A PA28 CFI encounters buildups during a VFR flight and in turning and descending to avoid the clouds...

Attributes
ACN	476972
Time
Date	200006
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bdl.airport
State Reference	CT
Altitude	msl single value : 4500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bdl.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : enroute altitude change cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 3100 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	476972
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : gps other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited penetrated airspace
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Airspace Structure Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Departing the massachusetts area, I climbed to 4500 ft MSL heading west to clear the windsor locks class C airspace and a scattered layer of cumulus in 3-4 mi visibility with haze. While cruising at 4500 ft, I realized too late that the clouds were building to the west and as I approached the windsor locks area, a cloud appeared ahead and building so I decided to descend and turn south to avoid the cloud and the windsor locks class C airspace as well as the brainerd class D airspace that sits just south of windsor locks. With 2 moving map GPS's (portables) running, I felt confident in the information on the screens and that I had avoided the airspace with the descent and turn until 1 GPS indicated I was only 'near' the airspace and 1 indicated I was 'in' the airspace. I didn't realize how close I was to the boundary during the descent and with the doubt in my mind now of whether or not I entered the class C or D airspace (or both) I am filing this report. I feel as though I fell into the trap of relying too heavily on the 'cockpit gadgets.' there would have been little or no problem had I just established communications with windsor locks prior to overflt. The visibility was a factor but visibilities of 3-5 mi in haze are common in the area and I should have planned a better altitude or just used the radio sooner to prevent the possible incursion. My concern is that I hope I didn't cause a traffic conflict along the edge of the airspace as I descended and certainly I hope I didn't get into the airspace but I'm not sure since I had conflicting messages from the GPS's. The conditions changed rapidly with the scattered layer building faster than I thought it would. As a result, the altitude was not high enough to stay above the building cumulus. Hopefully, next time I will plan better for the conditions and use the radio even for an expected overflt.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 CFI ENCOUNTERS BUILDUPS DURING A VFR FLT AND IN TURNING AND DSNDING TO AVOID THE CLOUDS HE INADVERTENTLY ENTERED THE CLASS C AIRSPACE OF BDL, CT.

Narrative: DEPARTING THE MASSACHUSETTS AREA, I CLBED TO 4500 FT MSL HDG W TO CLR THE WINDSOR LOCKS CLASS C AIRSPACE AND A SCATTERED LAYER OF CUMULUS IN 3-4 MI VISIBILITY WITH HAZE. WHILE CRUISING AT 4500 FT, I REALIZED TOO LATE THAT THE CLOUDS WERE BUILDING TO THE W AND AS I APCHED THE WINDSOR LOCKS AREA, A CLOUD APPEARED AHEAD AND BUILDING SO I DECIDED TO DSND AND TURN S TO AVOID THE CLOUD AND THE WINDSOR LOCKS CLASS C AIRSPACE AS WELL AS THE BRAINERD CLASS D AIRSPACE THAT SITS JUST S OF WINDSOR LOCKS. WITH 2 MOVING MAP GPS'S (PORTABLES) RUNNING, I FELT CONFIDENT IN THE INFO ON THE SCREENS AND THAT I HAD AVOIDED THE AIRSPACE WITH THE DSCNT AND TURN UNTIL 1 GPS INDICATED I WAS ONLY 'NEAR' THE AIRSPACE AND 1 INDICATED I WAS 'IN' THE AIRSPACE. I DIDN'T REALIZE HOW CLOSE I WAS TO THE BOUNDARY DURING THE DSCNT AND WITH THE DOUBT IN MY MIND NOW OF WHETHER OR NOT I ENTERED THE CLASS C OR D AIRSPACE (OR BOTH) I AM FILING THIS RPT. I FEEL AS THOUGH I FELL INTO THE TRAP OF RELYING TOO HEAVILY ON THE 'COCKPIT GADGETS.' THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN LITTLE OR NO PROB HAD I JUST ESTABLISHED COMS WITH WINDSOR LOCKS PRIOR TO OVERFLT. THE VISIBILITY WAS A FACTOR BUT VISIBILITIES OF 3-5 MI IN HAZE ARE COMMON IN THE AREA AND I SHOULD HAVE PLANNED A BETTER ALT OR JUST USED THE RADIO SOONER TO PREVENT THE POSSIBLE INCURSION. MY CONCERN IS THAT I HOPE I DIDN'T CAUSE A TFC CONFLICT ALONG THE EDGE OF THE AIRSPACE AS I DSNDED AND CERTAINLY I HOPE I DIDN'T GET INTO THE AIRSPACE BUT I'M NOT SURE SINCE I HAD CONFLICTING MESSAGES FROM THE GPS'S. THE CONDITIONS CHANGED RAPIDLY WITH THE SCATTERED LAYER BUILDING FASTER THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD. AS A RESULT, THE ALT WAS NOT HIGH ENOUGH TO STAY ABOVE THE BUILDING CUMULUS. HOPEFULLY, NEXT TIME I WILL PLAN BETTER FOR THE CONDITIONS AND USE THE RADIO EVEN FOR AN EXPECTED OVERFLT.

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.

A PA28 CFI encounters buildups during a VFR flight and in turning and descending to avoid the clouds he inadvertently entered the class C airspace of bdl, ct.