Military pilot penetrated class C airspace while performing a test flight.

Attributes
ACN	322021
Time
Date	199511
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : cew airport : vps
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pns tracon : dsm
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : military
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 5400 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	322021
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : exited penetrated airspace
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was performing experimental flight test out of eglin AFB, and I was east of whiting NAS and west of crestview, fl. I was using combination of visual navigation VOR/DME references. I had been watching whiting NAS and student T-34's from a 'safe visual' distance while I was performing flight test. My sectional was folded along a line through the whiting NAS area where lots of lines and colors from navy MOA's, class C airspace, and eglin AFB restr areas all jumble up. The class east airspace around whiting NAS did not mentally register with me for awhile, and I think I penetrated this airspace without clearance by a couple of mi. The WX was beautiful, and I had no problem clearing for traffic or observing the whiting area. After closer study of the sectional I realized my error and cleared out of the class C airspace. The clutter of lines, colors, notes, etc, around the eglin AFB area on the new orleans sectional is hard to understand without study. It can cause airspace incursion problems like this, and I am a lot more familiar with the eglin AFB area than most pilots are. Is there any way to 'clean up' some of the clutter out of this area? Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter wishes that a 1:250000 scale chart was designed for the area. He has operated in this airspace many times, and yet still, managed to make a mistake. Reporter states that division of attention demands are too great -- the present chart aggravates demands. Many other users are generally less consistent fliers. A lot of the air traffic consists of 'vacation' pilots and student pilots. The airspace complexity poses a continual problem for someone at this level of experience. Reporter recounted recent incident involving a student pilot who 'flew into the eglin west range, this shut down all range operations (live fire and live bombs) until the aircraft could be vectored out of the airspace.' this was a test flight for electronic display. Pilot was accompanied by engineers.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MIL PLT PENETRATED CLASS C AIRSPACE WHILE PERFORMING A TEST FLT.

Narrative: I WAS PERFORMING EXPERIMENTAL FLT TEST OUT OF EGLIN AFB, AND I WAS E OF WHITING NAS AND W OF CRESTVIEW, FL. I WAS USING COMBINATION OF VISUAL NAV VOR/DME REFS. I HAD BEEN WATCHING WHITING NAS AND STUDENT T-34'S FROM A 'SAFE VISUAL' DISTANCE WHILE I WAS PERFORMING FLT TEST. MY SECTIONAL WAS FOLDED ALONG A LINE THROUGH THE WHITING NAS AREA WHERE LOTS OF LINES AND COLORS FROM NAVY MOA'S, CLASS C AIRSPACE, AND EGLIN AFB RESTR AREAS ALL JUMBLE UP. THE CLASS E AIRSPACE AROUND WHITING NAS DID NOT MENTALLY REGISTER WITH ME FOR AWHILE, AND I THINK I PENETRATED THIS AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC BY A COUPLE OF MI. THE WX WAS BEAUTIFUL, AND I HAD NO PROB CLRING FOR TFC OR OBSERVING THE WHITING AREA. AFTER CLOSER STUDY OF THE SECTIONAL I REALIZED MY ERROR AND CLRED OUT OF THE CLASS C AIRSPACE. THE CLUTTER OF LINES, COLORS, NOTES, ETC, AROUND THE EGLIN AFB AREA ON THE NEW ORLEANS SECTIONAL IS HARD TO UNDERSTAND WITHOUT STUDY. IT CAN CAUSE AIRSPACE INCURSION PROBS LIKE THIS, AND I AM A LOT MORE FAMILIAR WITH THE EGLIN AFB AREA THAN MOST PLTS ARE. IS THERE ANY WAY TO 'CLEAN UP' SOME OF THE CLUTTER OUT OF THIS AREA? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR WISHES THAT A 1:250000 SCALE CHART WAS DESIGNED FOR THE AREA. HE HAS OPERATED IN THIS AIRSPACE MANY TIMES, AND YET STILL, MANAGED TO MAKE A MISTAKE. RPTR STATES THAT DIVISION OF ATTENTION DEMANDS ARE TOO GREAT -- THE PRESENT CHART AGGRAVATES DEMANDS. MANY OTHER USERS ARE GENERALLY LESS CONSISTENT FLIERS. A LOT OF THE AIR TFC CONSISTS OF 'VACATION' PLTS AND STUDENT PLTS. THE AIRSPACE COMPLEXITY POSES A CONTINUAL PROB FOR SOMEONE AT THIS LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE. RPTR RECOUNTED RECENT INCIDENT INVOLVING A STUDENT PLT WHO 'FLEW INTO THE EGLIN W RANGE, THIS SHUT DOWN ALL RANGE OPS (LIVE FIRE AND LIVE BOMBS) UNTIL THE ACFT COULD BE VECTORED OUT OF THE AIRSPACE.' THIS WAS A TEST FLT FOR ELECTRONIC DISPLAY. PLT WAS ACCOMPANIED BY ENGINEERS.

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.