Sightseeing flight entered class B airspace without a clearance.

Attributes
ACN	429197
Time
Date	199902
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : lax.vortac
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 1800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 150
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 27 flight time total : 1154 flight time type : 167
ASRS Report	429197
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : exited penetrated airspace
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On feb/xa/99 at approximately XA00, I took off from airport xyz in a borrowed C150. While sightseeing over the city to admire the lights at night, I mistook one landmark for another. This may have put me slightly into class B airspace. Upon recognition of a possible error, I immediately turned the airplane to exit what I thought could be part of the class B airspace. The rest of the flight was uneventful from this point on. Looking back, I believe that better cockpit lighting could have made the difference in being able to see the light patterns of streets on the chart at night.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SIGHTSEEING FLT ENTERED CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT A CLRNC.

Narrative: ON FEB/XA/99 AT APPROX XA00, I TOOK OFF FROM ARPT XYZ IN A BORROWED C150. WHILE SIGHTSEEING OVER THE CITY TO ADMIRE THE LIGHTS AT NIGHT, I MISTOOK ONE LANDMARK FOR ANOTHER. THIS MAY HAVE PUT ME SLIGHTLY INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE. UPON RECOGNITION OF A POSSIBLE ERROR, I IMMEDIATELY TURNED THE AIRPLANE TO EXIT WHAT I THOUGHT COULD BE PART OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL FROM THIS POINT ON. LOOKING BACK, I BELIEVE THAT BETTER COCKPIT LIGHTING COULD HAVE MADE THE DIFFERENCE IN BEING ABLE TO SEE THE LIGHT PATTERNS OF STREETS ON THE CHART AT NIGHT.

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.