Narrative:

I was PIC on a VFR cross country flight from sparta, tn, to covington, GA (30 mi east of atlanta). Departure was XA30 local time and arrived in the atlanta area at XD00. While maneuvering north and east of the atlanta class B airspace, sectional chart showed the gurnette lawrenceville airport along our intended route. I noticed that there was a blue airport marker on the way. I searched for a segmented circle that would indicate a class C or D airspace and did not see any. I wrongly assumed there was no controled airspace and flew approximately 3 mi north and east of the field and also west of the field on the return trip. I have subsequently reviewed the aim and other charts that depict this as a class D airspace. It would have been easy to climb 500 ft or call the tower or fly around the area. Corrective action: call for review of airspace depiction on sectional charts, review ATC communication. Also perhaps the atlanta sectional could be changed to show a class D segmented circle around the airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT PENETRATED VICINITY OF AN ARPT WITH CTL TWR LOCATED IN CLASS E AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I WAS PIC ON A VFR XCOUNTRY FLT FROM SPARTA, TN, TO COVINGTON, GA (30 MI E OF ATLANTA). DEP WAS XA30 LCL TIME AND ARRIVED IN THE ATLANTA AREA AT XD00. WHILE MANEUVERING N AND E OF THE ATLANTA CLASS B AIRSPACE, SECTIONAL CHART SHOWED THE GURNETTE LAWRENCEVILLE ARPT ALONG OUR INTENDED RTE. I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A BLUE ARPT MARKER ON THE WAY. I SEARCHED FOR A SEGMENTED CIRCLE THAT WOULD INDICATE A CLASS C OR D AIRSPACE AND DID NOT SEE ANY. I WRONGLY ASSUMED THERE WAS NO CTLED AIRSPACE AND FLEW APPROX 3 MI N AND E OF THE FIELD AND ALSO W OF THE FIELD ON THE RETURN TRIP. I HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY REVIEWED THE AIM AND OTHER CHARTS THAT DEPICT THIS AS A CLASS D AIRSPACE. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EASY TO CLB 500 FT OR CALL THE TWR OR FLY AROUND THE AREA. CORRECTIVE ACTION: CALL FOR REVIEW OF AIRSPACE DEPICTION ON SECTIONAL CHARTS, REVIEW ATC COM. ALSO PERHAPS THE ATLANTA SECTIONAL COULD BE CHANGED TO SHOW A CLASS D SEGMENTED CIRCLE AROUND THE ARPT.

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.