Narrative:

I was on a flight from port huron, mi, in an area extremely familiar to me. As I cleared detroit city and was no longer in radio contact with detroit city tower, I attempted contact with dtw approach on 126.85. Detroit approach did not contact me back. Having made this particular route of flight dozens of times, I proceeded to a point south of grosse at 2300 ft (isle, mi). With VFR rules in mind and having just seen a learjet below me, I started a slow ascent to 4500 ft as my heading was 210 degrees. As I reached 4300 ft. I noticed an air carrier turboprop at my 11 O'clock position about 3 mi away, above me, descending. My wife and I both commented about it and immediately began to descend realizing we had climbed prematurely into class B airspace. We confirmed our error on both the GPS and detroit sectional which was on my wife's lap opened to the airspace just south of class B airspace. We descended to 2500 ft and estimate we were in violation of controled airspace for approximately 45 seconds to 2 mins. At no time was evasive action necessary by me. I feel that the major contributing factor to my error was familiarity with the route of flight. Therefore, I did not pay as close attention to my navaids. Other contributing factors could be flying more time in uncontrolled space and less in controled airspace since moving to a new area. If I were to be near any other unfamiliar area near class B airspace I would be super cautious and aware of the exact boundaries.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DETROIT CLASS B ENTRY WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: I WAS ON A FLT FROM PORT HURON, MI, IN AN AREA EXTREMELY FAMILIAR TO ME. AS I CLRED DETROIT CITY AND WAS NO LONGER IN RADIO CONTACT WITH DETROIT CITY TWR, I ATTEMPTED CONTACT WITH DTW APCH ON 126.85. DETROIT APCH DID NOT CONTACT ME BACK. HAVING MADE THIS PARTICULAR RTE OF FLT DOZENS OF TIMES, I PROCEEDED TO A POINT S OF GROSSE AT 2300 FT (ISLE, MI). WITH VFR RULES IN MIND AND HAVING JUST SEEN A LEARJET BELOW ME, I STARTED A SLOW ASCENT TO 4500 FT AS MY HDG WAS 210 DEGS. AS I REACHED 4300 FT. I NOTICED AN ACR TURBOPROP AT MY 11 O'CLOCK POS ABOUT 3 MI AWAY, ABOVE ME, DSNDING. MY WIFE AND I BOTH COMMENTED ABOUT IT AND IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO DSND REALIZING WE HAD CLBED PREMATURELY INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE. WE CONFIRMED OUR ERROR ON BOTH THE GPS AND DETROIT SECTIONAL WHICH WAS ON MY WIFE'S LAP OPENED TO THE AIRSPACE JUST S OF CLASS B AIRSPACE. WE DSNDED TO 2500 FT AND ESTIMATE WE WERE IN VIOLATION OF CTLED AIRSPACE FOR APPROX 45 SECONDS TO 2 MINS. AT NO TIME WAS EVASIVE ACTION NECESSARY BY ME. I FEEL THAT THE MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO MY ERROR WAS FAMILIARITY WITH THE RTE OF FLT. THEREFORE, I DID NOT PAY AS CLOSE ATTN TO MY NAVAIDS. OTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTORS COULD BE FLYING MORE TIME IN UNCTLED SPACE AND LESS IN CTLED AIRSPACE SINCE MOVING TO A NEW AREA. IF I WERE TO BE NEAR ANY OTHER UNFAMILIAR AREA NEAR CLASS B AIRSPACE I WOULD BE SUPER CAUTIOUS AND AWARE OF THE EXACT BOUNDARIES.

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.