Narrative:

Departing VFR from cdw; I inadvertently climbed through the floor of the class B airspace. At 3800 ft MSL; I saw jet traffic at 11 O'clock position; crossing left to right. My tcad informed me that the traffic was 1 mi away and 900 ft above me. Seeing the traffic caused me to switch the mfd from the engine monitoring page to the navigation map. I immediately and alarmingly recognized my error. At the time; I was approximately 2 NM from the outer ring of the class B airspace. I immediately began an expedited descent to get below 3000 ft MSL. The jet traffic was never closer than 1 mi and 900 ft. I was still on cdw tower frequency; though outside their class D airspace. I was squawking 1200 and I heard no call from the tower to advise me that I had violated the airspace. Although I am extremely current; almost all of the 100 hours I have flown in the past 90 days have been on an IFR flight plan. This flight; on a sunny saturday morning; seemed the perfect flight to fly VFR to allow for sightseeing in the mountains of upstate new york. The cause of this incursion was my IFR mindset. When flying IFR; the class B airspace is not an issue. Because I fly to cdw on an IFR flight plan almost every week; my IFR mindset transforms the new york class B airspace into a non-issue. In other words; the 'muscle memory' in my brain is trained to depart cdw climbing to assigned altitude. I had chosen 5500 as the cruise altitude for this flight and my brain did as it always does; it was climbing to assigned altitude. While I recognize this error was my own as PIC; I do have a suggestion for how similar errors can be avoided. When one enters the dc ADIZ flying VFR; potomac approach says; 'proceed on course; remain outside of bravo.' if the cdw tower were to add such a tag line to their VFR clrncs; the issue would be front and center for departing pilots. For example; 'cessna 1234; caldwell tower; runway 4 cleared for takeoff; remain outside of bravo.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A COLUMBIA 400 PLT CLBING VFR OUT OF CDW INADVERTENTLY ENTERED NEW YORK CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: DEPARTING VFR FROM CDW; I INADVERTENTLY CLBED THROUGH THE FLOOR OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. AT 3800 FT MSL; I SAW JET TFC AT 11 O'CLOCK POS; XING L TO R. MY TCAD INFORMED ME THAT THE TFC WAS 1 MI AWAY AND 900 FT ABOVE ME. SEEING THE TFC CAUSED ME TO SWITCH THE MFD FROM THE ENG MONITORING PAGE TO THE NAV MAP. I IMMEDIATELY AND ALARMINGLY RECOGNIZED MY ERROR. AT THE TIME; I WAS APPROX 2 NM FROM THE OUTER RING OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN AN EXPEDITED DSCNT TO GET BELOW 3000 FT MSL. THE JET TFC WAS NEVER CLOSER THAN 1 MI AND 900 FT. I WAS STILL ON CDW TWR FREQ; THOUGH OUTSIDE THEIR CLASS D AIRSPACE. I WAS SQUAWKING 1200 AND I HEARD NO CALL FROM THE TWR TO ADVISE ME THAT I HAD VIOLATED THE AIRSPACE. ALTHOUGH I AM EXTREMELY CURRENT; ALMOST ALL OF THE 100 HRS I HAVE FLOWN IN THE PAST 90 DAYS HAVE BEEN ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. THIS FLT; ON A SUNNY SATURDAY MORNING; SEEMED THE PERFECT FLT TO FLY VFR TO ALLOW FOR SIGHTSEEING IN THE MOUNTAINS OF UPSTATE NEW YORK. THE CAUSE OF THIS INCURSION WAS MY IFR MINDSET. WHEN FLYING IFR; THE CLASS B AIRSPACE IS NOT AN ISSUE. BECAUSE I FLY TO CDW ON AN IFR FLT PLAN ALMOST EVERY WK; MY IFR MINDSET TRANSFORMS THE NEW YORK CLASS B AIRSPACE INTO A NON-ISSUE. IN OTHER WORDS; THE 'MUSCLE MEMORY' IN MY BRAIN IS TRAINED TO DEPART CDW CLBING TO ASSIGNED ALT. I HAD CHOSEN 5500 AS THE CRUISE ALT FOR THIS FLT AND MY BRAIN DID AS IT ALWAYS DOES; IT WAS CLBING TO ASSIGNED ALT. WHILE I RECOGNIZE THIS ERROR WAS MY OWN AS PIC; I DO HAVE A SUGGESTION FOR HOW SIMILAR ERRORS CAN BE AVOIDED. WHEN ONE ENTERS THE DC ADIZ FLYING VFR; POTOMAC APCH SAYS; 'PROCEED ON COURSE; REMAIN OUTSIDE OF BRAVO.' IF THE CDW TWR WERE TO ADD SUCH A TAG LINE TO THEIR VFR CLRNCS; THE ISSUE WOULD BE FRONT AND CENTER FOR DEPARTING PLTS. FOR EXAMPLE; 'CESSNA 1234; CALDWELL TWR; RWY 4 CLRED FOR TKOF; REMAIN OUTSIDE OF BRAVO.'

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.