Narrative:

Conditions for the flight were ideal with unlimited ceiling and 25 mi visibility and a quartering tailwind. We had climbed to 11500 ft (course -053 degrees) with the intention of flying over the washington/baltimore class B airspace and descending into trenton. My decision to overfly the class B airspace was based on 1) favorable WX conditions, and 2) the difficulty encountered in the past with the washington controllers regarding permission to enter the airspace. The aircraft type was a beechcraft C33A debonair, equipped with a king IFR package, transponder and LORAN C. As I entered the area approximately 1500 ft above the ceiling above the class B airspace, I was holding course utilizing the LORAN which was connected to my HSI. It has been my experience in the past that the top of class B airspace is an obvious area where conflicts with high performance air carrier and GA aircraft are more possible than at lower altitudes. As a result, I was scanning constantly outside the aircraft for potential conflicts with traffic. As is my custom, I was also utilizing a sectional chart to supplement the LORAN C with basic pilotage. As my associate and I were passing over the potomac river, I looked down at the sectional and suddenly realized that I was virtually right on top of the area which is classified as the P56 (prohibited) area over downtown washington. This area actually consists of 2 very small regions -- a circular zone to the west, and a somewhat rectangular shaped zone to the east, which for obvious national security reasons, is designed to protect the president and the members of congress. I had forgotten about this area in my concentration and fixation on the other aspects of flying in proximity to class B airspace and quickly tried to analyze the situation. The rest of the flight proceeded uneventfully as I descended out of my cruising altitude, circumvented the philadelphia class B airspace and landed in trenton. As I was taxiing in, ground control informed me that washington approach had asked that I call them immediately. I knew that probably the discussion would revolve around the P56 airspace, and my subsequent telephone call confirmed this. I was informed that approach believed that I had committed a violation, and I tried to explain that I was attempting to avoid the airspace utilizing visual references and pilotage. After landing in morristown, the secret service was able to quickly and efficiently locate my whereabouts and it was strongly suggested that I come in to their office and discuss this matter. The agents debriefed me and I offered my explanation. I believe it was clear to the agents (one of whom was apparently a pilot) that my possible incursion was a mistake and that I meant no threat to the president or other members of the government. I have had an opportunity to analyze this incident in depth and have come to what I believe to be are accurate conclusions regarding the contributing factors and what corrective actions can be taken in the future to avoid a similar occurrence. In the time I have been flying the beech, its speed and utility have opened up new vistas to me. It has also made me somewhat lazy and inattentive to the small details which are a necessary and required part of successfully and safely exercising the privileges of my pilot's license. For instance, as I began to review my logbook in the preparation for the inevitable FAA investigation, found that my last biannual was in mar/94 instead of mar/96, as I had assumed. Thus, my biannual had expired over 2 yrs ago and I was not aware of it. Additionally, for the past 4 yrs, there have been periods where I had let several months go by before getting my third class medical renewed while flying the aircraft. The emphasis and reason for my flying since the beechcraft was acquired has been overwhelmingly business related. The need to get to a certain job and the ease and safety which the debonair performs the task has obviously made me complacent with regard to many of the disciplines and details that are required under the FARS. The luscombe was and is hard work to fly. The experience gave me what I believe to be better than average stick and rudder skills. However, this incident points to the fact that there is much more to flying airplanes than that. Although this incident led to no accident or injury, the lack of adequate preflight preparation and the inattn to salient details could have led to a more serious outcome at some point in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE33 PLT FLEW THROUGH PROHIBITED AREA P56 WHILE ON A VFR XCOUNTRY FLT. PLT ALSO ADMITTED HE HAD OUT OF DATE FLT REVIEW. HE WAS INTERVIEWED BY THE SECRET SVC AND IS ANTICIPATING AN FAA INVESTIGATION.

Narrative: CONDITIONS FOR THE FLT WERE IDEAL WITH UNLIMITED CEILING AND 25 MI VISIBILITY AND A QUARTERING TAILWIND. WE HAD CLBED TO 11500 FT (COURSE -053 DEGS) WITH THE INTENTION OF FLYING OVER THE WASHINGTON/BALTIMORE CLASS B AIRSPACE AND DSNDING INTO TRENTON. MY DECISION TO OVERFLY THE CLASS B AIRSPACE WAS BASED ON 1) FAVORABLE WX CONDITIONS, AND 2) THE DIFFICULTY ENCOUNTERED IN THE PAST WITH THE WASHINGTON CTLRS REGARDING PERMISSION TO ENTER THE AIRSPACE. THE ACFT TYPE WAS A BEECHCRAFT C33A DEBONAIR, EQUIPPED WITH A KING IFR PACKAGE, XPONDER AND LORAN C. AS I ENTERED THE AREA APPROX 1500 FT ABOVE THE CEILING ABOVE THE CLASS B AIRSPACE, I WAS HOLDING COURSE UTILIZING THE LORAN WHICH WAS CONNECTED TO MY HSI. IT HAS BEEN MY EXPERIENCE IN THE PAST THAT THE TOP OF CLASS B AIRSPACE IS AN OBVIOUS AREA WHERE CONFLICTS WITH HIGH PERFORMANCE ACR AND GA ACFT ARE MORE POSSIBLE THAN AT LOWER ALTS. AS A RESULT, I WAS SCANNING CONSTANTLY OUTSIDE THE ACFT FOR POTENTIAL CONFLICTS WITH TFC. AS IS MY CUSTOM, I WAS ALSO UTILIZING A SECTIONAL CHART TO SUPPLEMENT THE LORAN C WITH BASIC PILOTAGE. AS MY ASSOCIATE AND I WERE PASSING OVER THE POTOMAC RIVER, I LOOKED DOWN AT THE SECTIONAL AND SUDDENLY REALIZED THAT I WAS VIRTUALLY RIGHT ON TOP OF THE AREA WHICH IS CLASSIFIED AS THE P56 (PROHIBITED) AREA OVER DOWNTOWN WASHINGTON. THIS AREA ACTUALLY CONSISTS OF 2 VERY SMALL REGIONS -- A CIRCULAR ZONE TO THE W, AND A SOMEWHAT RECTANGULAR SHAPED ZONE TO THE E, WHICH FOR OBVIOUS NATIONAL SECURITY REASONS, IS DESIGNED TO PROTECT THE PRESIDENT AND THE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. I HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT THIS AREA IN MY CONCENTRATION AND FIXATION ON THE OTHER ASPECTS OF FLYING IN PROX TO CLASS B AIRSPACE AND QUICKLY TRIED TO ANALYZE THE SIT. THE REST OF THE FLT PROCEEDED UNEVENTFULLY AS I DSNDED OUT OF MY CRUISING ALT, CIRCUMVENTED THE PHILADELPHIA CLASS B AIRSPACE AND LANDED IN TRENTON. AS I WAS TAXIING IN, GND CTL INFORMED ME THAT WASHINGTON APCH HAD ASKED THAT I CALL THEM IMMEDIATELY. I KNEW THAT PROBABLY THE DISCUSSION WOULD REVOLVE AROUND THE P56 AIRSPACE, AND MY SUBSEQUENT TELEPHONE CALL CONFIRMED THIS. I WAS INFORMED THAT APCH BELIEVED THAT I HAD COMMITTED A VIOLATION, AND I TRIED TO EXPLAIN THAT I WAS ATTEMPTING TO AVOID THE AIRSPACE UTILIZING VISUAL REFS AND PILOTAGE. AFTER LNDG IN MORRISTOWN, THE SECRET SVC WAS ABLE TO QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY LOCATE MY WHEREABOUTS AND IT WAS STRONGLY SUGGESTED THAT I COME IN TO THEIR OFFICE AND DISCUSS THIS MATTER. THE AGENTS DEBRIEFED ME AND I OFFERED MY EXPLANATION. I BELIEVE IT WAS CLR TO THE AGENTS (ONE OF WHOM WAS APPARENTLY A PLT) THAT MY POSSIBLE INCURSION WAS A MISTAKE AND THAT I MEANT NO THREAT TO THE PRESIDENT OR OTHER MEMBERS OF THE GOV. I HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO ANALYZE THIS INCIDENT IN DEPTH AND HAVE COME TO WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE ARE ACCURATE CONCLUSIONS REGARDING THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS AND WHAT CORRECTIVE ACTIONS CAN BE TAKEN IN THE FUTURE TO AVOID A SIMILAR OCCURRENCE. IN THE TIME I HAVE BEEN FLYING THE BEECH, ITS SPD AND UTILITY HAVE OPENED UP NEW VISTAS TO ME. IT HAS ALSO MADE ME SOMEWHAT LAZY AND INATTENTIVE TO THE SMALL DETAILS WHICH ARE A NECESSARY AND REQUIRED PART OF SUCCESSFULLY AND SAFELY EXERCISING THE PRIVILEGES OF MY PLT'S LICENSE. FOR INSTANCE, AS I BEGAN TO REVIEW MY LOGBOOK IN THE PREPARATION FOR THE INEVITABLE FAA INVESTIGATION, FOUND THAT MY LAST BIANNUAL WAS IN MAR/94 INSTEAD OF MAR/96, AS I HAD ASSUMED. THUS, MY BIANNUAL HAD EXPIRED OVER 2 YRS AGO AND I WAS NOT AWARE OF IT. ADDITIONALLY, FOR THE PAST 4 YRS, THERE HAVE BEEN PERIODS WHERE I HAD LET SEVERAL MONTHS GO BY BEFORE GETTING MY THIRD CLASS MEDICAL RENEWED WHILE FLYING THE ACFT. THE EMPHASIS AND REASON FOR MY FLYING SINCE THE BEECHCRAFT WAS ACQUIRED HAS BEEN OVERWHELMINGLY BUSINESS RELATED. THE NEED TO GET TO A CERTAIN JOB AND THE EASE AND SAFETY WHICH THE DEBONAIR PERFORMS THE TASK HAS OBVIOUSLY MADE ME COMPLACENT WITH REGARD TO MANY OF THE DISCIPLINES AND DETAILS THAT ARE REQUIRED UNDER THE FARS. THE LUSCOMBE WAS AND IS HARD WORK TO FLY. THE EXPERIENCE GAVE ME WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE BETTER THAN AVERAGE STICK AND RUDDER SKILLS. HOWEVER, THIS INCIDENT POINTS TO THE FACT THAT THERE IS MUCH MORE TO FLYING AIRPLANES THAN THAT. ALTHOUGH THIS INCIDENT LED TO NO ACCIDENT OR INJURY, THE LACK OF ADEQUATE PREFLT PREPARATION AND THE INATTN TO SALIENT DETAILS COULD HAVE LED TO A MORE SERIOUS OUTCOME AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE.

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.