Narrative:

I was proceeding northeast to rnh on IFR flight and was about 40 mi southwest of msp in a descent in contact with msp approach. I canceled IFR and elected to continue to rnh VFR around north side of msp class B at 2100 ft MSL. I continued to monitor approach while descending and proceeding north. At about 10-12 mi southwest of fcm I spotted a grumman yankee proceeding southwest which looked like a conflict. I did not hear approach call out traffic to the yankee. I increased my rate of descent and passed below and behind the aircraft. I continued north and passed on the west side of fcm while closely monitoring for traffic and continuing to listen to approach. The yankee had seen us pass by and was discussing the near miss with approach. Approach advised the yankee pilot that I was descending outside class B airspace and he was on a land line. After discussing who I was and my destination approach apologized for not calling out the conflict and also stated that I had later penetrated fcm class D airspace without a clearance. This is when I realized I had not contacted fcm tower for clearance. I thought I was at least 6 mi away but I was distracted by the near miss and the conversation between approach and the yankee. The distraction of the near miss may have affected my situational awareness as I am quite familiar with the area. When I got home, I reviewed a terminal area chart and realized there is an extension of the class D airspace to the west of fcm which requires more than 6 mi to clear the airspace.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER CANCELING IFR, PLT HAS CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH ANOTHER ACFT AND INADVERTENTLY ENTERS CLASS D AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: I WAS PROCEEDING NE TO RNH ON IFR FLT AND WAS ABOUT 40 MI SW OF MSP IN A DSCNT IN CONTACT WITH MSP APCH. I CANCELED IFR AND ELECTED TO CONTINUE TO RNH VFR AROUND N SIDE OF MSP CLASS B AT 2100 FT MSL. I CONTINUED TO MONITOR APCH WHILE DSNDING AND PROCEEDING N. AT ABOUT 10-12 MI SW OF FCM I SPOTTED A GRUMMAN YANKEE PROCEEDING SW WHICH LOOKED LIKE A CONFLICT. I DID NOT HEAR APCH CALL OUT TFC TO THE YANKEE. I INCREASED MY RATE OF DSCNT AND PASSED BELOW AND BEHIND THE ACFT. I CONTINUED N AND PASSED ON THE W SIDE OF FCM WHILE CLOSELY MONITORING FOR TFC AND CONTINUING TO LISTEN TO APCH. THE YANKEE HAD SEEN US PASS BY AND WAS DISCUSSING THE NEAR MISS WITH APCH. APCH ADVISED THE YANKEE PLT THAT I WAS DSNDING OUTSIDE CLASS B AIRSPACE AND HE WAS ON A LAND LINE. AFTER DISCUSSING WHO I WAS AND MY DEST APCH APOLOGIZED FOR NOT CALLING OUT THE CONFLICT AND ALSO STATED THAT I HAD LATER PENETRATED FCM CLASS D AIRSPACE WITHOUT A CLRNC. THIS IS WHEN I REALIZED I HAD NOT CONTACTED FCM TWR FOR CLRNC. I THOUGHT I WAS AT LEAST 6 MI AWAY BUT I WAS DISTRACTED BY THE NEAR MISS AND THE CONVERSATION BTWN APCH AND THE YANKEE. THE DISTR OF THE NEAR MISS MAY HAVE AFFECTED MY SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AS I AM QUITE FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA. WHEN I GOT HOME, I REVIEWED A TERMINAL AREA CHART AND REALIZED THERE IS AN EXTENSION OF THE CLASS D AIRSPACE TO THE W OF FCM WHICH REQUIRES MORE THAN 6 MI TO CLR THE AIRSPACE.

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.