Narrative:

Today's flight was supposed to be a 'pleasure' flight in an small aircraft to show my girlfriend the fall colors. As could be expected the VFR traffic was heavy on this beautiful holiday. Combine this with the complicated airspace around the TCA at reliever airports increases the chance of a conflict many fold. Off hand, I can think of 2 potential dangerous incidents involving my aircraft on this flight. They are: a possible near miss in the traffic pattern. On departure from runway 27, I was cleared for a right departure to cross midfield above 1600 ft MSL. At the time of this clearance, I was looking into the sun while searching for another aircraft that was landing runway 9. So, when I glanced at the altimeter, I mistakenly read 1600 ft instead of the actual 600 ft. Thus, I checked out of 1600 MSL and started the turn for the right downwind departure. I didn't see the aircraft that reported the conflict. Instead, I heard the radio transmission to tower and realized the mistake. My aircraft crossed the runway 16 pattern right at pattern altitude during the climb. Not good! General thoughts: 1) flying a light single can be as demeaning as a turbojet. Special care should be taken when 'downgrading' to a more basic aircraft, especially after not flying one for a while due to being in a larger aircraft. It is very easy to become locked into 'procedures of a 2-MAN crew, or worse yet, develop a 'cocky' attitude flying the turbine equipment. 2) avoid expectancy! (I.e., reading an altimeter wrong). It is easy in a stressful situation for the mind to see what it is expecting to see. Thus, when a person usually flies on aircraft climbing at 4000-7000 FPM, it is easy to think of climb in terms of FPM as being a constant. Thus, 'I have climbed for 20 seconds, so I should be above this altitude' comes to mind. 2 contributing sub notes: a) differences in altimeters. The small aircraft has the typical dark type of altimeter, where most turbojet aircraft have the numerical readout for thousand and hundreds of ft. B) my mind has been programmed to be turning at 1600 ft as a result of flying the teb 2 departure 4 nights a week, which calls for a turn at 1500 ft when departing runway 1. 3) calm cavu days, especially holidays bring out all experience levels of pilots in abundance. Thus, crossed airspace becomes more crowded. Reading charts and answering passenger questions are distrs from looking for other aircraft and flying the aircraft. 4) wkend VFR in a light single is hazardous. Give me hard night IFR in a twin or jet anytime!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMERCIAL TWIN PLT ON HOP WITH GIRLFRIEND BEMOANS THE REALITIES OF SINGLE PLT VFR FLT. POTENTIAL CONFLICT IN TFC PATTERN AND UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE WHILE SIGHTSEEING.

Narrative: TODAY'S FLT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A 'PLEASURE' FLT IN AN SMA TO SHOW MY GIRLFRIEND THE FALL COLORS. AS COULD BE EXPECTED THE VFR TFC WAS HVY ON THIS BEAUTIFUL HOLIDAY. COMBINE THIS WITH THE COMPLICATED AIRSPACE AROUND THE TCA AT RELIEVER ARPTS INCREASES THE CHANCE OF A CONFLICT MANY FOLD. OFF HAND, I CAN THINK OF 2 POTENTIAL DANGEROUS INCIDENTS INVOLVING MY ACFT ON THIS FLT. THEY ARE: A POSSIBLE NEAR MISS IN THE TFC PATTERN. ON DEP FROM RWY 27, I WAS CLRED FOR A R DEP TO CROSS MIDFIELD ABOVE 1600 FT MSL. AT THE TIME OF THIS CLRNC, I WAS LOOKING INTO THE SUN WHILE SEARCHING FOR ANOTHER ACFT THAT WAS LNDG RWY 9. SO, WHEN I GLANCED AT THE ALTIMETER, I MISTAKENLY READ 1600 FT INSTEAD OF THE ACTUAL 600 FT. THUS, I CHKED OUT OF 1600 MSL AND STARTED THE TURN FOR THE R DOWNWIND DEP. I DIDN'T SEE THE ACFT THAT RPTED THE CONFLICT. INSTEAD, I HEARD THE RADIO XMISSION TO TWR AND REALIZED THE MISTAKE. MY ACFT CROSSED THE RWY 16 PATTERN RIGHT AT PATTERN ALT DURING THE CLB. NOT GOOD! GENERAL THOUGHTS: 1) FLYING A LIGHT SINGLE CAN BE AS DEMEANING AS A TURBOJET. SPECIAL CARE SHOULD BE TAKEN WHEN 'DOWNGRADING' TO A MORE BASIC ACFT, ESPECIALLY AFTER NOT FLYING ONE FOR A WHILE DUE TO BEING IN A LARGER ACFT. IT IS VERY EASY TO BECOME LOCKED INTO 'PROCS OF A 2-MAN CREW, OR WORSE YET, DEVELOP A 'COCKY' ATTITUDE FLYING THE TURBINE EQUIP. 2) AVOID EXPECTANCY! (I.E., READING AN ALTIMETER WRONG). IT IS EASY IN A STRESSFUL SIT FOR THE MIND TO SEE WHAT IT IS EXPECTING TO SEE. THUS, WHEN A PERSON USUALLY FLIES ON ACFT CLBING AT 4000-7000 FPM, IT IS EASY TO THINK OF CLB IN TERMS OF FPM AS BEING A CONSTANT. THUS, 'I HAVE CLBED FOR 20 SECONDS, SO I SHOULD BE ABOVE THIS ALT' COMES TO MIND. 2 CONTRIBUTING SUB NOTES: A) DIFFERENCES IN ALTIMETERS. THE SMA HAS THE TYPICAL DARK TYPE OF ALTIMETER, WHERE MOST TURBOJET ACFT HAVE THE NUMERICAL READOUT FOR THOUSAND AND HUNDREDS OF FT. B) MY MIND HAS BEEN PROGRAMMED TO BE TURNING AT 1600 FT AS A RESULT OF FLYING THE TEB 2 DEP 4 NIGHTS A WK, WHICH CALLS FOR A TURN AT 1500 FT WHEN DEPARTING RWY 1. 3) CALM CAVU DAYS, ESPECIALLY HOLIDAYS BRING OUT ALL EXPERIENCE LEVELS OF PLTS IN ABUNDANCE. THUS, CROSSED AIRSPACE BECOMES MORE CROWDED. READING CHARTS AND ANSWERING PAX QUESTIONS ARE DISTRS FROM LOOKING FOR OTHER ACFT AND FLYING THE ACFT. 4) WKEND VFR IN A LIGHT SINGLE IS HAZARDOUS. GIVE ME HARD NIGHT IFR IN A TWIN OR JET ANYTIME!

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.