General aviation pilot practicing ILS approaches to vdf is distracted attempting to use cockpit auto...

Attributes
ACN	815188
Time
Date	200812
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lal.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl single value : 1800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : tpa.tracon tower : zzz.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft Low Wing 1 Eng Fixed Gear
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	ils localizer & glide slope : 295
Route In Use	approach : instrument precision
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 6 flight time total : 2300 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	815188
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited penetrated airspace
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Flying from vdf eastward to rejoin extended localizer to vdf; intending to turn north and intercept localizer well before vicinity of lal. Meant to set 2800 ft as minimum descent altitude as insurance to avoid lal 2600 class D ceiling (2600 ft). Mistakenly set 1800 ft. Shouldn't have mattered if I were paying proper attention since I didn't intend to fly that close to lal (or that close to the ceiling). Head down in cockpit trying to figure out why a button pushing sequence was not working per manual. The manual for this autoplt and associated gear is 530 pages and not exhaustive at that. At some point realized I was taking too long over this. Turned westward and then noticed: 1) almost over lal airport. Altitude 1800 ft. 2) sky divers above and to north; lowest maybe 2300 ft. Closest laterally was perhaps 1/2 to 1 mi? This is the most frightening thing that's ever happened to me in flying. The airspace incursion was the least of it. Had my turn been different I could have been among the divers with potentially catastrophic results for a diver. The cause is obvious; task fixation; resulting lack of situational awareness; resulted in being where I shouldn't be and not guarding the local frequency for any potential warning of the skydiving activity. It's not that priorities need reordering; we all agree on what they are. It's actually making my behavior match my mental priorities. Not as easy; but a scare like this is awfully effective.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GENERAL AVIATION PILOT PRACTICING ILS APPROACHES TO VDF IS DISTRACTED ATTEMPTING TO USE COCKPIT AUTOMATION AND FLIES OVER LAL AT 1800 FEET WHILE SKY DIVERS ARE DESCENDING OVERHEAD AND TO THE NORTH.

Narrative: FLYING FROM VDF EASTWARD TO REJOIN EXTENDED LOC TO VDF; INTENDING TO TURN N AND INTERCEPT LOC WELL BEFORE VICINITY OF LAL. MEANT TO SET 2800 FT AS MINIMUM DSCNT ALT AS INSURANCE TO AVOID LAL 2600 CLASS D CEILING (2600 FT). MISTAKENLY SET 1800 FT. SHOULDN'T HAVE MATTERED IF I WERE PAYING PROPER ATTN SINCE I DIDN'T INTEND TO FLY THAT CLOSE TO LAL (OR THAT CLOSE TO THE CEILING). HEAD DOWN IN COCKPIT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY A BUTTON PUSHING SEQUENCE WAS NOT WORKING PER MANUAL. THE MANUAL FOR THIS AUTOPLT AND ASSOCIATED GEAR IS 530 PAGES AND NOT EXHAUSTIVE AT THAT. AT SOME POINT REALIZED I WAS TAKING TOO LONG OVER THIS. TURNED WESTWARD AND THEN NOTICED: 1) ALMOST OVER LAL ARPT. ALT 1800 FT. 2) SKY DIVERS ABOVE AND TO N; LOWEST MAYBE 2300 FT. CLOSEST LATERALLY WAS PERHAPS 1/2 TO 1 MI? THIS IS THE MOST FRIGHTENING THING THAT'S EVER HAPPENED TO ME IN FLYING. THE AIRSPACE INCURSION WAS THE LEAST OF IT. HAD MY TURN BEEN DIFFERENT I COULD HAVE BEEN AMONG THE DIVERS WITH POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC RESULTS FOR A DIVER. THE CAUSE IS OBVIOUS; TASK FIXATION; RESULTING LACK OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS; RESULTED IN BEING WHERE I SHOULDN'T BE AND NOT GUARDING THE LCL FREQ FOR ANY POTENTIAL WARNING OF THE SKYDIVING ACTIVITY. IT'S NOT THAT PRIORITIES NEED REORDERING; WE ALL AGREE ON WHAT THEY ARE. IT'S ACTUALLY MAKING MY BEHAVIOR MATCH MY MENTAL PRIORITIES. NOT AS EASY; BUT A SCARE LIKE THIS IS AWFULLY EFFECTIVE.

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.

General aviation pilot practicing ILS approaches to vdf is distracted attempting to use cockpit automation and flies over lal at 1800 feet while sky divers are descending overhead and to the north.