING MY HDG WHILE I ASSESSED THE SIT. I WAS VARYING MY ALT WITH THE BASE OF THE CLOUDS DURING THIS TIME. THEN I REMEMBERED THAT THIS ACFT HAD A GPS THAT MIGHT HELP. THE GPS WAS FLASHING THAT IT HAD A MESSAGE FOR ME, WHICH WAS THAT I WAS IN BEALE'S AIRSPACE. ACCORDING TO THE GPS, I WAS AT THE OUTERMOST EDGE. HOWEVER, THIS WAS WHEN I NOTICED IT. I AM SURE I WAS INSIDE FOR LONGER THAN THIS. I CONTINUED TO HOLD COURSE, AS THIS WOULD BE THE QUICKEST WAY OUT (WITHIN 30 SECONDS). I COULD NOT CLB, DUE TO CLOUDS, AND I WAS HESITANT TO DSND DUE TO MY DISORIENTATION. ONCE OUT OF CLASS C, I RETURNED MY ATTN TO NAV. IT TURNED OUT THAT I WAS ON PROPER COURSE, THANKFULLY. MY DISORIENTATION APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN LIMITED TO DISTANCE TRAVELED. LESSONS: ALWAYS HAVE FLT FOLLOWING WHEN FLYING OVER/NEAR CTLED AIRSPACE. I HAD NOT SEEN THIS AS NEEDED SINCE MY PLANNED ALT WAS 5500 FT, WELL OVER BEALE'S AIRSPACE. HOWEVER, WX CHANGED MY PLANS AND MY ALT. I DID NOT RESPOND APPROPRIATELY. I CONTINUED ON WITH MY PRE-PLANNED SEQUENCE OF EVENTS AFTER BEGINNING MY DSCNT. IF I WOULD HAVE JUST STAYED WITH FLT FOLLOWING, THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A NON-EVENT. BE AWARE OF DISORIENTATION. I BELIEVE THE COMBINATION OF BUSY RADIO WORK AND TRANSITIONING BTWN/UNDER THE CLOUDS CONTRIBUTED TO MY MISJUDGING DISTANCE. I WILL BE MORE AWARE OF THESE FACTORS IN THE FUTURE. MAKE USE OF ALL COCKPIT RESOURCES MORE QUICKLY. I WAS PURPOSELY IGNORING VOR AND GPS FOR THIS FLT SO AS TO PRACTICE PILOTAGE. THIS LED ME TO BE HESITANT TO 'GIVE UP' AND USE NAV EQUIP THAT WOULD HAVE ALERTED ME TO MY EXACT POS.

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.