Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 45; Flight Crew Total 1570; Flight Crew Type 35
Situational Awareness
Airspace Violation All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Exited Penetrated Airspace
Aircraft; Weather; Human Factors
After briefing and NOTAM report; personal flight to GKT. En route; weather was clear until reaching east of ATL; a line of convection moving east/northeast. NEXRAD showed storm dissipating to the west. Made the decision to fly west under ATL Class B west outer shelf. Upon heading north east along edge of weather under ATL Class B; started encountering terrain (mountains). Turned north in order to maintain VMC and climbed to 4;500 FT. Storm clouds still to the east and clouds to north; opening to the northwest; so we turned left to go to the clearing and upon doing so we entered the 3;500 to 12;500 FT shelf by 00GA and Yellow River without clearance. Aircraft radio reception marginal. New antenna going on this week; so communications will be greatly improved. Lessons learned: weather avoidance next to Class B is a bad combination; especially with marginal communication. Land and wait it out.
Experimental aircraft pilot reports inadvertently entering ATL Class B airspace while attempting to avoid both the airspace; weather; and rising terrain on the east side.