Narrative:

I flew from 7n7 to ptw in 1964 C172E for a 6 hour training flight in our new aircraft; a 2006 C182T navigation III. The WX was calm; and the wind was light. After the training flight which took us north to almost the canadian border; we returned to ptw; and I reboarded the C172 for the return flight to 7n7. During the day; the wind had slowly picked up. I hadn't paid a great deal of attention to it; and hadn't really noticed it as I had just landed in the much heavier C182T. I took off on runway 28 and my aircraft was immediately swatted to the left; and gaining altitude was difficult. I dialed up the AWOS; and discovered the wind was from 360 degrees at 18 KTS with gusts to 26 KTS. In all honesty; the takeoff was dangerous; and I was pretty shaken up. The wind continued to increase; and I was getting bounced around badly. It was pretty clear that landing on the 7n7 runway 25 was not looking good; but I continued on. 7n7 has no AWOS; but phl is just up river; so I checked theirs. It was still saying wind from 360 degrees at 18 KTS; peak gusts to 25 KTS. I approached and made 2 half hearted passes down runway 25 but it was obvious I was not going to be able to stick a landing in a 1300 pound aircraft. As much as I hated to admit it; I was going to have to divert to another airport with a more north/south runway. I was downwind for runway 25 at 7n7 and decided to start looking for a runway with a better orientation. The AFD was in the back seat; but because of the severe turbulence and wind; I could not reach it. I decide to use the installed garmin GNS-430 to start exploring airports. Here was the problem. 7n7 lies at the edge of the bravo 1500 ft ring of phl. Downwind on 25 took me directly into the 1500 ft ring. While I was paging through the airports; I was really getting beaten up. I was going up and down in 500 ft gulps. As I was only at about 1200 ft MSL; I instinctively gained altitude. I decided on miv. It was an old wwii base; and has several runways. I decide a nice landing on miv runway 32 was just what I needed. My confidence was shot; I was being bounced so hard that oil was coming out from under the cowling. It was now starting to get dark; and if anything the wind was picking up. I went back to the map page; and set course for miv. At this time I realized I was within the 1500 ft bravo ring at about 2200 ft; and had been wandering around for about 4 mins. I turned immediately and descended below 1500 ft. Upon arrival in miv airspace; I called atlantic city approach; I idented myself and aircraft; and was told to contact phl ATC after landing. I made an uneventful landing on runway 32. I called phl ATC; and explained what had happened to the supervisor. He told me to be more careful. I told him I would. So; what went wrong here? Well; I failed to properly assess the WX prior to takeoff. Because of that; I did not have a proper divert plan in place. I was not as familiar as I should have been with the garmin 430's 'auxiliary' pages; and spent more time than needed looking through airports for runway orientation. Switching aircraft distorted my perspective on the WX and wind; and allowed me to be surprised on takeoff. I failed to maintain full situational awareness and entered phl's bravo airspace.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT INADVERTENTLY ENTERS PHL CLASS B AIRSPACE WHILE SEARCHING AN ADVANCED NAV SYS FOR ALT ARPTS USEABLE IN THE ADVERSE WIND CONDITIONS.

Narrative: I FLEW FROM 7N7 TO PTW IN 1964 C172E FOR A 6 HR TRAINING FLT IN OUR NEW ACFT; A 2006 C182T NAV III. THE WX WAS CALM; AND THE WIND WAS LIGHT. AFTER THE TRAINING FLT WHICH TOOK US N TO ALMOST THE CANADIAN BORDER; WE RETURNED TO PTW; AND I REBOARDED THE C172 FOR THE RETURN FLT TO 7N7. DURING THE DAY; THE WIND HAD SLOWLY PICKED UP. I HADN'T PAID A GREAT DEAL OF ATTN TO IT; AND HADN'T REALLY NOTICED IT AS I HAD JUST LANDED IN THE MUCH HEAVIER C182T. I TOOK OFF ON RWY 28 AND MY ACFT WAS IMMEDIATELY SWATTED TO THE L; AND GAINING ALT WAS DIFFICULT. I DIALED UP THE AWOS; AND DISCOVERED THE WIND WAS FROM 360 DEGS AT 18 KTS WITH GUSTS TO 26 KTS. IN ALL HONESTY; THE TKOF WAS DANGEROUS; AND I WAS PRETTY SHAKEN UP. THE WIND CONTINUED TO INCREASE; AND I WAS GETTING BOUNCED AROUND BADLY. IT WAS PRETTY CLR THAT LNDG ON THE 7N7 RWY 25 WAS NOT LOOKING GOOD; BUT I CONTINUED ON. 7N7 HAS NO AWOS; BUT PHL IS JUST UP RIVER; SO I CHKED THEIRS. IT WAS STILL SAYING WIND FROM 360 DEGS AT 18 KTS; PEAK GUSTS TO 25 KTS. I APCHED AND MADE 2 HALF HEARTED PASSES DOWN RWY 25 BUT IT WAS OBVIOUS I WAS NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO STICK A LNDG IN A 1300 LB ACFT. AS MUCH AS I HATED TO ADMIT IT; I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO DIVERT TO ANOTHER ARPT WITH A MORE N/S RWY. I WAS DOWNWIND FOR RWY 25 AT 7N7 AND DECIDED TO START LOOKING FOR A RWY WITH A BETTER ORIENTATION. THE AFD WAS IN THE BACK SEAT; BUT BECAUSE OF THE SEVERE TURB AND WIND; I COULD NOT REACH IT. I DECIDE TO USE THE INSTALLED GARMIN GNS-430 TO START EXPLORING ARPTS. HERE WAS THE PROB. 7N7 LIES AT THE EDGE OF THE BRAVO 1500 FT RING OF PHL. DOWNWIND ON 25 TOOK ME DIRECTLY INTO THE 1500 FT RING. WHILE I WAS PAGING THROUGH THE ARPTS; I WAS REALLY GETTING BEATEN UP. I WAS GOING UP AND DOWN IN 500 FT GULPS. AS I WAS ONLY AT ABOUT 1200 FT MSL; I INSTINCTIVELY GAINED ALT. I DECIDED ON MIV. IT WAS AN OLD WWII BASE; AND HAS SEVERAL RWYS. I DECIDE A NICE LNDG ON MIV RWY 32 WAS JUST WHAT I NEEDED. MY CONFIDENCE WAS SHOT; I WAS BEING BOUNCED SO HARD THAT OIL WAS COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE COWLING. IT WAS NOW STARTING TO GET DARK; AND IF ANYTHING THE WIND WAS PICKING UP. I WENT BACK TO THE MAP PAGE; AND SET COURSE FOR MIV. AT THIS TIME I REALIZED I WAS WITHIN THE 1500 FT BRAVO RING AT ABOUT 2200 FT; AND HAD BEEN WANDERING AROUND FOR ABOUT 4 MINS. I TURNED IMMEDIATELY AND DSNDED BELOW 1500 FT. UPON ARR IN MIV AIRSPACE; I CALLED ATLANTIC CITY APCH; I IDENTED MYSELF AND ACFT; AND WAS TOLD TO CONTACT PHL ATC AFTER LNDG. I MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG ON RWY 32. I CALLED PHL ATC; AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO THE SUPVR. HE TOLD ME TO BE MORE CAREFUL. I TOLD HIM I WOULD. SO; WHAT WENT WRONG HERE? WELL; I FAILED TO PROPERLY ASSESS THE WX PRIOR TO TKOF. BECAUSE OF THAT; I DID NOT HAVE A PROPER DIVERT PLAN IN PLACE. I WAS NOT AS FAMILIAR AS I SHOULD HAVE BEEN WITH THE GARMIN 430'S 'AUX' PAGES; AND SPENT MORE TIME THAN NEEDED LOOKING THROUGH ARPTS FOR RWY ORIENTATION. SWITCHING ACFT DISTORTED MY PERSPECTIVE ON THE WX AND WIND; AND ALLOWED ME TO BE SURPRISED ON TKOF. I FAILED TO MAINTAIN FULL SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND ENTERED PHL'S BRAVO AIRSPACE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.