Narrative:

I was preparing to depart ZZZ1 VFR direct to ZZZ2. In the copilot's seat was a business acquaintance who was a first time flyer in a small aircraft. All appeared normal during startup and taxi. After takeoff; my passenger became very nervous and agitated as we climbed out and; on several occasions; actually grabbed the yoke. I was concerned to the point where I considered returning to land at ZZZ1 as I did my best to calm him down by talking to him in an attempt to relax him while explaining that he was not to touch the controls. As I began to level off; he began to settle down. I immediately contacted ZZZ1 departure for flight advisories and was told that I had inadvertently climbed too high and entered controled airspace and I immediately descended to 1200 ft as directed and offered apologies. As the flight progressed towards ZZZ2; ZZZ1 departure canceled flight following and I allowed my passenger to take the controls in an attempt to get him to relax. The 30 min flight continued to ZZZ2 with my passenger on the controls who did the best he could to maintain altitude and heading. I allowed him to try turns to the left and right on several occasions and corrected his various diversions from my planned 2000 ft MSL altitude while continuously trying my best to relax him while simultaneously watching him carefully for any additional signs of panic. My plan was to fly well east of ZZZ3's class C airspace and I did not notice the terminal area rings on my GPS. As I was approximately 15 mi from ZZZ; I contacted the tower for permission to land. My passenger; who was now almost enjoying the flight; requested to fly up the coast for a few mins so he could 'see the beach.' I made this request to ZZZ2 tower and asked if I could fly west and then north until intercepting the inbound course to runway X at ZZZ2 and believe I specifically asked for help with the airspace. I was given a discrete transponder code which I entered and was told to 'fly heading 270 degrees.' after flying 270 degrees; I flew north along the beach until intercepting the inbound course and then informed the tower I was turning inbound for runway X. He then told me that he had received a call from ZZZ3 with directions for me to contact them once on the ground. I asked if he had kept me out of their airspace and he said something to the effect that he had misinterped my intentions. I assumed that any inadvertent entering of ZZZ3's airspace must have occurred while under positive control from ZZZ2. However; while on my approach to ZZZ2; I discovered that the GPS had been set to 'clear' all airspace and other data from the screen as if in approach mode. My passenger admitted to having pushed it several times as I had taught him to do when desiring to go to the 'default' navigation page; only I failed to notice that his actions had deleted all navigation data from the screen. Now armed with this knowledge; I do not know if I may have entered the eastern edge of ZZZ3's airspace prior to contacting the ZZZ2 tower. The above narrative is not meant to place the responsibility for my errors on my panicked passenger. As PIC; I am fully aware of my responsibility for the safety of my flight and for adhering to FAA regulations. In 12 yrs of flying; I have never entered controled airspace without clearance to do so and absolutely acknowledge the gravity of such an offense. I have learned several valuable lessons from this flight which will serve me well in the future. The extreme distraction of a panicked passenger combined with my chosen method of trying to allay his fears; might best have been handled by landing immediately at ZZZ1. Focusing most of my attention on keeping him calm and not noticing that he had cleared all flight and airspace data from the GPS is yet another symptom of allowing a distraction to detract from the safety of the flight. I offer this information in an attempt to explain some of the factors which contributed to such a sloppy and inexcusable 30 min; VFR flight. This has never happened to me in all my yrs of flying and I promise it never will again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 PLT ENTERS MULTIPLE CONTROLLED AIRSPACES WITHOUT CLRNC WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ALLAY CONCERNS OF INEXPERIENCED AND NERVOUS PAX.

Narrative: I WAS PREPARING TO DEPART ZZZ1 VFR DIRECT TO ZZZ2. IN THE COPLT'S SEAT WAS A BUSINESS ACQUAINTANCE WHO WAS A FIRST TIME FLYER IN A SMALL ACFT. ALL APPEARED NORMAL DURING STARTUP AND TAXI. AFTER TKOF; MY PAX BECAME VERY NERVOUS AND AGITATED AS WE CLBED OUT AND; ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS; ACTUALLY GRABBED THE YOKE. I WAS CONCERNED TO THE POINT WHERE I CONSIDERED RETURNING TO LAND AT ZZZ1 AS I DID MY BEST TO CALM HIM DOWN BY TALKING TO HIM IN AN ATTEMPT TO RELAX HIM WHILE EXPLAINING THAT HE WAS NOT TO TOUCH THE CTLS. AS I BEGAN TO LEVEL OFF; HE BEGAN TO SETTLE DOWN. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED ZZZ1 DEP FOR FLT ADVISORIES AND WAS TOLD THAT I HAD INADVERTENTLY CLBED TOO HIGH AND ENTERED CTLED AIRSPACE AND I IMMEDIATELY DSNDED TO 1200 FT AS DIRECTED AND OFFERED APOLOGIES. AS THE FLT PROGRESSED TOWARDS ZZZ2; ZZZ1 DEP CANCELED FLT FOLLOWING AND I ALLOWED MY PAX TO TAKE THE CTLS IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET HIM TO RELAX. THE 30 MIN FLT CONTINUED TO ZZZ2 WITH MY PAX ON THE CTLS WHO DID THE BEST HE COULD TO MAINTAIN ALT AND HDG. I ALLOWED HIM TO TRY TURNS TO THE L AND R ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND CORRECTED HIS VARIOUS DIVERSIONS FROM MY PLANNED 2000 FT MSL ALT WHILE CONTINUOUSLY TRYING MY BEST TO RELAX HIM WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY WATCHING HIM CAREFULLY FOR ANY ADDITIONAL SIGNS OF PANIC. MY PLAN WAS TO FLY WELL E OF ZZZ3'S CLASS C AIRSPACE AND I DID NOT NOTICE THE TERMINAL AREA RINGS ON MY GPS. AS I WAS APPROX 15 MI FROM ZZZ; I CONTACTED THE TWR FOR PERMISSION TO LAND. MY PAX; WHO WAS NOW ALMOST ENJOYING THE FLT; REQUESTED TO FLY UP THE COAST FOR A FEW MINS SO HE COULD 'SEE THE BEACH.' I MADE THIS REQUEST TO ZZZ2 TWR AND ASKED IF I COULD FLY W AND THEN N UNTIL INTERCEPTING THE INBOUND COURSE TO RWY X AT ZZZ2 AND BELIEVE I SPECIFICALLY ASKED FOR HELP WITH THE AIRSPACE. I WAS GIVEN A DISCRETE XPONDER CODE WHICH I ENTERED AND WAS TOLD TO 'FLY HDG 270 DEGS.' AFTER FLYING 270 DEGS; I FLEW N ALONG THE BEACH UNTIL INTERCEPTING THE INBOUND COURSE AND THEN INFORMED THE TWR I WAS TURNING INBOUND FOR RWY X. HE THEN TOLD ME THAT HE HAD RECEIVED A CALL FROM ZZZ3 WITH DIRECTIONS FOR ME TO CONTACT THEM ONCE ON THE GND. I ASKED IF HE HAD KEPT ME OUT OF THEIR AIRSPACE AND HE SAID SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT THAT HE HAD MISINTERPED MY INTENTIONS. I ASSUMED THAT ANY INADVERTENT ENTERING OF ZZZ3'S AIRSPACE MUST HAVE OCCURRED WHILE UNDER POSITIVE CTL FROM ZZZ2. HOWEVER; WHILE ON MY APCH TO ZZZ2; I DISCOVERED THAT THE GPS HAD BEEN SET TO 'CLR' ALL AIRSPACE AND OTHER DATA FROM THE SCREEN AS IF IN APCH MODE. MY PAX ADMITTED TO HAVING PUSHED IT SEVERAL TIMES AS I HAD TAUGHT HIM TO DO WHEN DESIRING TO GO TO THE 'DEFAULT' NAV PAGE; ONLY I FAILED TO NOTICE THAT HIS ACTIONS HAD DELETED ALL NAV DATA FROM THE SCREEN. NOW ARMED WITH THIS KNOWLEDGE; I DO NOT KNOW IF I MAY HAVE ENTERED THE EASTERN EDGE OF ZZZ3'S AIRSPACE PRIOR TO CONTACTING THE ZZZ2 TWR. THE ABOVE NARRATIVE IS NOT MEANT TO PLACE THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR MY ERRORS ON MY PANICKED PAX. AS PIC; I AM FULLY AWARE OF MY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE SAFETY OF MY FLT AND FOR ADHERING TO FAA REGS. IN 12 YRS OF FLYING; I HAVE NEVER ENTERED CTLED AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC TO DO SO AND ABSOLUTELY ACKNOWLEDGE THE GRAVITY OF SUCH AN OFFENSE. I HAVE LEARNED SEVERAL VALUABLE LESSONS FROM THIS FLT WHICH WILL SERVE ME WELL IN THE FUTURE. THE EXTREME DISTR OF A PANICKED PAX COMBINED WITH MY CHOSEN METHOD OF TRYING TO ALLAY HIS FEARS; MIGHT BEST HAVE BEEN HANDLED BY LNDG IMMEDIATELY AT ZZZ1. FOCUSING MOST OF MY ATTN ON KEEPING HIM CALM AND NOT NOTICING THAT HE HAD CLRED ALL FLT AND AIRSPACE DATA FROM THE GPS IS YET ANOTHER SYMPTOM OF ALLOWING A DISTR TO DETRACT FROM THE SAFETY OF THE FLT. I OFFER THIS INFO IN AN ATTEMPT TO EXPLAIN SOME OF THE FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO SUCH A SLOPPY AND INEXCUSABLE 30 MIN; VFR FLT. THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO ME IN ALL MY YRS OF FLYING AND I PROMISE IT NEVER WILL AGAIN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.