Small aircraft departing with SVFR clearance enters class D airspace without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	326025
Time
Date	199601
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : tcm
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1200 msl bound upper : 1200
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : tcm
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	approach : svfr
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 108 flight time total : 2445 flight time type : 1255
ASRS Report	326025
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Left tiw SVFR to the east. WX improved to MVFR before leaving tiw class D as was expected. Flew north of tcm class D, monitoring sea VOR with DME to be sure to avoid sea class B airspace. Visually picked up a road which I thought was the road leading to destination, 1s0 (pierce co-thun field) by turning southwest. At this time I was encountering wet snow turning to snow with visibility to ground adequate. Check for wing ice and carburetor ice. Negative for both. Remembered tcm class D and switched DME to tcm and realized I was following the wrong road, as DME indicated 2.7 east of tcm. I immediately made a correction to an east heading direct to 1s0. WX at 1s0 was VFR/MVFR. Situation could have been avoided if I had monitored tcm VOR and flown an arc to 1s0. 20/20 hindsight is tremendous after the fact. I considered flying IFR but decided not to because there is no approach to 1s0 and MVA may not be low enough to get visual. Also the icing level was reported at 3000 ft MSL and did not want to deal with ice in this aircraft as it has no de/anti-ice protection.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA DEPARTING WITH SVFR CLRNC ENTERS CLASS D AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: LEFT TIW SVFR TO THE E. WX IMPROVED TO MVFR BEFORE LEAVING TIW CLASS D AS WAS EXPECTED. FLEW N OF TCM CLASS D, MONITORING SEA VOR WITH DME TO BE SURE TO AVOID SEA CLASS B AIRSPACE. VISUALLY PICKED UP A ROAD WHICH I THOUGHT WAS THE ROAD LEADING TO DEST, 1S0 (PIERCE CO-THUN FIELD) BY TURNING SW. AT THIS TIME I WAS ENCOUNTERING WET SNOW TURNING TO SNOW WITH VISIBILITY TO GND ADEQUATE. CHK FOR WING ICE AND CARB ICE. NEGATIVE FOR BOTH. REMEMBERED TCM CLASS D AND SWITCHED DME TO TCM AND REALIZED I WAS FOLLOWING THE WRONG ROAD, AS DME INDICATED 2.7 E OF TCM. I IMMEDIATELY MADE A CORRECTION TO AN E HDG DIRECT TO 1S0. WX AT 1S0 WAS VFR/MVFR. SIT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF I HAD MONITORED TCM VOR AND FLOWN AN ARC TO 1S0. 20/20 HINDSIGHT IS TREMENDOUS AFTER THE FACT. I CONSIDERED FLYING IFR BUT DECIDED NOT TO BECAUSE THERE IS NO APCH TO 1S0 AND MVA MAY NOT BE LOW ENOUGH TO GET VISUAL. ALSO THE ICING LEVEL WAS RPTED AT 3000 FT MSL AND DID NOT WANT TO DEAL WITH ICE IN THIS ACFT AS IT HAS NO DE/ANTI-ICE PROTECTION.

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.