Narrative:

I am a pilot for a professional aerial photography company contracted by aviation corporation to perform air to air photo shoot of a military MTR ii and an MTR I. We were a formation flight of 3 aircraft. We were operating under part 91. We departed donalson airport in georgia, approximately XA30 pm local on sep/wed/93, and flew as a flight of 3 to the myrtle beach area. Upon arrival at myrtle beach, we contacted north myrtle beach (grand strand airport) tower to ask permission to conduct a 3 ship formation photo flight, over the coastline at 1000-2000 ft AGL, in their air traffic area and permission was granted by them. Confusion arose as to how southwest we were from north myrtle beach airport. It was a very clear day and it appeared we were still in their class D airspace. Due to the complexity of filming the 3 aircraft formation, our attention was diverted several times and we inadvertently flew too far southwest, entering the myrtle beach air force base class D airspace. Upon realizing we were in their airspace we immediately executed a climbing turn away from the airport and contacted the myrtle beach air force base tower and informed them of the situation. Our perception was that we were closer to north myrtle beach airport than we actually were because of the clear conditions that existed, the communication going on with the grand strand airport tower and other aircraft in the formation while doing aerial photography. All of us involved in the 3 aircraft are professional pilots who highly regard the regulations as the foundation of our business. The incursion of class D airspace at myrtle beach air force base was strictly accidental and we will never allow it to happen again. We all briefed about it when we got on the ground and came up with ideas and procedures that would assure this type of thing will never occur again, especially due to the complexity of photo formation flying. I am a 20 yr pilot with a very diverse backgnd including airline experience. I take my career seriously and understand it is a privilege and not a right. I learned a great lesson from this and can assure I will never allow this situation to happen again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LEAD PLT OF FORMATION FLT ON PHOTO SHOOT STRAYS INTO ATA CLASS D AIRSPACE INADVERTENTLY.

Narrative: I AM A PLT FOR A PROFESSIONAL AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY COMPANY CONTRACTED BY AVIATION CORPORATION TO PERFORM AIR TO AIR PHOTO SHOOT OF A MIL MTR II AND AN MTR I. WE WERE A FORMATION FLT OF 3 ACFT. WE WERE OPERATING UNDER PART 91. WE DEPARTED DONALSON ARPT IN GEORGIA, APPROX XA30 PM LCL ON SEP/WED/93, AND FLEW AS A FLT OF 3 TO THE MYRTLE BEACH AREA. UPON ARR AT MYRTLE BEACH, WE CONTACTED N MYRTLE BEACH (GRAND STRAND ARPT) TWR TO ASK PERMISSION TO CONDUCT A 3 SHIP FORMATION PHOTO FLT, OVER THE COASTLINE AT 1000-2000 FT AGL, IN THEIR ATA AND PERMISSION WAS GRANTED BY THEM. CONFUSION AROSE AS TO HOW SW WE WERE FROM N MYRTLE BEACH ARPT. IT WAS A VERY CLR DAY AND IT APPEARED WE WERE STILL IN THEIR CLASS D AIRSPACE. DUE TO THE COMPLEXITY OF FILMING THE 3 ACFT FORMATION, OUR ATTN WAS DIVERTED SEVERAL TIMES AND WE INADVERTENTLY FLEW TOO FAR SW, ENTERING THE MYRTLE BEACH AIR FORCE BASE CLASS D AIRSPACE. UPON REALIZING WE WERE IN THEIR AIRSPACE WE IMMEDIATELY EXECUTED A CLBING TURN AWAY FROM THE ARPT AND CONTACTED THE MYRTLE BEACH AIR FORCE BASE TWR AND INFORMED THEM OF THE SIT. OUR PERCEPTION WAS THAT WE WERE CLOSER TO N MYRTLE BEACH ARPT THAN WE ACTUALLY WERE BECAUSE OF THE CLR CONDITIONS THAT EXISTED, THE COM GOING ON WITH THE GRAND STRAND ARPT TWR AND OTHER ACFT IN THE FORMATION WHILE DOING AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY. ALL OF US INVOLVED IN THE 3 ACFT ARE PROFESSIONAL PLTS WHO HIGHLY REGARD THE REGS AS THE FOUNDATION OF OUR BUSINESS. THE INCURSION OF CLASS D AIRSPACE AT MYRTLE BEACH AIR FORCE BASE WAS STRICTLY ACCIDENTAL AND WE WILL NEVER ALLOW IT TO HAPPEN AGAIN. WE ALL BRIEFED ABOUT IT WHEN WE GOT ON THE GND AND CAME UP WITH IDEAS AND PROCS THAT WOULD ASSURE THIS TYPE OF THING WILL NEVER OCCUR AGAIN, ESPECIALLY DUE TO THE COMPLEXITY OF PHOTO FORMATION FLYING. I AM A 20 YR PLT WITH A VERY DIVERSE BACKGND INCLUDING AIRLINE EXPERIENCE. I TAKE MY CAREER SERIOUSLY AND UNDERSTAND IT IS A PRIVILEGE AND NOT A RIGHT. I LEARNED A GREAT LESSON FROM THIS AND CAN ASSURE I WILL NEVER ALLOW THIS SIT TO HAPPEN AGAIN.

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.