Pilot of experimental aircraft inadvertently entered class C airspace; preoccupied with the GPS.

Attributes
ACN	782403
Time
Date	200804
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dab.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl single value : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Experimental
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 21 flight time total : 23000 flight time type : 260
ASRS Report	782403
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited penetrated airspace
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I took off from runway 23 at spruce creek (7fl6) airport; port orange; fl; and inadvertently climbed to 2000 ft MSL. Upon realizing that I was still in the higher outer circle of daytona beach airport; class C airspace; I immediately reduced power and descended to below the outer circle airspace limit of 1200 ft MSL. My attention had been diverted while I was doing my after takeoff checklist which is an electronic checklist installed on one of the pages of my GPS with moving map. To access this checklist required changing my map page to navigation menu 1 page; then moving a cursor for checklist and scrolling down to the after takeoff list of items; and then executing the steps -- part of which is to check engine parameters on the engine monitoring system. I then returned to the map page and discovered I had not yet cleared the upper limit circle of the class C airspace (1200-4000 ft MSL). I estimated my position to be about 1 mi inside the circle for about 45 seconds; headed 230 degrees. Because I was 800 ft higher than allowed; I felt the best corrective measure was to descend immediately. A contributing factor was a lack of visual references in this large area of wetlands.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF EXPERIMENTAL ACFT INADVERTENTLY ENTERED CLASS C AIRSPACE; PREOCCUPIED WITH THE GPS.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF FROM RWY 23 AT SPRUCE CREEK (7FL6) ARPT; PORT ORANGE; FL; AND INADVERTENTLY CLBED TO 2000 FT MSL. UPON REALIZING THAT I WAS STILL IN THE HIGHER OUTER CIRCLE OF DAYTONA BEACH ARPT; CLASS C AIRSPACE; I IMMEDIATELY REDUCED PWR AND DSNDED TO BELOW THE OUTER CIRCLE AIRSPACE LIMIT OF 1200 FT MSL. MY ATTN HAD BEEN DIVERTED WHILE I WAS DOING MY AFTER TKOF CHKLIST WHICH IS AN ELECTRONIC CHKLIST INSTALLED ON ONE OF THE PAGES OF MY GPS WITH MOVING MAP. TO ACCESS THIS CHKLIST REQUIRED CHANGING MY MAP PAGE TO NAV MENU 1 PAGE; THEN MOVING A CURSOR FOR CHKLIST AND SCROLLING DOWN TO THE AFTER TKOF LIST OF ITEMS; AND THEN EXECUTING THE STEPS -- PART OF WHICH IS TO CHK ENG PARAMETERS ON THE ENG MONITORING SYS. I THEN RETURNED TO THE MAP PAGE AND DISCOVERED I HAD NOT YET CLRED THE UPPER LIMIT CIRCLE OF THE CLASS C AIRSPACE (1200-4000 FT MSL). I ESTIMATED MY POS TO BE ABOUT 1 MI INSIDE THE CIRCLE FOR ABOUT 45 SECONDS; HEADED 230 DEGS. BECAUSE I WAS 800 FT HIGHER THAN ALLOWED; I FELT THE BEST CORRECTIVE MEASURE WAS TO DSND IMMEDIATELY. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS A LACK OF VISUAL REFS IN THIS LARGE AREA OF WETLANDS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.