C185 float plane with 2 pilots enters class B of seattle during some deviating around WX. Pilots were using GPS 'direct' from olympia to friday harbor to powell river. PF admits that he should have been on sea approach control frequency.

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Attributes
ACN	378810
Time
Date	199708
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sea
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : nuw tracon : sea
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skywagon 185
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	378810
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 1800 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	378809
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Cruising at 4500 ft past olympia, wa, over broken overcast, visually overflew belfair, wa. Started climb to avoid buildups while flying a GPS heading toward friday harbor. Contacted whidbey approach about jefferson county international. Was told by whidbey that center said we had entered class B airspace. I don't believe I did that. Would be educational for me to review the radar tapes. Supplemental information from acn 378809: VFR flight plan from aurora state, or, at between 6200-6500 ft MSL direct olympia, direct friday harbor direct powell river, back course. After passing olympia we went to a solid undercast and broken overcast with buildups, requiring flight deviations. By the time we approached whidbey island airspace we were between layers with buildups. Whidbey island approach informed me that we had violated the seattle class B airspace. I assumed seattle had called them. Whidbey said that was a 'no-no.' our WX briefing indicated that nanaimo and powell river were VFR. We should have had seattle flight following and the class B airspace would not be in question at this time.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C185 FLOAT PLANE WITH 2 PLTS ENTERS CLASS B OF SEATTLE DURING SOME DEVIATING AROUND WX. PLTS WERE USING GPS 'DIRECT' FROM OLYMPIA TO FRIDAY HARBOR TO POWELL RIVER. PF ADMITS THAT HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON SEA APCH CTL FREQ.

Narrative: CRUISING AT 4500 FT PAST OLYMPIA, WA, OVER BROKEN OVCST, VISUALLY OVERFLEW BELFAIR, WA. STARTED CLB TO AVOID BUILDUPS WHILE FLYING A GPS HDG TOWARD FRIDAY HARBOR. CONTACTED WHIDBEY APCH ABOUT JEFFERSON COUNTY INTL. WAS TOLD BY WHIDBEY THAT CTR SAID WE HAD ENTERED CLASS B AIRSPACE. I DON'T BELIEVE I DID THAT. WOULD BE EDUCATIONAL FOR ME TO REVIEW THE RADAR TAPES. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 378809: VFR FLT PLAN FROM AURORA STATE, OR, AT BTWN 6200-6500 FT MSL DIRECT OLYMPIA, DIRECT FRIDAY HARBOR DIRECT POWELL RIVER, BC. AFTER PASSING OLYMPIA WE WENT TO A SOLID UNDERCAST AND BROKEN OVCST WITH BUILDUPS, REQUIRING FLT DEVS. BY THE TIME WE APCHED WHIDBEY ISLAND AIRSPACE WE WERE BTWN LAYERS WITH BUILDUPS. WHIDBEY ISLAND APCH INFORMED ME THAT WE HAD VIOLATED THE SEATTLE CLASS B AIRSPACE. I ASSUMED SEATTLE HAD CALLED THEM. WHIDBEY SAID THAT WAS A 'NO-NO.' OUR WX BRIEFING INDICATED THAT NANAIMO AND POWELL RIVER WERE VFR. WE SHOULD HAVE HAD SEATTLE FLT FOLLOWING AND THE CLASS B AIRSPACE WOULD NOT BE IN QUESTION AT THIS TIME.

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.