Narrative:

I was traveling with a pilot friend. She was flying and practicing navigation by pilotage. I was mostly sightseeing, not paying enough attention. We were using an old sectional chart a friend had given me. I thought it would be good enough, as there was no special use airspace along my route. We were flying at 500 ft AGL, northbound along the west shore of the wisconsin river. I noticed a large twin about 5 mi ahead, well above my altitude. A few mins later I saw it again, much lower, gear down, about 10 O'clock and 1-2 mi. It had been obscured by my wing until my friend banked right. Then I realized we were only about 2 mi off the approach end of central wisconsin airport. I took the controls and descended approximately 200 ft and turned away from the airport. This kept me below the approach path of the twin. I continued clear of the area. The chart we were using clearly showed the airport, uncontrolled. I hadn't been paying enough attention to navigation to realize we were so close to an airport. At our next stop I obtained a new chart which showed class D airspace and a control tower. Oops. The factors I see leading to this incursion were: 1) not originally planning to fly into wisconsin, so no charts and no planning. 2) allowing someone to give me an obsolete chart, and succumbing to his attitude that it would be good enough. 3) letting my friend fly and navigation, even though I knew she wasn't as good at pilotage, and 4) not paying enough attention to our position or reacting sooner when I first saw the twin. The occurrence would easily have been avoided with adequate flight planning and current charts.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH PENETRATION OF CLASS D AIRSPACE WAS A CONSEQUENCE OF VFR FLT CONDUCTED WITH OLD CHARTS.

Narrative: I WAS TRAVELING WITH A PLT FRIEND. SHE WAS FLYING AND PRACTICING NAV BY PILOTAGE. I WAS MOSTLY SIGHTSEEING, NOT PAYING ENOUGH ATTN. WE WERE USING AN OLD SECTIONAL CHART A FRIEND HAD GIVEN ME. I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE GOOD ENOUGH, AS THERE WAS NO SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE ALONG MY RTE. WE WERE FLYING AT 500 FT AGL, NBOUND ALONG THE W SHORE OF THE WISCONSIN RIVER. I NOTICED A LARGE TWIN ABOUT 5 MI AHEAD, WELL ABOVE MY ALT. A FEW MINS LATER I SAW IT AGAIN, MUCH LOWER, GEAR DOWN, ABOUT 10 O'CLOCK AND 1-2 MI. IT HAD BEEN OBSCURED BY MY WING UNTIL MY FRIEND BANKED R. THEN I REALIZED WE WERE ONLY ABOUT 2 MI OFF THE APCH END OF CENTRAL WISCONSIN ARPT. I TOOK THE CTLS AND DSNDED APPROX 200 FT AND TURNED AWAY FROM THE ARPT. THIS KEPT ME BELOW THE APCH PATH OF THE TWIN. I CONTINUED CLR OF THE AREA. THE CHART WE WERE USING CLRLY SHOWED THE ARPT, UNCTLED. I HADN'T BEEN PAYING ENOUGH ATTN TO NAV TO REALIZE WE WERE SO CLOSE TO AN ARPT. AT OUR NEXT STOP I OBTAINED A NEW CHART WHICH SHOWED CLASS D AIRSPACE AND A CTL TWR. OOPS. THE FACTORS I SEE LEADING TO THIS INCURSION WERE: 1) NOT ORIGINALLY PLANNING TO FLY INTO WISCONSIN, SO NO CHARTS AND NO PLANNING. 2) ALLOWING SOMEONE TO GIVE ME AN OBSOLETE CHART, AND SUCCUMBING TO HIS ATTITUDE THAT IT WOULD BE GOOD ENOUGH. 3) LETTING MY FRIEND FLY AND NAV, EVEN THOUGH I KNEW SHE WASN'T AS GOOD AT PILOTAGE, AND 4) NOT PAYING ENOUGH ATTN TO OUR POS OR REACTING SOONER WHEN I FIRST SAW THE TWIN. THE OCCURRENCE WOULD EASILY HAVE BEEN AVOIDED WITH ADEQUATE FLT PLANNING AND CURRENT CHARTS.

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.