Narrative:

I made a trip from chs to cub, sc. At XA00 planning on returning by XC20. We had a lot of rain earlier in the day so there were patches of scud. Departure delayed until after XB00. Planned to depart runway 13 at cub but, as I taxied out, I heard a plane call in on the CTAF that he would be entering a downwind for runway 31. Winds were light and variable so I taxied to runway 31. Original plan was to depart to southeast and turn west to pick up the victor airway to chs which boundary follows I-26 which is a good visual reference at night or in poor visibility. On departure I encountered light wispy clouds at about 1000 ft and had to make some deviations and continued to climb to clear them. Noticing the CDI with full right deflection, I kept my heading west to try to intercept the 154 degree radial as soon as possible. I noticed runway lights just off my starboard side and it suddenly sank in that I had strayed into cae class C airspace without permission. I immediately turned to 150 degrees to clear the area as soon as possible. I had overlooked the fact that cub was north of the VOR and cae is west and north of the VOR. Departing runway 31 had put me even closer to cae. My flight was definitely not properly planned. The fact that it was just a 'little 60 mi hop' put in too much complacency. Even though it was VFR exact headings should have been planned for departure and when the departure runway was changed, everything should have been refigured. Even though visibility was good and almost no traffic, the tensions of nighttime and possible. WX conflicts made an important detail get overlooked. Departing runway 13 with a climb to 1800 ft till intercepting the airway poses no conflict with class C airspace. Departing runway 31 is a whole different ball game. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the pilot said that he does not fly his beech bonanza H35 much lately since he has a newer, but somewhat slower airplane. He became a bit complacent because he had planned to operate by visual reference on the way back home and he did not plan on departing to the northwest or run into any clouds. When he realized that he was in the class C airspace, he was monitoring the frequency and there was no traffic at the time, he decided that the best course was to exit as soon as possible. He turned to the south while continuing to climb, exited the class C airspace and intercepted the airway at about the same time. The reporter admits his error and he has rethought his actions that evening and he does not think that he will repeat that error.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE. PLT DEPARTS IN AN UNPLANNED DIRECTION AND TURNS TO INTERCEPT COURSE THROUGH NEIGHBORING CLASS C AIRSPACE WITHOUT A CLRNC.

Narrative: I MADE A TRIP FROM CHS TO CUB, SC. AT XA00 PLANNING ON RETURNING BY XC20. WE HAD A LOT OF RAIN EARLIER IN THE DAY SO THERE WERE PATCHES OF SCUD. DEP DELAYED UNTIL AFTER XB00. PLANNED TO DEPART RWY 13 AT CUB BUT, AS I TAXIED OUT, I HEARD A PLANE CALL IN ON THE CTAF THAT HE WOULD BE ENTERING A DOWNWIND FOR RWY 31. WINDS WERE LIGHT AND VARIABLE SO I TAXIED TO RWY 31. ORIGINAL PLAN WAS TO DEPART TO SE AND TURN W TO PICK UP THE VICTOR AIRWAY TO CHS WHICH BOUNDARY FOLLOWS I-26 WHICH IS A GOOD VISUAL REF AT NIGHT OR IN POOR VISIBILITY. ON DEP I ENCOUNTERED LIGHT WISPY CLOUDS AT ABOUT 1000 FT AND HAD TO MAKE SOME DEVS AND CONTINUED TO CLB TO CLR THEM. NOTICING THE CDI WITH FULL R DEFLECTION, I KEPT MY HDG W TO TRY TO INTERCEPT THE 154 DEG RADIAL ASAP. I NOTICED RWY LIGHTS JUST OFF MY STARBOARD SIDE AND IT SUDDENLY SANK IN THAT I HAD STRAYED INTO CAE CLASS C AIRSPACE WITHOUT PERMISSION. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED TO 150 DEGS TO CLR THE AREA ASAP. I HAD OVERLOOKED THE FACT THAT CUB WAS N OF THE VOR AND CAE IS W AND N OF THE VOR. DEPARTING RWY 31 HAD PUT ME EVEN CLOSER TO CAE. MY FLT WAS DEFINITELY NOT PROPERLY PLANNED. THE FACT THAT IT WAS JUST A 'LITTLE 60 MI HOP' PUT IN TOO MUCH COMPLACENCY. EVEN THOUGH IT WAS VFR EXACT HDGS SHOULD HAVE BEEN PLANNED FOR DEP AND WHEN THE DEP RWY WAS CHANGED, EVERYTHING SHOULD HAVE BEEN REFIGURED. EVEN THOUGH VISIBILITY WAS GOOD AND ALMOST NO TFC, THE TENSIONS OF NIGHTTIME AND POSSIBLE. WX CONFLICTS MADE AN IMPORTANT DETAIL GET OVERLOOKED. DEPARTING RWY 13 WITH A CLB TO 1800 FT TILL INTERCEPTING THE AIRWAY POSES NO CONFLICT WITH CLASS C AIRSPACE. DEPARTING RWY 31 IS A WHOLE DIFFERENT BALL GAME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE PLT SAID THAT HE DOES NOT FLY HIS BEECH BONANZA H35 MUCH LATELY SINCE HE HAS A NEWER, BUT SOMEWHAT SLOWER AIRPLANE. HE BECAME A BIT COMPLACENT BECAUSE HE HAD PLANNED TO OPERATE BY VISUAL REF ON THE WAY BACK HOME AND HE DID NOT PLAN ON DEPARTING TO THE NW OR RUN INTO ANY CLOUDS. WHEN HE REALIZED THAT HE WAS IN THE CLASS C AIRSPACE, HE WAS MONITORING THE FREQ AND THERE WAS NO TFC AT THE TIME, HE DECIDED THAT THE BEST COURSE WAS TO EXIT ASAP. HE TURNED TO THE S WHILE CONTINUING TO CLB, EXITED THE CLASS C AIRSPACE AND INTERCEPTED THE AIRWAY AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME. THE RPTR ADMITS HIS ERROR AND HE HAS RETHOUGHT HIS ACTIONS THAT EVENING AND HE DOES NOT THINK THAT HE WILL REPEAT THAT ERROR.

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.