Narrative:

While returning after a day trip, flying wbound into significant haze with the setting sun just above the horizon, we flew in the direction of the airport, which is idented visually by flying between mountain ridges. Due to the extremely low visibility and sun glare both off the haze and into the aircraft window, the directional gyroscope was difficult to see and the pilot visually idented the wrong mountain ridges, so the aircraft flew on a more southwesterly heading rather than due west. ATC notified us that we were approaching lax class B airspace and assigned a heading to take us directly toward bur. We were not told we entered class B and I don't believe we did but it was a sobering experience for a careful pilot. Lessons learned: when flying into a hazy bright sunset, IFR rather than VFR procedures are more appropriate. If we had requested an IFR approach with vectors the sun glare problem would not have been a factor. If VFR is used, IFR procedures (like following a VOR radial, which was available) are useful 'backups' to visually identing your position when visibility is low.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA32 PLT NEARLY FLIES INTO THE CLASS B OF LAX BUT THE SOCAL CTLR DIRECTED HIM AWAY FROM THE AREA, VECTORS TO DEST ARPT, BUR, CA.

Narrative: WHILE RETURNING AFTER A DAY TRIP, FLYING WBOUND INTO SIGNIFICANT HAZE WITH THE SETTING SUN JUST ABOVE THE HORIZON, WE FLEW IN THE DIRECTION OF THE ARPT, WHICH IS IDENTED VISUALLY BY FLYING BTWN MOUNTAIN RIDGES. DUE TO THE EXTREMELY LOW VISIBILITY AND SUN GLARE BOTH OFF THE HAZE AND INTO THE ACFT WINDOW, THE DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE WAS DIFFICULT TO SEE AND THE PLT VISUALLY IDENTED THE WRONG MOUNTAIN RIDGES, SO THE ACFT FLEW ON A MORE SOUTHWESTERLY HEADING RATHER THAN DUE W. ATC NOTIFIED US THAT WE WERE APCHING LAX CLASS B AIRSPACE AND ASSIGNED A HEADING TO TAKE US DIRECTLY TOWARD BUR. WE WERE NOT TOLD WE ENTERED CLASS B AND I DON'T BELIEVE WE DID BUT IT WAS A SOBERING EXPERIENCE FOR A CAREFUL PLT. LESSONS LEARNED: WHEN FLYING INTO A HAZY BRIGHT SUNSET, IFR RATHER THAN VFR PROCS ARE MORE APPROPRIATE. IF WE HAD REQUESTED AN IFR APCH WITH VECTORS THE SUN GLARE PROB WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A FACTOR. IF VFR IS USED, IFR PROCS (LIKE FOLLOWING A VOR RADIAL, WHICH WAS AVAILABLE) ARE USEFUL 'BACKUPS' TO VISUALLY IDENTING YOUR POS WHEN VISIBILITY IS LOW.

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.