C414 pilot reports Class B and possible TFR violation departing SMO due to distraction from battery failure in his noise canceling headset.

Date: 2009-06 · Aircraft: Chancellor 414A / C414 · Phase: climb

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-less-severe|airspace-violation-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|flight-deck-cabin-aircraft-event-other-unknown

Synopsis

C414 pilot reports Class B and possible TFR violation departing SMO due to distraction from battery failure in his noise canceling headset.

Narrative

I departed SMO on a routine VFR departure. Within one minute of being airborne I heard a loud bang and the noise in the cockpit became very loud so hearing traffic on the radio was difficult. I had been given a frequency for SoCal by SMO but had not yet called when the noise occurred. I thought I lost a window or the door had come open. I made a check of the cabin and found nothing amiss but compared to the normal sounds in the cockpit it was very loud and disorienting. Within a minute I discovered it was the battery of my noise canceling headset that had expired. I was shocked that it would cease to power the device all at once. By this time I was at 3000 FT MSL and had called SoCal. Subsequently a SoCal Controller (the second one after hand off) told me I was in Class B and that I had penetrated the TFR at Dodger Stadium as well. I don't think I passed within a mile of Dodger Stadium but I must have. Throughout I was having difficulty hearing ATC and I was disoriented by the noise. I also was distracted by 1) Trying to identify the problem. 2) Solve the problem by changing headsets. 3) Change the battery.

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