A PVT PLT MISREAD THE DIMENSIONS OF NEARBY CLASS C AIRSPACE; AND REALIZED; IN HINDSIGHT; THAT CLASS C AIRSPACE HAD BEEN PENETRATED.

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ON APR/SUN/95 AT XA30 HRS; I DEPARTED SAC VIA RWY 30. INTENDED RTE WAS W TO WOODLAND THEN N TO COLUSA AREA; THEN RETURN TO HOME BASE IN CONCORD (CCR). TAIL NUMBER IS NXXXX; K35 BONANZA. MODE C WAS IN OP BUT I DEPARTED WITHOUT RADAR CLRNC AND WITHOUT ESTABLISHING 2-WAY COM WITH SAC DEP/APCH CTL. BELIEVING THE FLOOR OF THE ARSA TO BE 2600 FT; I CLBED TO 2500 FT AND AT THAT ALT TO WOODLAND AND COLUSA. IN DOING SO IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE RTE AND CLB TO ALT CAUSED AN INTRUSION INTO THE SW PORTION OF THE SAC CLASS C AIRSPACE WITHOUT 2-WAY RADIO COM. AS WE RETURNED TO CCR FROM COLUSA; I CONSULTED A SECTIONAL AND NOTICED THAT THE FLOOR OF THE SAC ARSA IS 1600 FT; NOT 2600 FT. PERCEPTIONS; JUDGEMENTS; DECISIONS: I CONSULTED THE SECTIONAL BUT MISREAD IT. ALSO; THE SAC EXECUTIVE ATIS INCLUDED A DEP CTL FREQ FOR FLTS NEEDING RADAR CLRNC. I FORMED THE INTENTION TO FLY W AND CLB TO 2500 FT FOR THE EXPRESS PURPOSE OF REMAINING CLR OF THE ARSA. I HAD A PAX WHO WAS A FIRST TIME SMALL PLANE FLIER. HE WAS EXTREMELY CURIOUS AND CONVERSATIONAL. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT MY ATTN WAS DIVERTED BY HIS QUESTIONS AND OBSERVATIONS. I WAS FATIGUED AT THE TIME OF THE FLT. IN RETROSPECT; I SHOULD NOT HAVE UNDERTAKEN THE FLT. INSTEAD; I WAS PERSUADED TO GO AHEAD DUE TO A PERCEIVED OBLIGATION TO MY PAX AND BECAUSE OF EXCELLENT VFR WX. LOOKING BACK; THERE WERE SEVERAL WAYS IN WHICH MY FLYING PERFORMANCE WAS NOT UP TO PAR.