Narrative:

I departed torrance airport (runway 29R) at approximately XA50 am on dec/thu/98, on a VFR flight to prescott, az. My flight plan, loaded into my garmin 195, was direct from toa to ful, tnp VOR, landing at prc. (Since the MOA's west of prescott, az, were active, I changed the flight plan by inserting the pke VOR between tnp and prc to minimize flying time in the MOA's. I also descended to 7500 ft to stay below the military training airspace.) the flight proceeded on course climbing to clear lgb's airspace (2600 ft) and keeping below 5000 ft until los alamitos aaf (sli) appeared off the right wing and verified by crossing the airspace line depicted on the GPS. I then climbed to 5500 ft until clearing class B airspace, verified by disneyland and the airspace line on the GPS. I then climbed to 9500 ft on course towards the tnp VOR. Since my course at 9500 ft would take me through the northern edge of palm springs TRSA, I contacted palm springs approach for flight following to prc. Palm springs approach notified me that I was requested to call socal at XXX- XXX-XXXX. I told them I would call when I landed at prc and asked if they knew why socal requested me to call. Palm springs approach said that it was regarding a class B airspace violation. After landing at prescott airport, I stated that I was calling in regard to nxxxxx. I told him that I was calling from prescott, az, and could call him later in the day when I got back to los angeles. He stated that 'I did not need to call him back and, not to worry that I was not going to receive a violation.' in a detailed review of the VFR terminal area chart for los angeles, and considering the ground fog conditions that morning, the only scenario I could construct for a class B airspace violation was the following: a thin ground fog covered the areas near the coast south of my route including long beach and los alamitos airports. The fog was very close to the ground since I noted that it was strange that I could clearly see the tops of high voltage power lines. I possibly could have misidented long beach airport as los alamitos airport and misidented the airspace boundary floor transition from 5000 ft to 6000 ft with the lines on the GPS showing the 605 freeway. If this scenario occurred, then I may have climbed through the 5000 ft floor of the class B airspace prior to reaching the 6000 ft floor segment. I cannot construct a scenario for violating the 6000 ft floor segment. I clearly recall that while looking for disneyland, I let the altitude creep up to 5800 ft before correcting to 5500 ft. I then engaged the autoplt in the altitude hold mode until clearing class B airspace. Again, I am sure I did not prematurely climb since I idented disneyland and did not start my climb above 6000 ft until close to exiting the 30 mi mode C line which is outside class B airspace in that sector. In the future I can avoid the possible misident of airspace boundaries by adding a check using the 355 degree radial (from) of the sli VOR to identify the transition from the 5000 ft floor to the 6000 ft floor airspace segments. In addition I will add a waypoint to the planned route to further identify the airspace boundaries. These actions should preclude inadvertent airspace violations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE35 PLT CLBS INTO THE LAX CLASS B WHEN HIS GPS AND FAULTED PILOTAGE TECHNIQUE MISIDENTS THE TCA BOUNDARY.

Narrative: I DEPARTED TORRANCE ARPT (RWY 29R) AT APPROX XA50 AM ON DEC/THU/98, ON A VFR FLT TO PRESCOTT, AZ. MY FLT PLAN, LOADED INTO MY GARMIN 195, WAS DIRECT FROM TOA TO FUL, TNP VOR, LNDG AT PRC. (SINCE THE MOA'S W OF PRESCOTT, AZ, WERE ACTIVE, I CHANGED THE FLT PLAN BY INSERTING THE PKE VOR BTWN TNP AND PRC TO MINIMIZE FLYING TIME IN THE MOA'S. I ALSO DSNDED TO 7500 FT TO STAY BELOW THE MIL TRAINING AIRSPACE.) THE FLT PROCEEDED ON COURSE CLBING TO CLR LGB'S AIRSPACE (2600 FT) AND KEEPING BELOW 5000 FT UNTIL LOS ALAMITOS AAF (SLI) APPEARED OFF THE R WING AND VERIFIED BY XING THE AIRSPACE LINE DEPICTED ON THE GPS. I THEN CLBED TO 5500 FT UNTIL CLRING CLASS B AIRSPACE, VERIFIED BY DISNEYLAND AND THE AIRSPACE LINE ON THE GPS. I THEN CLBED TO 9500 FT ON COURSE TOWARDS THE TNP VOR. SINCE MY COURSE AT 9500 FT WOULD TAKE ME THROUGH THE NORTHERN EDGE OF PALM SPRINGS TRSA, I CONTACTED PALM SPRINGS APCH FOR FLT FOLLOWING TO PRC. PALM SPRINGS APCH NOTIFIED ME THAT I WAS REQUESTED TO CALL SOCAL AT XXX- XXX-XXXX. I TOLD THEM I WOULD CALL WHEN I LANDED AT PRC AND ASKED IF THEY KNEW WHY SOCAL REQUESTED ME TO CALL. PALM SPRINGS APCH SAID THAT IT WAS REGARDING A CLASS B AIRSPACE VIOLATION. AFTER LNDG AT PRESCOTT ARPT, I STATED THAT I WAS CALLING IN REGARD TO NXXXXX. I TOLD HIM THAT I WAS CALLING FROM PRESCOTT, AZ, AND COULD CALL HIM LATER IN THE DAY WHEN I GOT BACK TO LOS ANGELES. HE STATED THAT 'I DID NOT NEED TO CALL HIM BACK AND, NOT TO WORRY THAT I WAS NOT GOING TO RECEIVE A VIOLATION.' IN A DETAILED REVIEW OF THE VFR TERMINAL AREA CHART FOR LOS ANGELES, AND CONSIDERING THE GND FOG CONDITIONS THAT MORNING, THE ONLY SCENARIO I COULD CONSTRUCT FOR A CLASS B AIRSPACE VIOLATION WAS THE FOLLOWING: A THIN GND FOG COVERED THE AREAS NEAR THE COAST S OF MY RTE INCLUDING LONG BEACH AND LOS ALAMITOS ARPTS. THE FOG WAS VERY CLOSE TO THE GND SINCE I NOTED THAT IT WAS STRANGE THAT I COULD CLRLY SEE THE TOPS OF HIGH VOLTAGE PWR LINES. I POSSIBLY COULD HAVE MISIDENTED LONG BEACH ARPT AS LOS ALAMITOS ARPT AND MISIDENTED THE AIRSPACE BOUNDARY FLOOR TRANSITION FROM 5000 FT TO 6000 FT WITH THE LINES ON THE GPS SHOWING THE 605 FREEWAY. IF THIS SCENARIO OCCURRED, THEN I MAY HAVE CLBED THROUGH THE 5000 FT FLOOR OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE PRIOR TO REACHING THE 6000 FT FLOOR SEGMENT. I CANNOT CONSTRUCT A SCENARIO FOR VIOLATING THE 6000 FT FLOOR SEGMENT. I CLRLY RECALL THAT WHILE LOOKING FOR DISNEYLAND, I LET THE ALT CREEP UP TO 5800 FT BEFORE CORRECTING TO 5500 FT. I THEN ENGAGED THE AUTOPLT IN THE ALT HOLD MODE UNTIL CLRING CLASS B AIRSPACE. AGAIN, I AM SURE I DID NOT PREMATURELY CLB SINCE I IDENTED DISNEYLAND AND DID NOT START MY CLB ABOVE 6000 FT UNTIL CLOSE TO EXITING THE 30 MI MODE C LINE WHICH IS OUTSIDE CLASS B AIRSPACE IN THAT SECTOR. IN THE FUTURE I CAN AVOID THE POSSIBLE MISIDENT OF AIRSPACE BOUNDARIES BY ADDING A CHK USING THE 355 DEG RADIAL (FROM) OF THE SLI VOR TO IDENT THE TRANSITION FROM THE 5000 FT FLOOR TO THE 6000 FT FLOOR AIRSPACE SEGMENTS. IN ADDITION I WILL ADD A WAYPOINT TO THE PLANNED RTE TO FURTHER IDENT THE AIRSPACE BOUNDARIES. THESE ACTIONS SHOULD PRECLUDE INADVERTENT AIRSPACE VIOLATIONS.

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.