Narrative:

Approaching L39 from the east, smoke from a large (2000 acre) brush fire obscured visibility. Flight was diverted to the south. Flight path followed captain reservoir, then turned west, with flight path 5 NM north of see. Fire fighting (numerous) aircraft were observed, and flight path was continued to the west, then north. In an effort to remain clear of the aircraft and remain in VMC because of smoke, the class B airspace near nkx may have been violated. Contributing factors were unfamiliarity with area, use of sectional chart instead of terminal area chart, also a certain amount of pilot overload -- busy flying the plane and avoiding other aircraft and no time to look at map. As there were other planes in close proximity, didn't think about airspace.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ERRONEOUS PENETRATION OF CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: APCHING L39 FROM THE E, SMOKE FROM A LARGE (2000 ACRE) BRUSH FIRE OBSCURED VISIBILITY. FLT WAS DIVERTED TO THE S. FLT PATH FOLLOWED CAPT RESERVOIR, THEN TURNED W, WITH FLT PATH 5 NM N OF SEE. FIRE FIGHTING (NUMEROUS) ACFT WERE OBSERVED, AND FLT PATH WAS CONTINUED TO THE W, THEN N. IN AN EFFORT TO REMAIN CLR OF THE ACFT AND REMAIN IN VMC BECAUSE OF SMOKE, THE CLASS B AIRSPACE NEAR NKX MAY HAVE BEEN VIOLATED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE UNFAMILIARITY WITH AREA, USE OF SECTIONAL CHART INSTEAD OF TERMINAL AREA CHART, ALSO A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PLT OVERLOAD -- BUSY FLYING THE PLANE AND AVOIDING OTHER ACFT AND NO TIME TO LOOK AT MAP. AS THERE WERE OTHER PLANES IN CLOSE PROX, DIDN'T THINK ABOUT AIRSPACE.

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.