Narrative:

I had just picked up my new CR182 from ZZZ airport. I had about .1 hours of flying time in this aircraft. Upon departing ZZZ; which is under the shelf of ZZZ1 airspace; I was attempting to program the new garmin 480 that I have never; ever used before. During this time; my flight instructor and I were focused on the 480; when both of us noticed that I was on the line of ZZZ1's inner circle; which is surface to 4800 ft. I was at 2000 ft MSL; and the base of the shelf was 2100 ft. My lateral movement is what caused the possible violation. I am not certain that I even entered the airspace; but I was on the line. My flight instructor was with me due to insurance requirements; and he too failed to notice the situation in a timely fashion. I have since completed several hours of operation in the plane and studied the 480 manual at great lengths. I have been flying for 3 yrs and nothing like this has ever happened previously. My insecurities in a new cockpit environment led to this problem. I had made preparations so this exact thing would not happen. I had the previous owner program the GPS for me prior to him leaving. However; upon starting the plane the flight plan had been deleted. I then had to focus my attention on the GPS trying to program it when the incident occurred. Supplemental information from acn 706893: pilot a had bought a C182RG. I went with pilot a to pick it up. Pilot a had already been signed off to be PIC of the complex airplane. The airplane had a GNS 480 GPS on board which pilot B knew nothing about and pilot a knew only how to program it from point a to point B. Pilot B was letting pilot a do the navigating and flying. Pilot a needed 10 hours dual for insurance purposes. After departing; pilot a turned sharply toward the magenta line on the GPS. I cautioned pilot a to go another direction; northeast; due to high buildings; however; I didn't realize he was so close to the inner circle of class C airspace. Pilot a ignored my directions and continued on toward the magenta line. The GNS 430 didn't outline the circles in a clear manner so I didn't realize he was going toward the edge of the inner circle. I think he got in the inner circle by 1/2 NM (GPS estimation) before I realized what happened. He then turned away from the inner circle and we proceeded on home. I should have doublechked pilot a with a sectional chart. Pilot a had a sectional chart but I hadn't looked at it. Both of us were putting too much dependence on a GPS we didn't know how to use. I should have exercised my authority/authorized so that pilot a would have gone northeast instead of southeast until well clear of class C. I also should have insisted on radar services on departure.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISTR AND LACKING SITUATIONAL AWARENESS WHILE PROGRAMMING AN ADVANCED NAV SYS; C182 PLT AND INSTRUCTOR VIOLATED CLASS C AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I HAD JUST PICKED UP MY NEW CR182 FROM ZZZ ARPT. I HAD ABOUT .1 HRS OF FLYING TIME IN THIS ACFT. UPON DEPARTING ZZZ; WHICH IS UNDER THE SHELF OF ZZZ1 AIRSPACE; I WAS ATTEMPTING TO PROGRAM THE NEW GARMIN 480 THAT I HAVE NEVER; EVER USED BEFORE. DURING THIS TIME; MY FLT INSTRUCTOR AND I WERE FOCUSED ON THE 480; WHEN BOTH OF US NOTICED THAT I WAS ON THE LINE OF ZZZ1'S INNER CIRCLE; WHICH IS SURFACE TO 4800 FT. I WAS AT 2000 FT MSL; AND THE BASE OF THE SHELF WAS 2100 FT. MY LATERAL MOVEMENT IS WHAT CAUSED THE POSSIBLE VIOLATION. I AM NOT CERTAIN THAT I EVEN ENTERED THE AIRSPACE; BUT I WAS ON THE LINE. MY FLT INSTRUCTOR WAS WITH ME DUE TO INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS; AND HE TOO FAILED TO NOTICE THE SITUATION IN A TIMELY FASHION. I HAVE SINCE COMPLETED SEVERAL HRS OF OP IN THE PLANE AND STUDIED THE 480 MANUAL AT GREAT LENGTHS. I HAVE BEEN FLYING FOR 3 YRS AND NOTHING LIKE THIS HAS EVER HAPPENED PREVIOUSLY. MY INSECURITIES IN A NEW COCKPIT ENVIRONMENT LED TO THIS PROB. I HAD MADE PREPARATIONS SO THIS EXACT THING WOULD NOT HAPPEN. I HAD THE PREVIOUS OWNER PROGRAM THE GPS FOR ME PRIOR TO HIM LEAVING. HOWEVER; UPON STARTING THE PLANE THE FLT PLAN HAD BEEN DELETED. I THEN HAD TO FOCUS MY ATTN ON THE GPS TRYING TO PROGRAM IT WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 706893: PLT A HAD BOUGHT A C182RG. I WENT WITH PLT A TO PICK IT UP. PLT A HAD ALREADY BEEN SIGNED OFF TO BE PIC OF THE COMPLEX AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE HAD A GNS 480 GPS ON BOARD WHICH PLT B KNEW NOTHING ABOUT AND PLT A KNEW ONLY HOW TO PROGRAM IT FROM POINT A TO POINT B. PLT B WAS LETTING PLT A DO THE NAVING AND FLYING. PLT A NEEDED 10 HRS DUAL FOR INSURANCE PURPOSES. AFTER DEPARTING; PLT A TURNED SHARPLY TOWARD THE MAGENTA LINE ON THE GPS. I CAUTIONED PLT A TO GO ANOTHER DIRECTION; NE; DUE TO HIGH BUILDINGS; HOWEVER; I DIDN'T REALIZE HE WAS SO CLOSE TO THE INNER CIRCLE OF CLASS C AIRSPACE. PLT A IGNORED MY DIRECTIONS AND CONTINUED ON TOWARD THE MAGENTA LINE. THE GNS 430 DIDN'T OUTLINE THE CIRCLES IN A CLR MANNER SO I DIDN'T REALIZE HE WAS GOING TOWARD THE EDGE OF THE INNER CIRCLE. I THINK HE GOT IN THE INNER CIRCLE BY 1/2 NM (GPS ESTIMATION) BEFORE I REALIZED WHAT HAPPENED. HE THEN TURNED AWAY FROM THE INNER CIRCLE AND WE PROCEEDED ON HOME. I SHOULD HAVE DOUBLECHKED PLT A WITH A SECTIONAL CHART. PLT A HAD A SECTIONAL CHART BUT I HADN'T LOOKED AT IT. BOTH OF US WERE PUTTING TOO MUCH DEPENDENCE ON A GPS WE DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO USE. I SHOULD HAVE EXERCISED MY AUTH SO THAT PLT A WOULD HAVE GONE NE INSTEAD OF SE UNTIL WELL CLR OF CLASS C. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE INSISTED ON RADAR SVCS ON DEP.

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.