Narrative:

VFR flight plan. Opened flight plan and contacted bos for VFR advisories. Initial cruising altitude 2600 ft MSL. After passing owd; turned on course for ack. I was using kln-89B for first time as PIC (without instructor). I had an introductory flight with an instructor one week prior and I felt I know how to use the direct function; which was the only GPS function I was going to rely upon. It was a replacement for the RNAV system I had been using on older arrows. My plan was to enter direct to owd and; upon passing owd; enter direct to ack. Shortly after departure; I began receiving airspace messages. I was having trouble figuring out how the message function worked; and how to make the messages go away without losing my direct to setting. I received repeated airspace messages while flying at 2600 ft; even though I was still below and clear of bos class B airspace. I became confused about which keys; M; ent; clear to use to make the messages go away. If I hit clear; it seemed to enter bos into the direct to function. If I hit M; it didn't seem to do anything; I still got the messages. I believe I became distracted by this and also started discounting the airspace messages. Because I was using the GPS; I was not following my track closely on my sectional chart. After passing ssw of the closed weymouth naval airstation; my position was close to the bottom edge of the sectional and I flipped it over to look at my anticipated course. At that point; I lost situational awareness and mistakenly believed I was out from under the bos class B airspace and initiated a climb to 3500 ft MSL. At around 3300 ft MSL; the controller asked me what I was doing; told me to ask for clearance before climbing into the class B airspace and then cleared me into the class B airspace at or below 3500 ft MSL.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE ATTEMPTING TO UNDERSTAND THE MSG FUNCTION OF HIS ADVANCED NAV SYSTEM; A PA28 PLT LOST SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND CLBED INTO BOS CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: VFR FLT PLAN. OPENED FLT PLAN AND CONTACTED BOS FOR VFR ADVISORIES. INITIAL CRUISING ALT 2600 FT MSL. AFTER PASSING OWD; TURNED ON COURSE FOR ACK. I WAS USING KLN-89B FOR FIRST TIME AS PIC (WITHOUT INSTRUCTOR). I HAD AN INTRODUCTORY FLT WITH AN INSTRUCTOR ONE WEEK PRIOR AND I FELT I KNOW HOW TO USE THE DIRECT FUNCTION; WHICH WAS THE ONLY GPS FUNCTION I WAS GOING TO RELY UPON. IT WAS A REPLACEMENT FOR THE RNAV SYSTEM I HAD BEEN USING ON OLDER ARROWS. MY PLAN WAS TO ENTER DIRECT TO OWD AND; UPON PASSING OWD; ENTER DIRECT TO ACK. SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTURE; I BEGAN RECEIVING AIRSPACE MESSAGES. I WAS HAVING TROUBLE FIGURING OUT HOW THE MESSAGE FUNCTION WORKED; AND HOW TO MAKE THE MESSAGES GO AWAY WITHOUT LOSING MY DIRECT TO SETTING. I RECEIVED REPEATED AIRSPACE MESSAGES WHILE FLYING AT 2600 FT; EVEN THOUGH I WAS STILL BELOW AND CLR OF BOS CLASS B AIRSPACE. I BECAME CONFUSED ABOUT WHICH KEYS; M; ENT; CLR TO USE TO MAKE THE MESSAGES GO AWAY. IF I HIT CLR; IT SEEMED TO ENTER BOS INTO THE DIRECT TO FUNCTION. IF I HIT M; IT DIDN'T SEEM TO DO ANYTHING; I STILL GOT THE MESSAGES. I BELIEVE I BECAME DISTRACTED BY THIS AND ALSO STARTED DISCOUNTING THE AIRSPACE MESSAGES. BECAUSE I WAS USING THE GPS; I WAS NOT FOLLOWING MY TRACK CLOSELY ON MY SECTIONAL CHART. AFTER PASSING SSW OF THE CLOSED WEYMOUTH NAVAL AIRSTATION; MY POSITION WAS CLOSE TO THE BOTTOM EDGE OF THE SECTIONAL AND I FLIPPED IT OVER TO LOOK AT MY ANTICIPATED COURSE. AT THAT POINT; I LOST SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND MISTAKENLY BELIEVED I WAS OUT FROM UNDER THE BOS CLASS B AIRSPACE AND INITIATED A CLB TO 3500 FT MSL. AT AROUND 3300 FT MSL; THE CTLR ASKED ME WHAT I WAS DOING; TOLD ME TO ASK FOR CLRNC BEFORE CLBING INTO THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AND THEN CLRED ME INTO THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AT OR BELOW 3500 FT MSL.

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.