Narrative:

The original plan was to have an instructor fly with me from troy, mi, to dublin, va. While I am a certified private pilot, asel, I wanted an instructor with me since I would be flying to unfamiliar terrain and through the mountains. In addition, if necessary to file an IFR flight plan, we would be able to do so. Also, this allowed me to take our club's cessna 182, an aircraft which I have not been endorsed for nor have I met the minimum training hours required from our insurance carrier at the club. At this point I had 1.5 hours of check out in the C182. The morning of may/sat/03, the WX was not conducive to make the trip to dublin, va. Since I had the plane scheduled, I asked the CFI if he would consider another destination. I told him I would like to go with him to a destination that I may later choose to go myself, chicago, midway or mackinaw island. He suggested we fly to put in bay, then from there we could go to howell, mi. Later that afternoon, after departing put in bay, we headed south. The CFI was in the right seat, I was doing all the flying in the left seat. The CFI was doing the navigating and had the current sectional chart out. At this point, I knew we were coming close to dtw's class B airspace. The CFI had the chart unfolded and was looking at it, but he was not saying much. I asked him if we are going to get close to the class B and he said that it is a concern, but he did not suggest anything further. At this point, I saw an airport which I pointed out to the CFI. We both looked at the chart, I believed the airport to be custer (ttf). Now I knew we were very close to the class B, if not in it, and I started turning west. The CFI dialed in the detroit VOR/DME and the DME showed us to be 18.5 DME from the VOR. The CFI then said turn to a heading of 270 degrees, I then turned to 270 degrees. I saw what appeared to be a DC9 cross from left to right ahead of us. Range to the other aircraft I estimated to be greater than 4 mi. No evasive action was taken on our part and did not see the other aircraft take any evasive action. My first thought was to dive below 4000 ft, the floor of class B in that sector. But I rationalized that if ATC has to move other aircraft around us, it is safer to move aircraft around us while we maintain a constant altitude and heading. I was very concerned of our position at this point, and that entry into dtw class B airspace was made without a clearance. My perception is that the CFI had not totally assumed the role of PIC/instructor. In addition, this is complicated by the fact that we began with a specific plan to fly to a specific destination, dublin, va. After canceling the original flight, we decided on an unstructured trip that was not well planned. In addition, as the CFI had held the chart the entire time and had been consulting it and making course suggestions and altitude suggestions, I had relinquished all navigation to him. Finally, the thought that is most difficult, is that we came in the vicinity of an air carrier aircraft that my actions may have put others at risk. I do not know if ATC had to re-direct any other traffic to avoid us or whether or not we came close to a midair collision.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POTENTIAL CONFLICT AND AN UNAUTH UNCOORD ENTRY INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE BY A C182 PVT PLT AND INSTRUCTOR PLT 19 MI SW OF DTW, MI.

Narrative: THE ORIGINAL PLAN WAS TO HAVE AN INSTRUCTOR FLY WITH ME FROM TROY, MI, TO DUBLIN, VA. WHILE I AM A CERTIFIED PVT PLT, ASEL, I WANTED AN INSTRUCTOR WITH ME SINCE I WOULD BE FLYING TO UNFAMILIAR TERRAIN AND THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS. IN ADDITION, IF NECESSARY TO FILE AN IFR FLT PLAN, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO SO. ALSO, THIS ALLOWED ME TO TAKE OUR CLUB'S CESSNA 182, AN ACFT WHICH I HAVE NOT BEEN ENDORSED FOR NOR HAVE I MET THE MINIMUM TRAINING HRS REQUIRED FROM OUR INSURANCE CARRIER AT THE CLUB. AT THIS POINT I HAD 1.5 HRS OF CHK OUT IN THE C182. THE MORNING OF MAY/SAT/03, THE WX WAS NOT CONDUCIVE TO MAKE THE TRIP TO DUBLIN, VA. SINCE I HAD THE PLANE SCHEDULED, I ASKED THE CFI IF HE WOULD CONSIDER ANOTHER DEST. I TOLD HIM I WOULD LIKE TO GO WITH HIM TO A DEST THAT I MAY LATER CHOOSE TO GO MYSELF, CHICAGO, MIDWAY OR MACKINAW ISLAND. HE SUGGESTED WE FLY TO PUT IN BAY, THEN FROM THERE WE COULD GO TO HOWELL, MI. LATER THAT AFTERNOON, AFTER DEPARTING PUT IN BAY, WE HEADED S. THE CFI WAS IN THE R SEAT, I WAS DOING ALL THE FLYING IN THE L SEAT. THE CFI WAS DOING THE NAVING AND HAD THE CURRENT SECTIONAL CHART OUT. AT THIS POINT, I KNEW WE WERE COMING CLOSE TO DTW'S CLASS B AIRSPACE. THE CFI HAD THE CHART UNFOLDED AND WAS LOOKING AT IT, BUT HE WAS NOT SAYING MUCH. I ASKED HIM IF WE ARE GOING TO GET CLOSE TO THE CLASS B AND HE SAID THAT IT IS A CONCERN, BUT HE DID NOT SUGGEST ANYTHING FURTHER. AT THIS POINT, I SAW AN ARPT WHICH I POINTED OUT TO THE CFI. WE BOTH LOOKED AT THE CHART, I BELIEVED THE ARPT TO BE CUSTER (TTF). NOW I KNEW WE WERE VERY CLOSE TO THE CLASS B, IF NOT IN IT, AND I STARTED TURNING W. THE CFI DIALED IN THE DETROIT VOR/DME AND THE DME SHOWED US TO BE 18.5 DME FROM THE VOR. THE CFI THEN SAID TURN TO A HEADING OF 270 DEGS, I THEN TURNED TO 270 DEGS. I SAW WHAT APPEARED TO BE A DC9 CROSS FROM L TO R AHEAD OF US. RANGE TO THE OTHER ACFT I ESTIMATED TO BE GREATER THAN 4 MI. NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN ON OUR PART AND DID NOT SEE THE OTHER ACFT TAKE ANY EVASIVE ACTION. MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS TO DIVE BELOW 4000 FT, THE FLOOR OF CLASS B IN THAT SECTOR. BUT I RATIONALIZED THAT IF ATC HAS TO MOVE OTHER ACFT AROUND US, IT IS SAFER TO MOVE ACFT AROUND US WHILE WE MAINTAIN A CONSTANT ALT AND HEADING. I WAS VERY CONCERNED OF OUR POS AT THIS POINT, AND THAT ENTRY INTO DTW CLASS B AIRSPACE WAS MADE WITHOUT A CLRNC. MY PERCEPTION IS THAT THE CFI HAD NOT TOTALLY ASSUMED THE ROLE OF PIC/INSTRUCTOR. IN ADDITION, THIS IS COMPLICATED BY THE FACT THAT WE BEGAN WITH A SPECIFIC PLAN TO FLY TO A SPECIFIC DEST, DUBLIN, VA. AFTER CANCELING THE ORIGINAL FLT, WE DECIDED ON AN UNSTRUCTURED TRIP THAT WAS NOT WELL PLANNED. IN ADDITION, AS THE CFI HAD HELD THE CHART THE ENTIRE TIME AND HAD BEEN CONSULTING IT AND MAKING COURSE SUGGESTIONS AND ALT SUGGESTIONS, I HAD RELINQUISHED ALL NAV TO HIM. FINALLY, THE THOUGHT THAT IS MOST DIFFICULT, IS THAT WE CAME IN THE VICINITY OF AN ACR ACFT THAT MY ACTIONS MAY HAVE PUT OTHERS AT RISK. I DO NOT KNOW IF ATC HAD TO RE-DIRECT ANY OTHER TFC TO AVOID US OR WHETHER OR NOT WE CAME CLOSE TO A MIDAIR COLLISION.

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.