Narrative:

We were on an IFR flight plan and were given a descent to 9000 ft. There was a cloud layer at about 11000 ft and bases at 8500 ft, with turbulence below. Since we were in familiar airspace, I decided to cancel the IFR flight plan and proceed VFR to pne and stay with ZNY for VFR advisories. We were level at 15500 ft MSL. The ceiling was called broken but there were few holes to descend through, but I found one. To get through the hole legally, I had to increase my descent to 4000 FPM. While descending, ZNY handed us off to phl approach control. I had to maneuver somewhat to find the hole and got a little closer to phl than I anticipated. I was descending through 7000 ft MSL and was looking for my distance from phl and I noticed I was inside the 20 NM outer ring of the class B airspace. I arrested the descent and climbed back to 7500 ft. My lowest altitude was 6700 ft (300 ft inside the class B airspace). Total duration inside class B was approximately 10 seconds. During all this, my copilot was trying to establish radio contact with phl approach. Since ZNY just handed us off and didn't terminate our advisories, we assumed that phl approach was expecting us. On the contrary, the phl controller had no idea where we were, so we gave her our position. (By this time we had already climbed back to 7500 ft.) she handed us off to another phl approach controller and he gave us class B clearance. We proceeded to pne without further incident. Contributing factors include my willingness to cancel my IFR flight plan when I normally wouldn't do so. Also, I had a part time copilot who was unfamiliar with FMS/EFIS and he didn't have phl displayed on the multi-function display. I had to divert some of my concentration to make sure he wasn't pushing the wrong button, thus my momentary lapse of positional awareness. Very poor decision making on my part. Just to stay at a higher altitude and make the flight a little smoother, I ended up painting myself into a corner. I won't do it again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CORPORATE PIC CANCELS IFR DUE TO LOW LEVEL TURB AND STAYS HIGH GOING TO PNE. THINKS HE HAS AN IFR TYPE HDOF TO PHL APCH BUT DOESN'T. GETS DISTR IN DSCNT WHILE 'PUNCHING A HOLE' IN THE CLOUD DECK AND ENTERS PHL CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: WE WERE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN AND WERE GIVEN A DSCNT TO 9000 FT. THERE WAS A CLOUD LAYER AT ABOUT 11000 FT AND BASES AT 8500 FT, WITH TURB BELOW. SINCE WE WERE IN FAMILIAR AIRSPACE, I DECIDED TO CANCEL THE IFR FLT PLAN AND PROCEED VFR TO PNE AND STAY WITH ZNY FOR VFR ADVISORIES. WE WERE LEVEL AT 15500 FT MSL. THE CEILING WAS CALLED BROKEN BUT THERE WERE FEW HOLES TO DSND THROUGH, BUT I FOUND ONE. TO GET THROUGH THE HOLE LEGALLY, I HAD TO INCREASE MY DSCNT TO 4000 FPM. WHILE DSNDING, ZNY HANDED US OFF TO PHL APCH CTL. I HAD TO MANEUVER SOMEWHAT TO FIND THE HOLE AND GOT A LITTLE CLOSER TO PHL THAN I ANTICIPATED. I WAS DSNDING THROUGH 7000 FT MSL AND WAS LOOKING FOR MY DISTANCE FROM PHL AND I NOTICED I WAS INSIDE THE 20 NM OUTER RING OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. I ARRESTED THE DSCNT AND CLBED BACK TO 7500 FT. MY LOWEST ALT WAS 6700 FT (300 FT INSIDE THE CLASS B AIRSPACE). TOTAL DURATION INSIDE CLASS B WAS APPROX 10 SECONDS. DURING ALL THIS, MY COPLT WAS TRYING TO ESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT WITH PHL APCH. SINCE ZNY JUST HANDED US OFF AND DIDN'T TERMINATE OUR ADVISORIES, WE ASSUMED THAT PHL APCH WAS EXPECTING US. ON THE CONTRARY, THE PHL CTLR HAD NO IDEA WHERE WE WERE, SO WE GAVE HER OUR POS. (BY THIS TIME WE HAD ALREADY CLBED BACK TO 7500 FT.) SHE HANDED US OFF TO ANOTHER PHL APCH CTLR AND HE GAVE US CLASS B CLRNC. WE PROCEEDED TO PNE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDE MY WILLINGNESS TO CANCEL MY IFR FLT PLAN WHEN I NORMALLY WOULDN'T DO SO. ALSO, I HAD A PART TIME COPLT WHO WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH FMS/EFIS AND HE DIDN'T HAVE PHL DISPLAYED ON THE MULTI-FUNCTION DISPLAY. I HAD TO DIVERT SOME OF MY CONCENTRATION TO MAKE SURE HE WASN'T PUSHING THE WRONG BUTTON, THUS MY MOMENTARY LAPSE OF POSITIONAL AWARENESS. VERY POOR DECISION MAKING ON MY PART. JUST TO STAY AT A HIGHER ALT AND MAKE THE FLT A LITTLE SMOOTHER, I ENDED UP PAINTING MYSELF INTO A CORNER. I WON'T DO IT AGAIN.

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.