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Cirrus pilot landing pao entered sfo class B without ATC clearance at 4500 ft during night flight.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 618083 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200405 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : pao.airport |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 4500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Weather Elements | other |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : nct.tracon |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | SR20 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Qualification | pilot : private pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 640 flight time type : 75 |
| ASRS Report | 618083 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | observation : passenger |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | airspace violation : entry inflight encounter : weather non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance flight crew : exited penetrated airspace flight crew : became reoriented |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Airspace Structure Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance Weather ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Flight was an instrument training flight flown under visual flight rules. After the final practice approach at lvk, I was returning to pao over a low overcast. The overcast stopped at the hills that surround the sf bay area and pao was clear. However, as I approached the hills, it became obvious that I would be unable to retain VFR separation from the clouds while also keeping clear of the san jose class C airspace and or san francisco class B. I contacted norcal approach for a clearance through class C, but the controller was quite busy and gave a cursory reply to proceed direct to pao. I was unable to comply because of the clouds and class B, but was unable to convey this to the controller because of the busy frequency. I turned away from pao to avoid entering class B and to give me time to re-contact the controller. As I discussed my options with the passenger (also a pilot, he had acted as safety pilot earlier in the flight), the controller contacted me to ask why I had turned away from the airport. I missed most of the transmission, and, before I had replied, he was busy again. During this time, my workload was quite high: I was trying to make contact with ATC, discussing the situation with the passenger, trying to come up with a plan, maintaining separation from terrain (though it was night, the terrain was easily visible due to bright city lights) and from clouds, checking for traffic, and trying to stay out of airspace I had not been cleared into. In the end, this workload proved too high. ATC contacted me again and gave me a heading of north, and I explained my need to transition class C in order to remain VFR. However, the controller either didn't hear or didn't understand, because his next communication was to tell me I had entered class B without a clearance and to again ask why I had turned away from pao. This time, I was able to communicate my needs, but he told me to stay clear of classes B and C and asked my intentions. I told him to stand by and began again to consider my options. He quickly came back with a clearance into class C and I was able to return to pao without further incident. I have flown this route many times, often at night, and I have never had any problem keeping clear of class B or C, or of being cleared through it, if necessary. This time, I entered class B without a clearance, and I was completely unaware of it until notified by ATC. I assume I entered the airspace before I was given a heading, but I don't even know that. I had completely lost situational awareness. I think 2 factors contributed to the incursion. The first is that the low overcast blocked the terrain features that I normally use to keep myself oriented. It took more effort to stay aware of my position and heading without these visual cues. The second is that I put too much effort into discussing my plans with my passenger. We had briefed his role as safety pilot before the flight, but we didn't discuss whether he should act in any other capacity during the rest of the flight. Neither of us are trained in CRM. He was trying to be helpful, but his attempts at assistance were mostly just distracting.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CIRRUS PLT LNDG PAO ENTERED SFO CLASS B WITHOUT ATC CLRNC AT 4500 FT DURING NIGHT FLT.
Narrative: FLT WAS AN INST TRAINING FLT FLOWN UNDER VISUAL FLT RULES. AFTER THE FINAL PRACTICE APCH AT LVK, I WAS RETURNING TO PAO OVER A LOW OVCST. THE OVCST STOPPED AT THE HILLS THAT SURROUND THE SF BAY AREA AND PAO WAS CLR. HOWEVER, AS I APCHED THE HILLS, IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT I WOULD BE UNABLE TO RETAIN VFR SEPARATION FROM THE CLOUDS WHILE ALSO KEEPING CLR OF THE SAN JOSE CLASS C AIRSPACE AND OR SAN FRANCISCO CLASS B. I CONTACTED NORCAL APCH FOR A CLRNC THROUGH CLASS C, BUT THE CTLR WAS QUITE BUSY AND GAVE A CURSORY REPLY TO PROCEED DIRECT TO PAO. I WAS UNABLE TO COMPLY BECAUSE OF THE CLOUDS AND CLASS B, BUT WAS UNABLE TO CONVEY THIS TO THE CTLR BECAUSE OF THE BUSY FREQ. I TURNED AWAY FROM PAO TO AVOID ENTERING CLASS B AND TO GIVE ME TIME TO RE-CONTACT THE CTLR. AS I DISCUSSED MY OPTIONS WITH THE PAX (ALSO A PLT, HE HAD ACTED AS SAFETY PLT EARLIER IN THE FLT), THE CTLR CONTACTED ME TO ASK WHY I HAD TURNED AWAY FROM THE ARPT. I MISSED MOST OF THE XMISSION, AND, BEFORE I HAD REPLIED, HE WAS BUSY AGAIN. DURING THIS TIME, MY WORKLOAD WAS QUITE HIGH: I WAS TRYING TO MAKE CONTACT WITH ATC, DISCUSSING THE SIT WITH THE PAX, TRYING TO COME UP WITH A PLAN, MAINTAINING SEPARATION FROM TERRAIN (THOUGH IT WAS NIGHT, THE TERRAIN WAS EASILY VISIBLE DUE TO BRIGHT CITY LIGHTS) AND FROM CLOUDS, CHKING FOR TFC, AND TRYING TO STAY OUT OF AIRSPACE I HAD NOT BEEN CLRED INTO. IN THE END, THIS WORKLOAD PROVED TOO HIGH. ATC CONTACTED ME AGAIN AND GAVE ME A HDG OF N, AND I EXPLAINED MY NEED TO TRANSITION CLASS C IN ORDER TO REMAIN VFR. HOWEVER, THE CTLR EITHER DIDN'T HEAR OR DIDN'T UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE HIS NEXT COM WAS TO TELL ME I HAD ENTERED CLASS B WITHOUT A CLRNC AND TO AGAIN ASK WHY I HAD TURNED AWAY FROM PAO. THIS TIME, I WAS ABLE TO COMMUNICATE MY NEEDS, BUT HE TOLD ME TO STAY CLR OF CLASSES B AND C AND ASKED MY INTENTIONS. I TOLD HIM TO STAND BY AND BEGAN AGAIN TO CONSIDER MY OPTIONS. HE QUICKLY CAME BACK WITH A CLRNC INTO CLASS C AND I WAS ABLE TO RETURN TO PAO WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I HAVE FLOWN THIS RTE MANY TIMES, OFTEN AT NIGHT, AND I HAVE NEVER HAD ANY PROB KEEPING CLR OF CLASS B OR C, OR OF BEING CLRED THROUGH IT, IF NECESSARY. THIS TIME, I ENTERED CLASS B WITHOUT A CLRNC, AND I WAS COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF IT UNTIL NOTIFIED BY ATC. I ASSUME I ENTERED THE AIRSPACE BEFORE I WAS GIVEN A HDG, BUT I DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT. I HAD COMPLETELY LOST SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. I THINK 2 FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO THE INCURSION. THE FIRST IS THAT THE LOW OVCST BLOCKED THE TERRAIN FEATURES THAT I NORMALLY USE TO KEEP MYSELF ORIENTED. IT TOOK MORE EFFORT TO STAY AWARE OF MY POS AND HDG WITHOUT THESE VISUAL CUES. THE SECOND IS THAT I PUT TOO MUCH EFFORT INTO DISCUSSING MY PLANS WITH MY PAX. WE HAD BRIEFED HIS ROLE AS SAFETY PLT BEFORE THE FLT, BUT WE DIDN'T DISCUSS WHETHER HE SHOULD ACT IN ANY OTHER CAPACITY DURING THE REST OF THE FLT. NEITHER OF US ARE TRAINED IN CRM. HE WAS TRYING TO BE HELPFUL, BUT HIS ATTEMPTS AT ASSISTANCE WERE MOSTLY JUST DISTRACTING.
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.