Narrative:

I was on this flight with a customer who is a private pilot with instrument rating. The flight began at E14, destination sez, via phx. Once airborne, my customer opened his VFR flight plan and then asked ZAB for flight following to sez. En route, ZAB asked us to deviate/alter our course slightly to the west to avoid E63 (eloy airport -- the largest skydiving airport in az). We complied. At that time I was demonstrating to the pilot the use of the LORAN, since we had no DME, we wanted to know our distance from phx (pxr VOR) with the LORAN. The LORAN wasn't cooperating with our inputs of airports and we were distraction momentarily. At that time, ZAB said to us, in a rapid manner, to squawk VFR and contact phx approach (on a specific frequency). We immediately complied and phx approach said 'radar contact, you are in class B airspace, don't you know you need a clearance to enter class B?' because of our altitude and course, we had inadvertently clipped the border of class B airspace. They cleared us through class B airspace and gave us a new squawk code. We were distraction with the LORAN and we thought ZAB would hand us off to phx approach or, if they wouldn't hand us off, we assumed they would have given us plenty of time prior to reaching the airspace for us to have contacted phx approach. We placed an 'X' on our sectional chart where we approximated ZAB's handoff (to squawk VFR) and we were in class B airspace while on flight following with ZAB. It is the pilot's responsibility, though, to assure that the pilot doesn't incur into class B airspace. I think we felt too comfortable with ZAB thinking they would properly hand us off and I think they momentarily forgot about us or thought we would have asked for the handoff instead.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C182 CFI ENTERS THE CLASS B AIRSPACE OF PHX WHILE VECTORED AWAY FROM E63 BY ZAB. FLT WAS VFR FLT FOLLOWING AND HAD NO DME, JUST A MALFUNCTIONING LORAN.

Narrative: I WAS ON THIS FLT WITH A CUSTOMER WHO IS A PVT PLT WITH INST RATING. THE FLT BEGAN AT E14, DEST SEZ, VIA PHX. ONCE AIRBORNE, MY CUSTOMER OPENED HIS VFR FLT PLAN AND THEN ASKED ZAB FOR FLT FOLLOWING TO SEZ. ENRTE, ZAB ASKED US TO DEVIATE/ALTER OUR COURSE SLIGHTLY TO THE W TO AVOID E63 (ELOY ARPT -- THE LARGEST SKYDIVING ARPT IN AZ). WE COMPLIED. AT THAT TIME I WAS DEMONSTRATING TO THE PLT THE USE OF THE LORAN, SINCE WE HAD NO DME, WE WANTED TO KNOW OUR DISTANCE FROM PHX (PXR VOR) WITH THE LORAN. THE LORAN WASN'T COOPERATING WITH OUR INPUTS OF ARPTS AND WE WERE DISTR MOMENTARILY. AT THAT TIME, ZAB SAID TO US, IN A RAPID MANNER, TO SQUAWK VFR AND CONTACT PHX APCH (ON A SPECIFIC FREQ). WE IMMEDIATELY COMPLIED AND PHX APCH SAID 'RADAR CONTACT, YOU ARE IN CLASS B AIRSPACE, DON'T YOU KNOW YOU NEED A CLRNC TO ENTER CLASS B?' BECAUSE OF OUR ALT AND COURSE, WE HAD INADVERTENTLY CLIPPED THE BORDER OF CLASS B AIRSPACE. THEY CLRED US THROUGH CLASS B AIRSPACE AND GAVE US A NEW SQUAWK CODE. WE WERE DISTR WITH THE LORAN AND WE THOUGHT ZAB WOULD HAND US OFF TO PHX APCH OR, IF THEY WOULDN'T HAND US OFF, WE ASSUMED THEY WOULD HAVE GIVEN US PLENTY OF TIME PRIOR TO REACHING THE AIRSPACE FOR US TO HAVE CONTACTED PHX APCH. WE PLACED AN 'X' ON OUR SECTIONAL CHART WHERE WE APPROXIMATED ZAB'S HDOF (TO SQUAWK VFR) AND WE WERE IN CLASS B AIRSPACE WHILE ON FLT FOLLOWING WITH ZAB. IT IS THE PLT'S RESPONSIBILITY, THOUGH, TO ASSURE THAT THE PLT DOESN'T INCUR INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE. I THINK WE FELT TOO COMFORTABLE WITH ZAB THINKING THEY WOULD PROPERLY HAND US OFF AND I THINK THEY MOMENTARILY FORGOT ABOUT US OR THOUGHT WE WOULD HAVE ASKED FOR THE HDOF INSTEAD.

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.