PVT NAVION PLT MAY HAVE INTRUDED INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE DURING VFR FLT NEAR DFW.

Date: 1999-03 · Aircraft: Navion Aircraft Corp Undifferentiated or Other Model · Phase: cruise

Anomalies: airspace-violation-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|inflight-event-encounter-vfr-in-imc

Synopsis

PVT NAVION PLT MAY HAVE INTRUDED INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE DURING VFR FLT NEAR DFW.

Narrative

PREFLT WX BRIEFING. DEST 2000 FT OVCST; TOPS 4000 FT. ARR BROKEN 2000 FT OVCST; TOPS 4000 FT FORECAST. APCHING DFW CLASS B AIRSPACE; DSNDED TO STAY UNDER CLASS B 2500 FT MSL. UNDER BROKEN LAYER WITH SOME SCATTERED LOWER LAYERS. WHEN ABOUT 40 NM FROM DEST 4T6; APCHED A SOLID WALL OF CLOUDS. DECISION MADE TO CLB TO MAINTAIN VFR; AND SEARCHING FOR APCH PLATES; ASSUMING THAT VFR LNDG NOT POSSIBLE. DEVIATING S TO LEAVE CLASS B AIRSPACE. NOT SURE; BUT IT IS LIKELY THAT IN DEVS TO MAINTAIN VFR; I PENETRATED CLASS B AIRSPACE FROM BELOW. AFTER TOPPING THE CLOUDS; WE FOUND A LARGE HOLE TO THE E. DSNDED INTO THE HOLE AND COMPLETED THE FLT INTO 4T6 IN GOOD VFR WX. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: BASED UPON FORECAST CONDITIONS; RELIED TOO MUCH ON COMPLETING THE VFR FLT. DID NOT FEEL THAT FURTHER DSCNT WAS SAFE BECAUSE OF LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OF LCL AREA. THE RAPID ONSET OF THE CLOUD BANK; AND THE TOTAL CONCENTRATION OF MAINTAINING VFR AND EXITING THE SIT. HOW DISCOVERED: NOT SURE I VIOLATED CLASS B AIRSPACE BUT THINK IT'S LIKELY BECAUSE I CLBED TO 6000 FT TO 7000 FT. NOT SURE I WAS S OF CLASS B AIRSPACE. HUMAN FACTORS: TOTAL CONCENTRATION OF MAINTAINING VFR; DID NOT HAVE TIME TO LOOK UP APCH FREQ UNTIL I TOPPED OUT AND BY THEN IT WAS TOO LATE. NOT REALIZING THE EXTENT OF CLOUD BANK NOT EXECUTING A 180 DEG TURN TO GET TIME TO EVALUATE THE SIT. NOT HAVING DFW APCH TUNED IN ON THE RADIO SO THAT I DIDN'T HAVE TO LOOK UP THE FREQ (FOR WHICH I DID NOT HAVE TIME). RELYING TOO HEAVILY ON FORECAST CONDITIONS.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.