Narrative:

On my regularly scheduled route for a small cargo airline, from rdu to lbt, I was released by raleigh departure about 10 mi before I am usually released. Because I was still outside of fayetteville approach's radar coverage, I dialed their frequency into the radio but did not try to contact them, intending to make my initial contact when I was about 25 mi from fayetteville (fay). At about 30 mi out from fay, I heard approach advise a flight of A10's going into pope AFB of VFR traffic (my aircraft) in their vicinity. I became engrossed in looking for these aircraft, not wanting a conflict to occur. A few mins later approach advised the A10's that the traffic was no longer a factor. After that, radio traffic was very light and I became 'lost' in my thoughts. I briefly wondered why I hadn't been handed off to the next controller, but because of the light traffic, assumed that the same controller was working both sectors, and continued on. It wasn't until I was about to start my descent into lbt that I noticed my transponder was still set to 1200. At this point I was well clear of fayetteville's airspace. I realized that I had flown through the middle of fayetteville's class C airspace without ever calling or in any other way contacting ATC. Because I was clear of their airspace at this time, I continued the flight without making contact. In retrospect, the reason for this incident was a loss of situational awareness on my part. I first became engrossed in looking for possible conflicting traffic and then in my own thoughts that I forgot about where I was and what I needed to be doing.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE RPTR 'LOST IN HIS THOUGHTS' GOES THROUGH THE FAY CLASS C AIRSPACE WITHOUT CALLING FAY APCH.

Narrative: ON MY REGULARLY SCHEDULED RTE FOR A SMALL CARGO AIRLINE, FROM RDU TO LBT, I WAS RELEASED BY RALEIGH DEP ABOUT 10 MI BEFORE I AM USUALLY RELEASED. BECAUSE I WAS STILL OUTSIDE OF FAYETTEVILLE APCH'S RADAR COVERAGE, I DIALED THEIR FREQ INTO THE RADIO BUT DID NOT TRY TO CONTACT THEM, INTENDING TO MAKE MY INITIAL CONTACT WHEN I WAS ABOUT 25 MI FROM FAYETTEVILLE (FAY). AT ABOUT 30 MI OUT FROM FAY, I HEARD APCH ADVISE A FLT OF A10'S GOING INTO POPE AFB OF VFR TFC (MY ACFT) IN THEIR VICINITY. I BECAME ENGROSSED IN LOOKING FOR THESE ACFT, NOT WANTING A CONFLICT TO OCCUR. A FEW MINS LATER APCH ADVISED THE A10'S THAT THE TFC WAS NO LONGER A FACTOR. AFTER THAT, RADIO TFC WAS VERY LIGHT AND I BECAME 'LOST' IN MY THOUGHTS. I BRIEFLY WONDERED WHY I HADN'T BEEN HANDED OFF TO THE NEXT CTLR, BUT BECAUSE OF THE LIGHT TFC, ASSUMED THAT THE SAME CTLR WAS WORKING BOTH SECTORS, AND CONTINUED ON. IT WASN'T UNTIL I WAS ABOUT TO START MY DSCNT INTO LBT THAT I NOTICED MY XPONDER WAS STILL SET TO 1200. AT THIS POINT I WAS WELL CLR OF FAYETTEVILLE'S AIRSPACE. I REALIZED THAT I HAD FLOWN THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF FAYETTEVILLE'S CLASS C AIRSPACE WITHOUT EVER CALLING OR IN ANY OTHER WAY CONTACTING ATC. BECAUSE I WAS CLR OF THEIR AIRSPACE AT THIS TIME, I CONTINUED THE FLT WITHOUT MAKING CONTACT. IN RETROSPECT, THE REASON FOR THIS INCIDENT WAS A LOSS OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS ON MY PART. I FIRST BECAME ENGROSSED IN LOOKING FOR POSSIBLE CONFLICTING TFC AND THEN IN MY OWN THOUGHTS THAT I FORGOT ABOUT WHERE I WAS AND WHAT I NEEDED TO BE DOING.

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.