PF WITH INSTRUCTOR FAILS TO MONITOR POS AND ENTERS CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative

AT APPROX XA30 HRS; JUL/XX/97; I WAS RECEIVING INSTRUCTION IN A DUCHESS BE76 TO THE W OF MCI. THE INSTRUCTIONAL FLT ORIGINATED FROM MKC. THE INSTRUCTOR USUALLY CONDUCTS HIS TRAINING FLTS TO THE E; WHERE CLASS B AIRSPACE COULD BE MORE QUICKLY CLRED. I HAD INSISTED ON FLYING TO THE W; PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF PLANS TO BUY FUEL AT FLV. WE FLEW TO APPROX 3 MI E OF LWC; TO MAKE SURE WE WERE CLR OF CLASS B AIRSPACE; AND TURNED N. WE WERE NOT IN CONTACT WITH ATC AND WERE SQUAWKING 1200. I SUGGESTED THAT WE TUNE IN THE LOC FREQ FROM RWY 19R AT MCI ON THE DME; TO HELP IN KEEPING CLR OF CLASS B AIRSPACE. THE INSTRUCTOR SET THE FREQ; BUT WAS UNABLE TO RECEIVE THE SIGNAL. I SAID WE WOULD PICK UP THE SIGNAL AS WE FLEW N; AND I THOUGHT HE HAD LEFT THE DME TUNED TO THE MCI LOC. IT TURNED OUT HE HAD CHANGED TO THE RIS VOR FREQ. ABOUT 5-10 MINS AFTER WE TURNED N; THE INSTRUCTOR ASKED ME; 'IS LEAVENWORTH UNDER CLASS B?' I REPLIED THAT IT WAS. HE SAID HE THOUGHT WE HAD INADVERTENTLY ENTERED CLASS B AIRSPACE AND SHOULD TURN W IMMEDIATELY. I TURNED; GLANCED AT THE DME; AND SAW THAT IT READ 23 AND A FRACTION MI. I SAID THAT WE MUST BE CLR; AS THE OUTER LIMIT OF THE CLASS B IS 20 NM FROM THE CTR OF MCI. I THEN FOUND THE DME WAS TUNED TO RIS VOR. I QUICKLY LOOKED AT THE LCL LANDMARKS. LEAVENWORTH LOOKED TO BE ABOUT 7-8 MI TO THE NE. I THOUGHT WE MIGHT BE CLOSE TO AN INCURSION; BUT I WAS NOT SURE. THERE WAS NO OPPORTUNITY TO IDENT THE RADIAL WE WERE ON FROM ANY NAVAID. THE INSTRUCTOR SAID HE WAS SURE WE WERE WELL WITHIN CLASS B AT OUR LOCATION AND ALT. IN RETROSPECT; IT IS CLR WE HAD BEEN DRIFTED E BY THE WIND AS I HAD MAINTAINED A NORTHERLY HEADING. CLRLY; I COULD AND SHOULD HAVE PAID MORE ATTN TO NAV. I DEFERRED EXCESSIVELY TO A CFI WITH WHOM I HAD NOT FLOWN A GREAT DEAL. I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH HIS METHODS OR ABILITIES. WE DID NOT FUNCTION WELL AS A TEAM IN THIS INSTANCE. I WAS MOST FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA WHERE WE WERE CONDUCTING THIS FLT; BUT I WAS FOCUSED MOSTLY INSIDE THE COCKPIT. I SHOULD HAVE DIVIDED MY ATTN MORE BTWN MY TRAINING TASKS AND THE NAV OF THE AIRPLANE AND OTHER BASIC FLYING TASKS.