A VFR PA28 PLT ENTERED CLASS B AIRSPACE ABOVE AN OVERCAST BECAUSE HE WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE HIS POS VISUALLY.

2005-04 · NASA ASRS report 653308

Date: 2005-04 · Aircraft: PA-28R Cherokee Arrow All Series · Phase: cruise

Anomalies: airspace-violation-all-types|deviation-track-heading-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|inflight-event-encounter-weather-turbulence

Synopsis

A VFR PA28 PLT ENTERED CLASS B AIRSPACE ABOVE AN OVERCAST BECAUSE HE WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE HIS POS VISUALLY.

Narrative

I FLEW FROM ZZZ3 ARPT THIS MORNING TO ZZZ4; AFTER I CONTACTED THE LOCAL FSS FOR CURRENT AND FORECASTED WX FOR THE FLT. THE TRIP TO ZZZ4 THIS MORNING WENT WELL WITH GREAT WX AS PREDICTED. I RETURNED TO THE ZZZ4 ARPT ABOUT XA00 FOR THE RETURN FLT TO ZZZ3 AND FOUND THE ARPT HEAVY OVERCAST WITH LIGHT DRIZZLE. I DIDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE DEP AND CALLED THE FSS TO CHECK WX AND THE FORECAST FOR LOCAL AND BACK TO ZZZ3. I WAS INFORMED THE RPT FOR ZZZ4 WAS BROKEN 3500 FT WITH 10 MI VISIBILITY. I WAITED AT THE ARPT UNTIL XC15 PM WHEN THE LOCAL WX FINALLY STARTED TO BREAK UP. I AGAIN CALLED FSS AND WAS TOLD THE WX WAS BREAKING UP LOCALLY AND RPTED SCATTERED CLOUDS ALONG THE ROUTE WITH ZZZ3 BROKEN CLOUDS AT 5500 FT. I FELT COMFORTABLE I COULD GET ABOVE THE CLOUDS TO GET THROUGH THE PASS AND THEN DROP DOWN AND FLY BACK THE OPPOSITE RTE I TOOK IN THE MORNING AND BYPASS ALL OF THE CTLED AIRSPACE UNTIL I CAME BACK NEAR ZZZ3 CLASS D AIRSPACE. THE CLOUDS REMAINED HEAVY LONGER THAN I EXPECTED AND I SAW A COMMERCIAL PLANE COME UP TO THE E AND REALIZED I WAS FURTHER S THAN I THOUGHT. I CHECKED MY CHARTS AND TURNED E BELIEVING I WAS STILL N OF CITY AND A LONG WAYS N OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. AFTER THE CLOUD COVER FINALLY BROKE I REALIZED I WAS HEADING STRAIGHT FOR ZZZ5 AIRPORT AND THEN CONTACTED APCH. AFTER FLYING E WITH THE HELP OF THESE PEOPLE I WAS TOLD TO CONTACT THE APCH SUPVR; BY PHONE; DUE TO ENCROACHING ON THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. I NEEDED THEIR HELP TO CONTINUE E THEN S TO GET BACK TO ZZZ3 WITH THE CLOUD COVER SO THICK I COULDN'T SEE THE GND UNTIL I WAS DIRECTLY OVER THE ARPT AT 7000 FT. THEY PASSED ME OFF TO APCH TO HELP ME GET DOWN THROUGH THE BROKEN CLOUDS. I PASSED THE CLOUD LAYER STAYING OUT OF THE CLOUDS AROUND 5500 FT AND THEN CONTACTED ZZZ3 TWR FOR THE FINAL APCH AND LNDG. I HAVE BEEN CONSIDERING THE PURCHASE OF AN AVIATION GPS UNIT FOR INSTANCES LIKE THIS. I BELIEVE I SHOULD HAVE CONTACTED APCH LONG BEFORE I DID SINCE I WAS GUESSING THE EXACT LOCATION AND FLYING TOWARD THE CLASS B. THE TAIL WINDS MUST HAVE BEEN MUCH FASTER THAN ANTICIPATED AND THE CLOUDS WERE NOT ANYTHING AS FORECAST BY THE FSS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SAID THE FAA PERSON RESPONDING TO HIS POST FLT PHONE CALL SIMPLY REQUESTED THAT IN THE FUTURE HE BE MORE AWARE OF HIS ACFT'S POS. THE PERSON HE SPOKE WITH STATED THAT FOUR OTHER PLTS HAD THE SAME DEVIATION AS HE. THEREFORE HE CONTINUES TO ASSUME THAT THE WIND WAS THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF HIS FLYING OFF COURSE.

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

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