Narrative:

I took of from cdw runway 27 and departed to the north. This was my first solo flight in my new airplane. I had received 10 hours dual in the airplane over the previous 2 weeks. I leveled off at 2800 ft MSL, and went through my post takeoff/cruise checks. During the check, I found that prior to takeoff I had wrongly set my altimeter (although I had recorded it correctly on my knee pad). I immediately made a rapid descent, while rechking caldwell's ATIS and setting the altimeter to the correct value. I was, however, at least 2 mi within the edge of the new york class B airspace, and the altimeter error would have put my real altitude at above the 3000 ft MSL floor of the class B at this point. I was rather nervous to be flying my new airplane for the first time. I made the setting error after listening to the ATIS, before taxiing, and didn't catch the error with my pre takeoff checklist. The atmospheric pressure was particularly high that morning, and I took off with my altimeter set to 29.xx rather than 30.xx. While climbing, I had wondered that it took a little longer than I expected to climb to my 2800 ft cruise altitude, but as I was relatively unfamiliar with the airplane, I did not pick this up as an error until I went through my cruise checks.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PVT PLT FLYING A MOONEY M20C FAILED TO SET HIS ALTIMETER CORRECTLY RESULTING IN INADVERTENT CLB INTO N90 CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I TOOK OF FROM CDW RWY 27 AND DEPARTED TO THE N. THIS WAS MY FIRST SOLO FLT IN MY NEW AIRPLANE. I HAD RECEIVED 10 HRS DUAL IN THE AIRPLANE OVER THE PREVIOUS 2 WKS. I LEVELED OFF AT 2800 FT MSL, AND WENT THROUGH MY POST TKOF/CRUISE CHKS. DURING THE CHK, I FOUND THAT PRIOR TO TKOF I HAD WRONGLY SET MY ALTIMETER (ALTHOUGH I HAD RECORDED IT CORRECTLY ON MY KNEE PAD). I IMMEDIATELY MADE A RAPID DSCNT, WHILE RECHKING CALDWELL'S ATIS AND SETTING THE ALTIMETER TO THE CORRECT VALUE. I WAS, HOWEVER, AT LEAST 2 MI WITHIN THE EDGE OF THE NEW YORK CLASS B AIRSPACE, AND THE ALTIMETER ERROR WOULD HAVE PUT MY REAL ALT AT ABOVE THE 3000 FT MSL FLOOR OF THE CLASS B AT THIS POINT. I WAS RATHER NERVOUS TO BE FLYING MY NEW AIRPLANE FOR THE FIRST TIME. I MADE THE SETTING ERROR AFTER LISTENING TO THE ATIS, BEFORE TAXIING, AND DIDN'T CATCH THE ERROR WITH MY PRE TKOF CHKLIST. THE ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE WAS PARTICULARLY HIGH THAT MORNING, AND I TOOK OFF WITH MY ALTIMETER SET TO 29.XX RATHER THAN 30.XX. WHILE CLBING, I HAD WONDERED THAT IT TOOK A LITTLE LONGER THAN I EXPECTED TO CLB TO MY 2800 FT CRUISE ALT, BUT AS I WAS RELATIVELY UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AIRPLANE, I DID NOT PICK THIS UP AS AN ERROR UNTIL I WENT THROUGH MY CRUISE CHKS.

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.