An small aircraft pilot enters a control zone without clearance while on a VMC flight at 5500'.

Attributes
ACN	131694
Time
Date	198912
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dec
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5500 msl bound upper : 5500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cmi tower : dec
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 900 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	131694
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was en route, VFR, from mdg to mwc. Cruise altitude 5500'. High pressure was centered over il and it was very cold on the ground---5 degrees F. Visibility was virtually unrestricted. Approximately 8 mi south of dec I contacted the tower to advise that I would be overflying the airport at 5500'. The tower controller gave me the airport information, which included a notation of the visibility of 2 mi at dec. (The field was IFR due to a local power plant [or factory producing large amounts of steam. The restriction of visibility was extremely localized.) the tower controller told me to contact champaign approach. Since it was cold in the cockpit and I was wearing bulky mittens, and would have to take them off to change frequencys, I simply continued on my merry way. As I got directly over the field, I realized that I had just entered an IFR control zone west/O a clearance. At first call-up of dec tower, I didn't possibly imagine that any part of the state of il would be IFR, and I forgot to engage the IFR rules section of my brain. I was thinking that I only needed clearance to enter the air traffic area--I didn't take into consideration the control zone.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT ENTERS A CTL ZONE WITHOUT CLRNC WHILE ON A VMC FLT AT 5500'.

Narrative: I WAS ENRTE, VFR, FROM MDG TO MWC. CRUISE ALT 5500'. HIGH PRESSURE WAS CENTERED OVER IL AND IT WAS VERY COLD ON THE GND---5 DEGS F. VISIBILITY WAS VIRTUALLY UNRESTRICTED. APPROX 8 MI S OF DEC I CONTACTED THE TWR TO ADVISE THAT I WOULD BE OVERFLYING THE ARPT AT 5500'. THE TWR CTLR GAVE ME THE ARPT INFO, WHICH INCLUDED A NOTATION OF THE VISIBILITY OF 2 MI AT DEC. (THE FIELD WAS IFR DUE TO A LCL PWR PLANT [OR FACTORY PRODUCING LARGE AMOUNTS OF STEAM. THE RESTRICTION OF VISIBILITY WAS EXTREMELY LOCALIZED.) THE TWR CTLR TOLD ME TO CONTACT CHAMPAIGN APCH. SINCE IT WAS COLD IN THE COCKPIT AND I WAS WEARING BULKY MITTENS, AND WOULD HAVE TO TAKE THEM OFF TO CHANGE FREQS, I SIMPLY CONTINUED ON MY MERRY WAY. AS I GOT DIRECTLY OVER THE FIELD, I REALIZED THAT I HAD JUST ENTERED AN IFR CTL ZONE W/O A CLRNC. AT FIRST CALL-UP OF DEC TWR, I DIDN'T POSSIBLY IMAGINE THAT ANY PART OF THE STATE OF IL WOULD BE IFR, AND I FORGOT TO ENGAGE THE IFR RULES SECTION OF MY BRAIN. I WAS THINKING THAT I ONLY NEEDED CLRNC TO ENTER THE ATA--I DIDN'T TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE CTL ZONE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.