Narrative:

I was on a flight to vny with a pilot needing 5 hours in type to meet insurance requirements. On the flight down we filed and flew IFR into vny with a 1600 ft marine layer over the airport. After having lunch we decided to depart VFR as we were running several hours late and did not want to wait for an IFR clearance (my intentions were to fly back IFR until back in the bay area). After takeoff and passing through 2500 ft the PF started to ask questions about the airspace in the area. Being completely unfamiliar and very behind at this point I located the VFR sectional for the area. After locating the departure airport on the map I became overly involved with keeping us out of lax class B airspace and did not notice that there was possibly a class C airspace shelf above. At this point I believe that we may have penetrated bur class C airspace, but I do not know this for sure as I did not know our exact location at that time. On top of all of this, the transponder had not been reset and was not indicating a VFR code, but a prior IFR code. On this flight I had taken the position I was not giving instruction until the last portion of the flight since the primary purpose was to meet a time requirement and the pilot was more than capable of flying the aircraft safely. Furthermore, I did not intend this to be an instructional flight other than to review system and basic maneuvers required by the insurance company. Before the flight we had both agreed this would be accomplished when we returned to the bay area. This set me up for a mindset in which I became a passenger. For every flight I have always acted as a professional. How I became so complacent and unresponsive as to not monitor the PF was not very apparent to me at the time. On every flight I always at least monitor the pilot and offer suggestions if I see something wrong or at least be more vocal about doing procedures I do not see as being safe. Contributing factors: one item I did do correctly was to get out the taxi diagram so that we could reach our assigned intersection and not get onto an active runway. At the run-up area an aircraft was arriving and I became involved in watching the B25's doing low approachs over the runway rather than monitoring the pilot's actions. I did not ask the PF about our departure route nor did I properly review the local airspace for an area in which I was not familiar. I allowed complacency to overcome my better judgement when I chose to act as a passenger and not an asset to the flight. The main factor I now realize was that my 4-YR employment contract for my primary job had expired and I had learned the day before that it was not going to be renewed. I am now realizing how much stress has been placed upon me associated with finding a new job and providing for my family. What I should have done was to have used the aeronautical decision making process to ground myself for the day while I recovered from this disappointment. I see now what a valuable asset decision making models can be and will always stress their value to my future students. I made the classic mistake 'it can't happen to me' that while in the air, personal problems can't bother me like they do on the ground.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A GA TRAINING FLT ENTERS THE CLASS C AIRSPACE OF BURBANK DURING A VFR DEP PROC FROM VNY, CA.

Narrative: I WAS ON A FLT TO VNY WITH A PLT NEEDING 5 HRS IN TYPE TO MEET INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS. ON THE FLT DOWN WE FILED AND FLEW IFR INTO VNY WITH A 1600 FT MARINE LAYER OVER THE ARPT. AFTER HAVING LUNCH WE DECIDED TO DEPART VFR AS WE WERE RUNNING SEVERAL HRS LATE AND DID NOT WANT TO WAIT FOR AN IFR CLRNC (MY INTENTIONS WERE TO FLY BACK IFR UNTIL BACK IN THE BAY AREA). AFTER TKOF AND PASSING THROUGH 2500 FT THE PF STARTED TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THE AIRSPACE IN THE AREA. BEING COMPLETELY UNFAMILIAR AND VERY BEHIND AT THIS POINT I LOCATED THE VFR SECTIONAL FOR THE AREA. AFTER LOCATING THE DEP ARPT ON THE MAP I BECAME OVERLY INVOLVED WITH KEEPING US OUT OF LAX CLASS B AIRSPACE AND DID NOT NOTICE THAT THERE WAS POSSIBLY A CLASS C AIRSPACE SHELF ABOVE. AT THIS POINT I BELIEVE THAT WE MAY HAVE PENETRATED BUR CLASS C AIRSPACE, BUT I DO NOT KNOW THIS FOR SURE AS I DID NOT KNOW OUR EXACT LOCATION AT THAT TIME. ON TOP OF ALL OF THIS, THE XPONDER HAD NOT BEEN RESET AND WAS NOT INDICATING A VFR CODE, BUT A PRIOR IFR CODE. ON THIS FLT I HAD TAKEN THE POS I WAS NOT GIVING INSTRUCTION UNTIL THE LAST PORTION OF THE FLT SINCE THE PRIMARY PURPOSE WAS TO MEET A TIME REQUIREMENT AND THE PLT WAS MORE THAN CAPABLE OF FLYING THE ACFT SAFELY. FURTHERMORE, I DID NOT INTEND THIS TO BE AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLT OTHER THAN TO REVIEW SYS AND BASIC MANEUVERS REQUIRED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. BEFORE THE FLT WE HAD BOTH AGREED THIS WOULD BE ACCOMPLISHED WHEN WE RETURNED TO THE BAY AREA. THIS SET ME UP FOR A MINDSET IN WHICH I BECAME A PAX. FOR EVERY FLT I HAVE ALWAYS ACTED AS A PROFESSIONAL. HOW I BECAME SO COMPLACENT AND UNRESPONSIVE AS TO NOT MONITOR THE PF WAS NOT VERY APPARENT TO ME AT THE TIME. ON EVERY FLT I ALWAYS AT LEAST MONITOR THE PLT AND OFFER SUGGESTIONS IF I SEE SOMETHING WRONG OR AT LEAST BE MORE VOCAL ABOUT DOING PROCS I DO NOT SEE AS BEING SAFE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: ONE ITEM I DID DO CORRECTLY WAS TO GET OUT THE TAXI DIAGRAM SO THAT WE COULD REACH OUR ASSIGNED INTXN AND NOT GET ONTO AN ACTIVE RWY. AT THE RUN-UP AREA AN ACFT WAS ARRIVING AND I BECAME INVOLVED IN WATCHING THE B25'S DOING LOW APCHS OVER THE RWY RATHER THAN MONITORING THE PLT'S ACTIONS. I DID NOT ASK THE PF ABOUT OUR DEP RTE NOR DID I PROPERLY REVIEW THE LCL AIRSPACE FOR AN AREA IN WHICH I WAS NOT FAMILIAR. I ALLOWED COMPLACENCY TO OVERCOME MY BETTER JUDGEMENT WHEN I CHOSE TO ACT AS A PAX AND NOT AN ASSET TO THE FLT. THE MAIN FACTOR I NOW REALIZE WAS THAT MY 4-YR EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT FOR MY PRIMARY JOB HAD EXPIRED AND I HAD LEARNED THE DAY BEFORE THAT IT WAS NOT GOING TO BE RENEWED. I AM NOW REALIZING HOW MUCH STRESS HAS BEEN PLACED UPON ME ASSOCIATED WITH FINDING A NEW JOB AND PROVIDING FOR MY FAMILY. WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE WAS TO HAVE USED THE AERONAUTICAL DECISION MAKING PROCESS TO GND MYSELF FOR THE DAY WHILE I RECOVERED FROM THIS DISAPPOINTMENT. I SEE NOW WHAT A VALUABLE ASSET DECISION MAKING MODELS CAN BE AND WILL ALWAYS STRESS THEIR VALUE TO MY FUTURE STUDENTS. I MADE THE CLASSIC MISTAKE 'IT CAN'T HAPPEN TO ME' THAT WHILE IN THE AIR, PERSONAL PROBS CAN'T BOTHER ME LIKE THEY DO ON THE GND.

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.