Narrative:

On feb/sun/96 at approximately XA45 local time I departed gastonia, nc, airport in my N3N which is a 1941 military trainer biplane with a pratt and whitney 450 hp/R985 engine. I restored this military aircraft factory N3N to mostly original condition and it has, of course, open cockpits. This airplane is fairly fast with the large engine, and chart folding is extremely difficult with the wind coming through the front cockpit and exiting through the rear cockpit, which is where you solo this airplane from. The WX was MVFR and I climbed up through a large hole to get on top. There was a SIGMET for severe turbulence. I only found moderate, but as I tried to clip on my kneeboard with the chart, the aircraft lurched down hard, causing me to lose my grip on the kneeboard and kneeboard, chart, and strap was sucked away. The reason I don't strap the kneeboard on before takeoff is because it restricts the side to side movement of the control stick. So I depart the airport first, then at first opportunity strap on the chart board which is strapped on to the tailwheel locking linkage tube on the starboard side of the fuselage for takeoff or landing. So then I had no chart for the charlotte area, it went away approximately 5 mins after departure. When I departed gastonia I flew west for quite some time and I thought I was well clear of the class B. The wind was extremely strong out of the west with the frontal passage. I was still in charlotte's airspace when I was forced up to 6500 ft to maintain VFR. I couldn't call approach because my chart was gone and I didn't recall the frequency. I thought I remembered the floor of the outer rings to be 8000 ft, but the floor where charlotte approach saw me on radar was 6000 ft, so I was in the bottom 500 ft of the class B airspace. My destination airport was SS1 brunswick, GA, but I monitored 122.75 and got columbia- cae approach frequency from another pilot. I called cae approach and they told me about charlotte approach wanting me to call, which I did as soon as I landed at cae. I normally make copies of restr airspace off the charts and keep them in my coat pocket when flying this airplane cross country, but didn't in this case, when I needed a spare. I take restr airspace requirements very serious and am very professional about my flying. I have a clean record and I am very proud of that. I hope this unfortunate and odd occurrence does not put a blemish on my record.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE RPTR PLT IN THE OPEN COCKPIT ON CLBOUT LOST CTL OF HIS CHARTS AS THEY BLEW AWAY. THE RPTR HAD TO CLB TO REMAIN CLR OF CLOUDS, AND IN THE PROCESS CLBED 500 FT INTO THE FLOOR OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ON FEB/SUN/96 AT APPROX XA45 LCL TIME I DEPARTED GASTONIA, NC, ARPT IN MY N3N WHICH IS A 1941 MIL TRAINER BIPLANE WITH A PRATT AND WHITNEY 450 HP/R985 ENG. I RESTORED THIS MIL ACFT FACTORY N3N TO MOSTLY ORIGINAL CONDITION AND IT HAS, OF COURSE, OPEN COCKPITS. THIS AIRPLANE IS FAIRLY FAST WITH THE LARGE ENG, AND CHART FOLDING IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT WITH THE WIND COMING THROUGH THE FRONT COCKPIT AND EXITING THROUGH THE REAR COCKPIT, WHICH IS WHERE YOU SOLO THIS AIRPLANE FROM. THE WX WAS MVFR AND I CLBED UP THROUGH A LARGE HOLE TO GET ON TOP. THERE WAS A SIGMET FOR SEVERE TURB. I ONLY FOUND MODERATE, BUT AS I TRIED TO CLIP ON MY KNEEBOARD WITH THE CHART, THE ACFT LURCHED DOWN HARD, CAUSING ME TO LOSE MY GRIP ON THE KNEEBOARD AND KNEEBOARD, CHART, AND STRAP WAS SUCKED AWAY. THE REASON I DON'T STRAP THE KNEEBOARD ON BEFORE TKOF IS BECAUSE IT RESTRICTS THE SIDE TO SIDE MOVEMENT OF THE CTL STICK. SO I DEPART THE ARPT FIRST, THEN AT FIRST OPPORTUNITY STRAP ON THE CHART BOARD WHICH IS STRAPPED ON TO THE TAILWHEEL LOCKING LINKAGE TUBE ON THE STARBOARD SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE FOR TKOF OR LNDG. SO THEN I HAD NO CHART FOR THE CHARLOTTE AREA, IT WENT AWAY APPROX 5 MINS AFTER DEP. WHEN I DEPARTED GASTONIA I FLEW W FOR QUITE SOME TIME AND I THOUGHT I WAS WELL CLR OF THE CLASS B. THE WIND WAS EXTREMELY STRONG OUT OF THE W WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE. I WAS STILL IN CHARLOTTE'S AIRSPACE WHEN I WAS FORCED UP TO 6500 FT TO MAINTAIN VFR. I COULDN'T CALL APCH BECAUSE MY CHART WAS GONE AND I DIDN'T RECALL THE FREQ. I THOUGHT I REMEMBERED THE FLOOR OF THE OUTER RINGS TO BE 8000 FT, BUT THE FLOOR WHERE CHARLOTTE APCH SAW ME ON RADAR WAS 6000 FT, SO I WAS IN THE BOTTOM 500 FT OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. MY DEST ARPT WAS SS1 BRUNSWICK, GA, BUT I MONITORED 122.75 AND GOT COLUMBIA- CAE APCH FREQ FROM ANOTHER PLT. I CALLED CAE APCH AND THEY TOLD ME ABOUT CHARLOTTE APCH WANTING ME TO CALL, WHICH I DID AS SOON AS I LANDED AT CAE. I NORMALLY MAKE COPIES OF RESTR AIRSPACE OFF THE CHARTS AND KEEP THEM IN MY COAT POCKET WHEN FLYING THIS AIRPLANE XCOUNTRY, BUT DIDN'T IN THIS CASE, WHEN I NEEDED A SPARE. I TAKE RESTR AIRSPACE REQUIREMENTS VERY SERIOUS AND AM VERY PROFESSIONAL ABOUT MY FLYING. I HAVE A CLEAN RECORD AND I AM VERY PROUD OF THAT. I HOPE THIS UNFORTUNATE AND ODD OCCURRENCE DOES NOT PUT A BLEMISH ON MY RECORD.

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.