Low time C172 private pilot enters the class C airspace of mry without clearance on a VFR departure ...

Attributes
ACN	508630
Time
Date	200104
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mry.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 5 flight time total : 182 flight time type : 14
ASRS Report	508630
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry non adherence : far
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was doing a right crosswind departure from oar. I was watching for traffic and planning my return to pao. This was my first time into marina and I hadn't been over the santa cruz mountains in quite some time. The inbound to oar kind of intimidated me because of the mountains, and I wanted to be sure to get to 4500 ft (west course altitude) well before the mountains. Simply put, it didn't seem the aircraft could climb past 3600 ft in that space of time. Once I noticed it, I was out of class C airspace but I knew I had to have been over the published 1500 ft floor at some point inside the airspace. I was monitoring monterey approach. There was no traffic in the area and I did not receive a call from control.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW TIME C172 PVT PLT ENTERS THE CLASS C AIRSPACE OF MRY WITHOUT CLRNC ON A VFR DEP FROM OAR, CA.

Narrative: I WAS DOING A R XWIND DEP FROM OAR. I WAS WATCHING FOR TFC AND PLANNING MY RETURN TO PAO. THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME INTO MARINA AND I HADN'T BEEN OVER THE SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS IN QUITE SOME TIME. THE INBOUND TO OAR KIND OF INTIMIDATED ME BECAUSE OF THE MOUNTAINS, AND I WANTED TO BE SURE TO GET TO 4500 FT (W COURSE ALT) WELL BEFORE THE MOUNTAINS. SIMPLY PUT, IT DIDN'T SEEM THE ACFT COULD CLB PAST 3600 FT IN THAT SPACE OF TIME. ONCE I NOTICED IT, I WAS OUT OF CLASS C AIRSPACE BUT I KNEW I HAD TO HAVE BEEN OVER THE PUBLISHED 1500 FT FLOOR AT SOME POINT INSIDE THE AIRSPACE. I WAS MONITORING MONTEREY APCH. THERE WAS NO TFC IN THE AREA AND I DID NOT RECEIVE A CALL FROM CTL.

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.

Low time C172 private pilot enters the class C airspace of mry without clearance on a VFR departure from oar, ca.