Narrative:

This report is concerning an inadvertent baltimore class B airspace incursion that I was responsible for due to being distracted from my VFR pilotage navigation due to my failure to properly clean the aircraft windscreen of bug/insect debris during preflight. Bottom line; once I got airborne the increased VFR visual scan workload distracted my VFR navigation and I mistakenly visually lined up on the wrong chesapeake bay peninsula for my intended VFR flight route from fme to the ADIZ paleo gate near kent island; md. I was in contact with potomac TRACON/ADIZ as per normal washington dc ADIZ procedures and was directed to exit baltimore class B via an immediate turn south which I immediately executed and exited class B in approximately 1 minute. Despite recent washington dc ADIZ changes and improvements; I believe that NASA/FAA need to evaluate possible small changes to the southern edges of baltimore class B that could slightly increase this frz/class B corridor airspace to provide a less constricted VFR corridor. At this moment the 2500 ft ceiling section is very close to the frz and it appears that many VFR pilots bias their flight paths north and actually fly at/near 1400 ft MSL to 'stay way from the frz' and to fly just under the baltimore class B 1500 ft MSL floor area. This has the effect of the VFR traffic 'self bunching itself' into an even narrower actual corridor. This VFR traffic 'self bunching' is further complicated by the fact that every one is monitoring the TRACON/ADIZ radio frequency and that no-one is making self announced traffic CTAF calls regarding transiting near airports such as fme; anp; etc that are inside the ADIZ. Another complicating factor is that VFR traffic destined for airports near this corridor are directed to leave the TRACON/ADIZ frequency and go to the airport CTAF 'when they confirm that they have the airport in sight.' the effect is that VFR traffic is making a CTAF call at 5-10 NM from the airport of intended landing and that only VFR traffic on the ground or actually in the pattern can hear the CTAF call. Any VFR traffic that has just left the pattern and changed from CTAF to ADIZ frequencys is radio blind to the incoming traffic. Bottom line is that for VFR traffic inside the ADIZ; near a non-towered airport; the only reliable tool for traffic avoidance is literally see and be seen; visual scanning etc; and that the combined effect of 'self-bunching' transit VFR traffic and no-CTAF radio arriving/departing traffic; is in effect forcing an increased reliance on VFR visual scanning as the only 'reliable' tool to avoid VFR traffic conflict. It is as if we have an artificial low altitude; very narrow mountain pass to transit and radio use is not allowed. A possible improvement would be to slightly enlarge the current 2500 ft MSL class B floor to include more airspace north of the current frz and closer to fme; or possibly to create a 2000 ft class B floor section that has the effect of widening the VFR baltimore class B/frz corridor. This would at least make the corridor slightly wider and the increased ceiling would allow VFR traffic to spread out laterally and still give the frz wide berth. Also this slightly increased size corridor would encourage wider VFR traffic use of the already recommended 1500 ft westbound; 2000 ft eastbound; transit traffic altitudes recommended on the current balt-wash VFR terminal area chart. This slightly 'larger' corridor would also encourage VFR air traffic arriving/departing non-towered airports to operate at 1500/2000 ft MSL until they are truly departing/arriving into the non-towered airport traffic pattern. This would have the effect to reduce the current tendency of VFR traffic to self bunch at 1400 ft MSL in this corridor. One possible other safety improvement to current standard washington ADIZ VFR procedures would be for the potomoc TRACON/ADIZ 'controller' to be required to provide a VFR pilot who has just departed a non-towered airport pattern and checked in on the ADIZ frequency (and no longer monitoring CTAF); a very brief 'information only' statement of other VFR traffic that is within 5- 10 NM of the just departed airport or other traffic that is outbound/inbound in the ADIZ from the non-towered airport. Since all the VFR traffic is listening on ADIZ frequency this alerts all VFR traffic to the 'new VFR guy' in the airspace.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PILOT INTRUDES INTO BWI CLASS B DEPARTING FME TO THE EAST AND OFFERS SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING ADIZ VFR FLYWAY.

Narrative: THIS REPORT IS CONCERNING AN INADVERTENT BALTIMORE CLASS B AIRSPACE INCURSION THAT I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR DUE TO BEING DISTRACTED FROM MY VFR PILOTAGE NAVIGATION DUE TO MY FAILURE TO PROPERLY CLEAN THE AIRCRAFT WINDSCREEN OF BUG/INSECT DEBRIS DURING PREFLIGHT. BOTTOM LINE; ONCE I GOT AIRBORNE THE INCREASED VFR VISUAL SCAN WORKLOAD DISTRACTED MY VFR NAVIGATION AND I MISTAKENLY VISUALLY LINED UP ON THE WRONG CHESAPEAKE BAY PENINSULA FOR MY INTENDED VFR FLIGHT ROUTE FROM FME TO THE ADIZ PALEO GATE NEAR KENT ISLAND; MD. I WAS IN CONTACT WITH POTOMAC TRACON/ADIZ AS PER NORMAL WASHINGTON DC ADIZ PROCEDURES AND WAS DIRECTED TO EXIT BALTIMORE CLASS B VIA AN IMMEDIATE TURN SOUTH WHICH I IMMEDIATELY EXECUTED AND EXITED CLASS B IN APPROXIMATELY 1 MINUTE. DESPITE RECENT WASHINGTON DC ADIZ CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENTS; I BELIEVE THAT NASA/FAA NEED TO EVALUATE POSSIBLE SMALL CHANGES TO THE SOUTHERN EDGES OF BALTIMORE CLASS B THAT COULD SLIGHTLY INCREASE THIS FRZ/CLASS B CORRIDOR AIRSPACE TO PROVIDE A LESS CONSTRICTED VFR CORRIDOR. AT THIS MOMENT THE 2500 FT CEILING SECTION IS VERY CLOSE TO THE FRZ AND IT APPEARS THAT MANY VFR PILOTS BIAS THEIR FLIGHT PATHS NORTH AND ACTUALLY FLY AT/NEAR 1400 FT MSL TO 'STAY WAY FROM THE FRZ' AND TO FLY JUST UNDER THE BALTIMORE CLASS B 1500 FT MSL FLOOR AREA. THIS HAS THE EFFECT OF THE VFR TRAFFIC 'SELF BUNCHING ITSELF' INTO AN EVEN NARROWER ACTUAL CORRIDOR. THIS VFR TRAFFIC 'SELF BUNCHING' IS FURTHER COMPLICATED BY THE FACT THAT EVERY ONE IS MONITORING THE TRACON/ADIZ RADIO FREQ AND THAT NO-ONE IS MAKING SELF ANNOUNCED TRAFFIC CTAF CALLS REGARDING TRANSITING NEAR AIRPORTS SUCH AS FME; ANP; ETC THAT ARE INSIDE THE ADIZ. ANOTHER COMPLICATING FACTOR IS THAT VFR TRAFFIC DESTINED FOR AIRPORTS NEAR THIS CORRIDOR ARE DIRECTED TO LEAVE THE TRACON/ADIZ FREQ AND GO TO THE AIRPORT CTAF 'WHEN THEY CONFIRM THAT THEY HAVE THE AIRPORT IN SIGHT.' THE EFFECT IS THAT VFR TRAFFIC IS MAKING A CTAF CALL AT 5-10 NM FROM THE AIRPORT OF INTENDED LANDING AND THAT ONLY VFR TRAFFIC ON THE GROUND OR ACTUALLY IN THE PATTERN CAN HEAR THE CTAF CALL. ANY VFR TRAFFIC THAT HAS JUST LEFT THE PATTERN AND CHANGED FROM CTAF TO ADIZ FREQS IS RADIO BLIND TO THE INCOMING TRAFFIC. BOTTOM LINE IS THAT FOR VFR TRAFFIC INSIDE THE ADIZ; NEAR A NON-TOWERED AIRPORT; THE ONLY RELIABLE TOOL FOR TRAFFIC AVOIDANCE IS LITERALLY SEE AND BE SEEN; VISUAL SCANNING ETC; AND THAT THE COMBINED EFFECT OF 'SELF-BUNCHING' TRANSIT VFR TRAFFIC AND NO-CTAF RADIO ARRIVING/DEPARTING TRAFFIC; IS IN EFFECT FORCING AN INCREASED RELIANCE ON VFR VISUAL SCANNING AS THE ONLY 'RELIABLE' TOOL TO AVOID VFR TRAFFIC CONFLICT. IT IS AS IF WE HAVE AN ARTIFICIAL LOW ALTITUDE; VERY NARROW MOUNTAIN PASS TO TRANSIT AND RADIO USE IS NOT ALLOWED. A POSSIBLE IMPROVEMENT WOULD BE TO SLIGHTLY ENLARGE THE CURRENT 2500 FT MSL CLASS B FLOOR TO INCLUDE MORE AIRSPACE NORTH OF THE CURRENT FRZ AND CLOSER TO FME; OR POSSIBLY TO CREATE A 2000 FT CLASS B FLOOR SECTION THAT HAS THE EFFECT OF WIDENING THE VFR BALTIMORE CLASS B/FRZ CORRIDOR. THIS WOULD AT LEAST MAKE THE CORRIDOR SLIGHTLY WIDER AND THE INCREASED CEILING WOULD ALLOW VFR TRAFFIC TO SPREAD OUT LATERALLY AND STILL GIVE THE FRZ WIDE BERTH. ALSO THIS SLIGHTLY INCREASED SIZE CORRIDOR WOULD ENCOURAGE WIDER VFR TRAFFIC USE OF THE ALREADY RECOMMENDED 1500 FT WESTBOUND; 2000 FT EASTBOUND; TRANSIT TRAFFIC ALTITUDES RECOMMENDED ON THE CURRENT BALT-WASH VFR TERMINAL AREA CHART. THIS SLIGHTLY 'LARGER' CORRIDOR WOULD ALSO ENCOURAGE VFR AIR TRAFFIC ARRIVING/DEPARTING NON-TOWERED AIRPORTS TO OPERATE AT 1500/2000 FT MSL UNTIL THEY ARE TRULY DEPARTING/ARRIVING INTO THE NON-TOWERED AIRPORT TRAFFIC PATTERN. THIS WOULD HAVE THE EFFECT TO REDUCE THE CURRENT TENDENCY OF VFR TRAFFIC TO SELF BUNCH AT 1400 FT MSL IN THIS CORRIDOR. ONE POSSIBLE OTHER SAFETY IMPROVEMENT TO CURRENT STANDARD WASHINGTON ADIZ VFR PROCEDURES WOULD BE FOR THE POTOMOC TRACON/ADIZ 'CONTROLLER' TO BE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE A VFR PILOT WHO HAS JUST DEPARTED A NON-TOWERED AIRPORT PATTERN AND CHECKED IN ON THE ADIZ FREQ (AND NO LONGER MONITORING CTAF); A VERY BRIEF 'INFO ONLY' STATEMENT OF OTHER VFR TRAFFIC THAT IS WITHIN 5- 10 NM OF THE JUST DEPARTED AIRPORT OR OTHER TRAFFIC THAT IS OUTBOUND/INBOUND IN THE ADIZ FROM THE NON-TOWERED AIRPORT. SINCE ALL THE VFR TRAFFIC IS LISTENING ON ADIZ FREQ THIS ALERTS ALL VFR TRAFFIC TO THE 'NEW VFR GUY' IN THE AIRSPACE.

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.