INADVERTENT CLASS D ENTRY AT E63; AZ.

Date: 2000-11 · Aircraft: PA-28 Cherokee/Archer/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior · Phase: approach

Anomalies: airspace-violation-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy

Synopsis

INADVERTENT CLASS D ENTRY AT E63; AZ.

Narrative

I WAS FLYING WHILE MY HUSBAND TOOK PICTURES. I BEGAN TO HAVE SOME INTESTINAL DISCOMFORT AND DECIDED TO LAND AT GILA BEND ARPT 20 MI W WHERE I COULD USE THE FACILITIES. GILA BEND IS UNCTLED. IN CHKING THE SECTIONAL; I FAILED TO NOTICE THE GILA BEND AUX AF CLASS D AIRSPACE DEPICTED. CURRENT TFC WAS USING RWY 22. I OVERFLEW GILA BEND (E63) TO SET UP FOR A L PATTERN. TO STAY AWAY FROM THE TFC IN THE PATTERN; I FLEW AN EXTRA MI E BEFORE SETTING UP A 45 DEG ENTRY. AFTER LNDG AND PREPARING TO DEPART I NOTICED THE CLASS D AIRSPACE OF THE AF AUX ON THE SECTIONAL. I CLRLY ENTERED IT WITHOUT PERMISSION. I BELIEVE THE AIRSPACE CIRCLE INSIDE THE GILA BEND VOR CIRCLE DID NOT CATCH MY EYE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDED NEEDING A RESTROOM AND TFC IN THE PATTERN. THE AUX FIELD CTLED AIRSPACE BORDERS THE END OF RWY 22 (E63). ALL OF THESE FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO MY INADVERTENT ENTRY INTO THE CLASS D AIRSPACE. IF I HAD PLANNED A STOP AT GILA BEND I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE NOTED THE ADJACENT CTLED AIRSPACE. I DID NOT LOOK CLOSELY ENOUGH AT THE SECTIONAL WHILE IN FLT.

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