Narrative:

Departed east from myf and proceeded on V66 on a border crossing flight plan. I intended to stay below class B until clear and then proceeded at 5500 ft. Reason for not requesting clearance was I intended to maintain a low cruising altitude to allow a reasonably high power setting on a newly overhauled engine. This altitude is not typical for this location as there is relatively high terrain to the east. While fiddling with the GPS navigation; I told my passenger; a licensed private pilot with many hours in this mooney; to monitor altitude and maintain 5500 ft. Unfortunately floor of class B at that location is 4800 ft and I neglected to point out to the copilot that we were not yet out from under the class B airspace floor. To compound the problem; the copilot 'heard' 7500 ft; the altitude we would normally use on that route. I maintained some degree of situational awareness to keep in the vicinity of the airway but didn't notice the altitude deviation until we were passing through 6500 ft and I saw a commercial jet passing overhead at a much closer altitude than typical (I'd guess the separation at about 1500 ft). We returned to 5500 ft which by then was clear of the class B. As typical of a number of violations or accidents; there were a series of really dumb decisions. The first stupid mistake was to not file for the class B clearance. Even though our en route altitude would eventually be too low for good communications; it should have been sufficient to get us clear of the 4800 ft class B floor. My altitude deviation would have also become apparent to the controller and much sooner. Since I usually file for clearance and didn't this time; this decision could also fall into the 'out of sequence trap' category. The second dumb mistake was tunnel vision on programming the GPS. This was not urgent on a VFR day for a route I could fly half asleep. (Maybe I was half asleep.) and finally; abrogating my PIC duties to my copilot without a readback of the desired altitude was the final mistake. And all that after 4 hours of tapes for an IFR update. Measures to prevent a recurrence: first; use the system. That's what it's there for. That would have precluded the events that followed. Second; fly the airplane first then navigate and communicate. I should have programmed the GPS before departure that probably would have prevented the violation. I hate it when I do something really dumb.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISTRACTED BY PROGRAMMING HIS GPS ON A CLR; VMC FLT; M20J PLT VIOLATES SAN CLASS B WHEN INTERIM PAX/PLT FAILS TO REMAIN CLEAR. ENCOUNTER WITH ANOTHER ACFT ENSUES.

Narrative: DEPARTED E FROM MYF AND PROCEEDED ON V66 ON A BORDER CROSSING FLT PLAN. I INTENDED TO STAY BELOW CLASS B UNTIL CLR AND THEN PROCEEDED AT 5500 FT. REASON FOR NOT REQUESTING CLRNC WAS I INTENDED TO MAINTAIN A LOW CRUISING ALT TO ALLOW A REASONABLY HIGH POWER SETTING ON A NEWLY OVERHAULED ENG. THIS ALT IS NOT TYPICAL FOR THIS LOCATION AS THERE IS RELATIVELY HIGH TERRAIN TO THE E. WHILE FIDDLING WITH THE GPS NAV; I TOLD MY PAX; A LICENSED PRIVATE PLT WITH MANY HOURS IN THIS MOONEY; TO MONITOR ALT AND MAINTAIN 5500 FT. UNFORTUNATELY FLOOR OF CLASS B AT THAT LOCATION IS 4800 FT AND I NEGLECTED TO POINT OUT TO THE COPLT THAT WE WERE NOT YET OUT FROM UNDER THE CLASS B AIRSPACE FLOOR. TO COMPOUND THE PROB; THE COPLT 'HEARD' 7500 FT; THE ALT WE WOULD NORMALLY USE ON THAT RTE. I MAINTAINED SOME DEGREE OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS TO KEEP IN THE VICINITY OF THE AIRWAY BUT DIDN'T NOTICE THE ALT DEV UNTIL WE WERE PASSING THROUGH 6500 FT AND I SAW A COMMERCIAL JET PASSING OVERHEAD AT A MUCH CLOSER ALT THAN TYPICAL (I'D GUESS THE SEPARATION AT ABOUT 1500 FT). WE RETURNED TO 5500 FT WHICH BY THEN WAS CLEAR OF THE CLASS B. AS TYPICAL OF A NUMBER OF VIOLATIONS OR ACCIDENTS; THERE WERE A SERIES OF REALLY DUMB DECISIONS. THE FIRST STUPID MISTAKE WAS TO NOT FILE FOR THE CLASS B CLRNC. EVEN THOUGH OUR ENRTE ALT WOULD EVENTUALLY BE TOO LOW FOR GOOD COMS; IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENT TO GET US CLR OF THE 4800 FT CLASS B FLOOR. MY ALT DEV WOULD HAVE ALSO BECOME APPARENT TO THE CTLR AND MUCH SOONER. SINCE I USUALLY FILE FOR CLRNC AND DIDN'T THIS TIME; THIS DECISION COULD ALSO FALL INTO THE 'OUT OF SEQUENCE TRAP' CATEGORY. THE SECOND DUMB MISTAKE WAS TUNNEL VISION ON PROGRAMMING THE GPS. THIS WAS NOT URGENT ON A VFR DAY FOR A RTE I COULD FLY HALF ASLEEP. (MAYBE I WAS HALF ASLEEP.) AND FINALLY; ABROGATING MY PIC DUTIES TO MY COPLT WITHOUT A READBACK OF THE DESIRED ALT WAS THE FINAL MISTAKE. AND ALL THAT AFTER 4 HOURS OF TAPES FOR AN IFR UPDATE. MEASURES TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE: FIRST; USE THE SYSTEM. THAT'S WHAT IT'S THERE FOR. THAT WOULD HAVE PRECLUDED THE EVENTS THAT FOLLOWED. SECOND; FLY THE AIRPLANE FIRST THEN NAVIGATE AND COMMUNICATE. I SHOULD HAVE PROGRAMMED THE GPS BEFORE DEP THAT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE VIOLATION. I HATE IT WHEN I DO SOMETHING REALLY DUMB.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.