Private pilot report of flight in proximity of sba class C. Report implies an overflt of bird sanctu...

Attributes
ACN	375769
Time
Date	199707
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sba
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sba
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct enroute airway : zla enroute other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 22 flight time total : 950 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	375769
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

I departed camarillo airport at around XA00 to return to concord. It was a clear, warm afternoon and I departed up the coast in part to ensure that I stayed clear of the condor sanctuary and the san rafael wilderness area located to the north of this flight path. I was attempting to fly to the north of the class C airspace at santa barbara by flying to the san marcos VORTAC. From the los angeles chart, it appeared that there was ample clearance to fly between the class C airspace and the VORTAC at the altitude that I was flying. As I approached the VORTAC, it was not clear whether I could continue at my present altitude and remain clear of the magenta line for the class C airspace, and I made a climbing right turn and course reversal to avoid the class C airspace. I flew to the east and then to the north and proceeded north of the VORTAC on course concord. It is possible that I inadvertently cut the edge of the class C airspace. As drawn, the class C airspace is shown as extending 6.5 NM to the north of the santa barbara airport. Class C airspace is supposed to extend 5 NM. My suggestions for improvement of safety in this area are as follows: 1) consider providing the altitude of the vors in the information box to assist pilot with ground orientation. 2) consider revising the chart to more accurately depict the class C airspace or extend the class C to include the VORTAC as a boundary as one would have to clear the class C anyway because of altitude necessary to overfly the VORTAC. 3) consider a more standard confign of the class C airspace to discourage flight between the class C boundary and the VORTAC. 4) consider better marking of the condor sanctuary by crosshatching rather than the small dots and blue boundary line which are hard to see in-flight, eg, restr areas are easy to locate. 5) relocate the notice to pilots information box to the new cuyama airport area for better readability. 6) advise FSDO offices that according to the aim, that they are the source of form 277. When I stopped in at oakland FSDO, they could not locate the form and seemed totally unaware of it. I had to obtain this form from the long beach FSDO in person on a business trip to los angeles, which delayed forwarding of this form by several days.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT RPT OF FLT IN PROX OF SBA CLASS C. RPT IMPLIES AN OVERFLT OF BIRD SANCTUARIES AT LOWER THAN REQUIRED ALT. PLT CITES CHART DEFICIENCIES INSTEAD OF PLT PLANNING, PERCEPTION AND VIGILANCE.

Narrative: I DEPARTED CAMARILLO ARPT AT AROUND XA00 TO RETURN TO CONCORD. IT WAS A CLR, WARM AFTERNOON AND I DEPARTED UP THE COAST IN PART TO ENSURE THAT I STAYED CLR OF THE CONDOR SANCTUARY AND THE SAN RAFAEL WILDERNESS AREA LOCATED TO THE N OF THIS FLT PATH. I WAS ATTEMPTING TO FLY TO THE N OF THE CLASS C AIRSPACE AT SANTA BARBARA BY FLYING TO THE SAN MARCOS VORTAC. FROM THE LOS ANGELES CHART, IT APPEARED THAT THERE WAS AMPLE CLRNC TO FLY BTWN THE CLASS C AIRSPACE AND THE VORTAC AT THE ALT THAT I WAS FLYING. AS I APCHED THE VORTAC, IT WAS NOT CLR WHETHER I COULD CONTINUE AT MY PRESENT ALT AND REMAIN CLR OF THE MAGENTA LINE FOR THE CLASS C AIRSPACE, AND I MADE A CLBING R TURN AND COURSE REVERSAL TO AVOID THE CLASS C AIRSPACE. I FLEW TO THE E AND THEN TO THE N AND PROCEEDED N OF THE VORTAC ON COURSE CONCORD. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT I INADVERTENTLY CUT THE EDGE OF THE CLASS C AIRSPACE. AS DRAWN, THE CLASS C AIRSPACE IS SHOWN AS EXTENDING 6.5 NM TO THE N OF THE SANTA BARBARA ARPT. CLASS C AIRSPACE IS SUPPOSED TO EXTEND 5 NM. MY SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT OF SAFETY IN THIS AREA ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1) CONSIDER PROVIDING THE ALT OF THE VORS IN THE INFO BOX TO ASSIST PLT WITH GND ORIENTATION. 2) CONSIDER REVISING THE CHART TO MORE ACCURATELY DEPICT THE CLASS C AIRSPACE OR EXTEND THE CLASS C TO INCLUDE THE VORTAC AS A BOUNDARY AS ONE WOULD HAVE TO CLR THE CLASS C ANYWAY BECAUSE OF ALT NECESSARY TO OVERFLY THE VORTAC. 3) CONSIDER A MORE STANDARD CONFIGN OF THE CLASS C AIRSPACE TO DISCOURAGE FLT BTWN THE CLASS C BOUNDARY AND THE VORTAC. 4) CONSIDER BETTER MARKING OF THE CONDOR SANCTUARY BY CROSSHATCHING RATHER THAN THE SMALL DOTS AND BLUE BOUNDARY LINE WHICH ARE HARD TO SEE INFLT, EG, RESTR AREAS ARE EASY TO LOCATE. 5) RELOCATE THE NOTICE TO PLTS INFO BOX TO THE NEW CUYAMA ARPT AREA FOR BETTER READABILITY. 6) ADVISE FSDO OFFICES THAT ACCORDING TO THE AIM, THAT THEY ARE THE SOURCE OF FORM 277. WHEN I STOPPED IN AT OAKLAND FSDO, THEY COULD NOT LOCATE THE FORM AND SEEMED TOTALLY UNAWARE OF IT. I HAD TO OBTAIN THIS FORM FROM THE LONG BEACH FSDO IN PERSON ON A BUSINESS TRIP TO LOS ANGELES, WHICH DELAYED FORWARDING OF THIS FORM BY SEVERAL DAYS.

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.

Private pilot report of flight in proximity of sba class C. Report implies an overflt of bird sanctuaries at lower than required altitude. Pilot cites chart deficiencies instead of pilot planning, perception and vigilance.