Narrative:

Aircraft co-owner making 3RD training flight in aircraft. Co-owner is private pilot checking out in new aircraft as well as high performance chkout. Isolated cells to east and southeast of downtown airport led me to decision to proceed to practice area (away from storms) rather than remain in pattern (closer to storms). Normal proximity for most pilots at downtown is to proceed to practice area via pilotage along coast of mobile bay or over the cement plant (local landmark known and used by the control at downtown). Location of storms in the bay, and one small (but significant) cells of cement plant indicated deviation to the west before turning south to practice area. Normally this is not a problem, except that we had climbed to, and leveled at 2000' MSL. Floor of arsa (mobil bates field) is at 1500' AGL. I first considered this a potential problem when I noticed how close we were to interstate 10, which was the northern border of the south practice area before mobile became an arsa. At present, however, I-10 in that area is about 1 1/2 to 2 mi inside the outer ring of the arsa. In about 5 mins, we were clear of the storm to the south, and turned south to establish in the practice area. Our first level turn may have taken us back to the edge of the arsa, as we were in the vicinity of st elmo airport, a small uncontrolled field just outside the outer ring of the arsa. Even though I suspected a possible problem, I was still dumb enough not to check the sectional (which I guess I was smart enough to have with me. It was in the back seat within reach). After seeing that our level turn brought us near st elmo (still at 2000') I finally took some action by flying purposefully to the southern part of the practice area. It was then that I finally pulled out the section and decided indeed that we had been too close to I-10 to be clear of the arsa at 2000'. Obviously, the decision to deviate from WX by pilotage and memory rather than pilotage and the chart resulted in the arsa violation. Why is it that we are so reluctant to check ourselves? I have known for quite awhile that any time things don't proceed normally that extra vigilance and attention are required, but I haven't a clue as to why I don't exercise that knowledge at times like this!

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA TRAINING FLT INADVERTENTLY PENETRATES MOB ARSA.

Narrative: ACFT CO-OWNER MAKING 3RD TRNING FLT IN ACFT. CO-OWNER IS PVT PLT CHKING OUT IN NEW ACFT AS WELL AS HIGH PERFORMANCE CHKOUT. ISOLATED CELLS TO E AND SE OF DOWNTOWN ARPT LED ME TO DECISION TO PROCEED TO PRACTICE AREA (AWAY FROM STORMS) RATHER THAN REMAIN IN PATTERN (CLOSER TO STORMS). NORMAL PROX FOR MOST PLTS AT DOWNTOWN IS TO PROCEED TO PRACTICE AREA VIA PILOTAGE ALONG COAST OF MOBILE BAY OR OVER THE CEMENT PLANT (LCL LANDMARK KNOWN AND USED BY THE CTL AT DOWNTOWN). LOCATION OF STORMS IN THE BAY, AND ONE SMALL (BUT SIGNIFICANT) CELLS OF CEMENT PLANT INDICATED DEV TO THE W BEFORE TURNING S TO PRACTICE AREA. NORMALLY THIS IS NOT A PROB, EXCEPT THAT WE HAD CLBED TO, AND LEVELED AT 2000' MSL. FLOOR OF ARSA (MOBIL BATES FIELD) IS AT 1500' AGL. I FIRST CONSIDERED THIS A POTENTIAL PROB WHEN I NOTICED HOW CLOSE WE WERE TO INTERSTATE 10, WHICH WAS THE NORTHERN BORDER OF THE S PRACTICE AREA BEFORE MOBILE BECAME AN ARSA. AT PRESENT, HOWEVER, I-10 IN THAT AREA IS ABOUT 1 1/2 TO 2 MI INSIDE THE OUTER RING OF THE ARSA. IN ABOUT 5 MINS, WE WERE CLR OF THE STORM TO THE S, AND TURNED S TO ESTABLISH IN THE PRACTICE AREA. OUR FIRST LEVEL TURN MAY HAVE TAKEN US BACK TO THE EDGE OF THE ARSA, AS WE WERE IN THE VICINITY OF ST ELMO ARPT, A SMALL UNCTLED FIELD JUST OUTSIDE THE OUTER RING OF THE ARSA. EVEN THOUGH I SUSPECTED A POSSIBLE PROB, I WAS STILL DUMB ENOUGH NOT TO CHK THE SECTIONAL (WHICH I GUESS I WAS SMART ENOUGH TO HAVE WITH ME. IT WAS IN THE BACK SEAT WITHIN REACH). AFTER SEEING THAT OUR LEVEL TURN BROUGHT US NEAR ST ELMO (STILL AT 2000') I FINALLY TOOK SOME ACTION BY FLYING PURPOSEFULLY TO THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE PRACTICE AREA. IT WAS THEN THAT I FINALLY PULLED OUT THE SECTION AND DECIDED INDEED THAT WE HAD BEEN TOO CLOSE TO I-10 TO BE CLR OF THE ARSA AT 2000'. OBVIOUSLY, THE DECISION TO DEVIATE FROM WX BY PILOTAGE AND MEMORY RATHER THAN PILOTAGE AND THE CHART RESULTED IN THE ARSA VIOLATION. WHY IS IT THAT WE ARE SO RELUCTANT TO CHK OURSELVES? I HAVE KNOWN FOR QUITE AWHILE THAT ANY TIME THINGS DON'T PROCEED NORMALLY THAT EXTRA VIGILANCE AND ATTN ARE REQUIRED, BUT I HAVEN'T A CLUE AS TO WHY I DON'T EXERCISE THAT KNOWLEDGE AT TIMES LIKE THIS!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.