Narrative:

I had planned a short cross country from ash to sfm to 7b3 (circumventing pease international) to ash. The plan was to fulfill cross country requirements with a touch and go at sfm and then triangle down the coast and back to ash. On the third leg of our trip (7b3 to ash), my plan had been to call mht approach and transit class C into ash. But the frequency was extremely busy and I heard several pilots' clearance. So, I decided, rather than hassle with it, I would just continue VFR, 1200 ft, into ash, circumnaving mht class C space. I had been following the plan on my chart, but now, with the deviation, I turned southeasterly to navigation around mht. With a brisk wind aloft (25 KTS from sse), I put in a hefty wind correction 'guesstimate.' I was now relying on seeing my next landmark which was to be rockingham park. My calculation was that, when I arrived over rockingham, I would be far enough south of the mht airspace. Then, I could turn towards ash, descend to tpa, make my call to ash, and I would be all clear. Just to be on the safe side, I descended to approximately 1400 ft MSL. So, even if my route was a little off, I wouldn't violate the floor of the outer layer of mht class C. It was at about this point that I found my landmark (rockingham park), but instead of being over it, I was about 1 mi south. I immediately made a correction and continued into nashua (ash) uneventfully. Upon landing I took a closer look at my chart to determine my route in from the coast and I realized that I had very likely been inside the northern edge of lwm class D airspace. It was clear that my navigation had been poor and I'd been distracted. I had assumed, without checking, that mht approach could not handle me. I deviated from my plan 'on the fly' without fully evaluating it. I had overcompensated for the wind, I was focused on 'see and avoid,' and I was concerned about giving my wife a smooth ride. All of these together were contributing factors to getting me off course. Next time I won't so hastily deviate from a well thought-out plan before sufficiently analyzing the likely results.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A VERY LOW-TIME PVT PLT, ON A XCOUNTRY FLT, RPTED THAT HE ENTERED LWM CLASS D AIRSPACE WITHOUT PERMISSION.

Narrative: I HAD PLANNED A SHORT XCOUNTRY FROM ASH TO SFM TO 7B3 (CIRCUMVENTING PEASE INTL) TO ASH. THE PLAN WAS TO FULFILL XCOUNTRY REQUIREMENTS WITH A TOUCH AND GO AT SFM AND THEN TRIANGLE DOWN THE COAST AND BACK TO ASH. ON THE THIRD LEG OF OUR TRIP (7B3 TO ASH), MY PLAN HAD BEEN TO CALL MHT APCH AND TRANSIT CLASS C INTO ASH. BUT THE FREQ WAS EXTREMELY BUSY AND I HEARD SEVERAL PLTS' CLRNC. SO, I DECIDED, RATHER THAN HASSLE WITH IT, I WOULD JUST CONTINUE VFR, 1200 FT, INTO ASH, CIRCUMNAVING MHT CLASS C SPACE. I HAD BEEN FOLLOWING THE PLAN ON MY CHART, BUT NOW, WITH THE DEV, I TURNED SOUTHEASTERLY TO NAV AROUND MHT. WITH A BRISK WIND ALOFT (25 KTS FROM SSE), I PUT IN A HEFTY WIND CORRECTION 'GUESSTIMATE.' I WAS NOW RELYING ON SEEING MY NEXT LANDMARK WHICH WAS TO BE ROCKINGHAM PARK. MY CALCULATION WAS THAT, WHEN I ARRIVED OVER ROCKINGHAM, I WOULD BE FAR ENOUGH S OF THE MHT AIRSPACE. THEN, I COULD TURN TOWARDS ASH, DSND TO TPA, MAKE MY CALL TO ASH, AND I WOULD BE ALL CLR. JUST TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE, I DSNDED TO APPROX 1400 FT MSL. SO, EVEN IF MY RTE WAS A LITTLE OFF, I WOULDN'T VIOLATE THE FLOOR OF THE OUTER LAYER OF MHT CLASS C. IT WAS AT ABOUT THIS POINT THAT I FOUND MY LANDMARK (ROCKINGHAM PARK), BUT INSTEAD OF BEING OVER IT, I WAS ABOUT 1 MI S. I IMMEDIATELY MADE A CORRECTION AND CONTINUED INTO NASHUA (ASH) UNEVENTFULLY. UPON LNDG I TOOK A CLOSER LOOK AT MY CHART TO DETERMINE MY RTE IN FROM THE COAST AND I REALIZED THAT I HAD VERY LIKELY BEEN INSIDE THE NORTHERN EDGE OF LWM CLASS D AIRSPACE. IT WAS CLR THAT MY NAV HAD BEEN POOR AND I'D BEEN DISTRACTED. I HAD ASSUMED, WITHOUT CHKING, THAT MHT APCH COULD NOT HANDLE ME. I DEVIATED FROM MY PLAN 'ON THE FLY' WITHOUT FULLY EVALUATING IT. I HAD OVERCOMPENSATED FOR THE WIND, I WAS FOCUSED ON 'SEE AND AVOID,' AND I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT GIVING MY WIFE A SMOOTH RIDE. ALL OF THESE TOGETHER WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO GETTING ME OFF COURSE. NEXT TIME I WON'T SO HASTILY DEVIATE FROM A WELL THOUGHT-OUT PLAN BEFORE SUFFICIENTLY ANALYZING THE LIKELY RESULTS.

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.