Narrative:

On nov/mon/01, I received a telephone WX brief from mcminnville FSS and planned a flight to nanaimo, back course (cycd) with a fuel stop at scappoose, or. I had been waiting for VFR WX as it had been close to 90 days since I had flown. The reason being a broken arm on jul/thu/00. I felt that a few legs of cross country would be enough to get me up to a descent level of proficiency. Shortly after XA30 I departed for scappoose. The WX on takeoff was good VMC but at 1000 ft MSL the visibility ahead became restr with blue sky above. I opted to climb (I have no stomach for scud running). At 2500 ft, I was in the clear. At 4000 ft I attempted to contact pdx approach on 118.1. The controller said I was unreadable so I tried #2 VHF with the same results. At this point I started looking for the scappoose VOR approach and a hole in the cloud. I proceeded directly to the scappoose area but in my looking for charts, etc, I let my altitude slip below 4000 ft and failed to correct. My multi tasking skills had definitely atrophied over the last yr. I proceeded northwest of pdx airspace, found a hole, and landed at scappoose without further incident. During this airspace penetration, I was squawking 1200 with mode C on. The controller contacted me at scappoose via telephone and we discussed the incident. He said I had caused a dash 7 to climb 200 ft on a TCASII alert. I never saw the dash 7, but he saw me. I know now that I allowed my skills to get very rusty, and my radios to deteriorate. Both areas are under repairs, and an autoplt is to be installed in january. At 64+ yrs, it is finally time to admit that single pilot flight in the northwest can be very challenging, and as I'm usually alone, an autoplt is a must! As a career professional until 1997 my proficiency was never allowed to wane. However, since retirement, I have flown 171.7 hours and 11.9 in the last 18 months. Had I waited an hour or so, the WX would have been much better. During the rest of the flight to cycd it was excellent VFR. The radios seemed to improve, but were still not reliable enough to ignore, so they are being repaired and one replaced.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE95 PLT ENTERED PDX CLASS C WITHOUT CLRNC AND CAUSED TCASII RA WITH AN ACR ACFT.

Narrative: ON NOV/MON/01, I RECEIVED A TELEPHONE WX BRIEF FROM MCMINNVILLE FSS AND PLANNED A FLT TO NANAIMO, BC (CYCD) WITH A FUEL STOP AT SCAPPOOSE, OR. I HAD BEEN WAITING FOR VFR WX AS IT HAD BEEN CLOSE TO 90 DAYS SINCE I HAD FLOWN. THE REASON BEING A BROKEN ARM ON JUL/THU/00. I FELT THAT A FEW LEGS OF XCOUNTRY WOULD BE ENOUGH TO GET ME UP TO A DESCENT LEVEL OF PROFICIENCY. SHORTLY AFTER XA30 I DEPARTED FOR SCAPPOOSE. THE WX ON TKOF WAS GOOD VMC BUT AT 1000 FT MSL THE VISIBILITY AHEAD BECAME RESTR WITH BLUE SKY ABOVE. I OPTED TO CLB (I HAVE NO STOMACH FOR SCUD RUNNING). AT 2500 FT, I WAS IN THE CLR. AT 4000 FT I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT PDX APCH ON 118.1. THE CTLR SAID I WAS UNREADABLE SO I TRIED #2 VHF WITH THE SAME RESULTS. AT THIS POINT I STARTED LOOKING FOR THE SCAPPOOSE VOR APCH AND A HOLE IN THE CLOUD. I PROCEEDED DIRECTLY TO THE SCAPPOOSE AREA BUT IN MY LOOKING FOR CHARTS, ETC, I LET MY ALT SLIP BELOW 4000 FT AND FAILED TO CORRECT. MY MULTI TASKING SKILLS HAD DEFINITELY ATROPHIED OVER THE LAST YR. I PROCEEDED NW OF PDX AIRSPACE, FOUND A HOLE, AND LANDED AT SCAPPOOSE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. DURING THIS AIRSPACE PENETRATION, I WAS SQUAWKING 1200 WITH MODE C ON. THE CTLR CONTACTED ME AT SCAPPOOSE VIA TELEPHONE AND WE DISCUSSED THE INCIDENT. HE SAID I HAD CAUSED A DASH 7 TO CLB 200 FT ON A TCASII ALERT. I NEVER SAW THE DASH 7, BUT HE SAW ME. I KNOW NOW THAT I ALLOWED MY SKILLS TO GET VERY RUSTY, AND MY RADIOS TO DETERIORATE. BOTH AREAS ARE UNDER REPAIRS, AND AN AUTOPLT IS TO BE INSTALLED IN JANUARY. AT 64+ YRS, IT IS FINALLY TIME TO ADMIT THAT SINGLE PLT FLT IN THE NW CAN BE VERY CHALLENGING, AND AS I'M USUALLY ALONE, AN AUTOPLT IS A MUST! AS A CAREER PROFESSIONAL UNTIL 1997 MY PROFICIENCY WAS NEVER ALLOWED TO WANE. HOWEVER, SINCE RETIREMENT, I HAVE FLOWN 171.7 HRS AND 11.9 IN THE LAST 18 MONTHS. HAD I WAITED AN HR OR SO, THE WX WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH BETTER. DURING THE REST OF THE FLT TO CYCD IT WAS EXCELLENT VFR. THE RADIOS SEEMED TO IMPROVE, BUT WERE STILL NOT RELIABLE ENOUGH TO IGNORE, SO THEY ARE BEING REPAIRED AND ONE REPLACED.

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.