Golden Eagle 421
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Private; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 112; Flight Crew Total 6700; Flight Crew Type 1850
Situational Awareness; Workload
ATC Issue All Types; Airspace Violation All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Procedure; Human Factors; Airspace Structure
I departed Bountiful Skypark (BTF) on Runway 17 VFR and made left downwind avoiding Class B and climbed to 5;500 utilizing I15 VFR corridor to northwest. Within 2 miles I called SLC Approach to retrieve IFR flight plan. My plan was to pass under the active SLC approach corridor westbound at 5;500 under the class B airspace south of Hill AFB and pick up [my] IFR [flight plan] west of Antelope Island. Upon my second call to approach I heard the controller make a traffic call to a Skyhawk that was transiting the I15 corridor at 5;500 southeast inbound to BTF. I had the traffic on TCAS at 2 miles initially same altitude and when the Skyhawk didn't respond to the controller's traffic call I told approach I was the subject of the traffic call and had a request. There was no response from approach. I made a left turn to pass to the right of the Skyhawk right due to terrain to my right. Soon thereafter the Skyhawk turned right onto a collision course; and the Skyhawk reported negative visual on me. I got a traffic call from my TCAS of less than a mile same altitude; I climbed 500 feet to 6;000 and soon thereafter the Skyhawk passed on my right at less than a 1/2 mile and 500 feet below; I then had to immediately descend to 5;500 again to stay under Bravo and made my left turn to west to traverse under the SLC approach corridor.I finally got a squawk and was radar identified and was handed off to next controller and told to maintain VFR at 5;500. The base of the Bravo airspace east of Antelope Island is below terrain of the island almost 1;500 feet and only 2 miles east. Upon clearing the SLC approach corridor one has to climb at minimum of 2;000 FPM to clear terrain of Antelope Island. I was then asked to maintain 7;000 and VFR; which is only 400 feet from terrain; I indicated I would maintain VFR but needed to climb higher. With the workload of this complex route; terrain warnings and the prior traffic situation I accidentally continued my climb into the Bravo airspace west of Antelope Island with a base of 7;800. When I passed the demarcation line of Bravo going from a base of 6;000 to 7;800 I was so focused on clearing terrain and validating with terrain avoidance system that I missed the new floor of 7;800. I was given my IFR clearance as I climbed through 10;000 feet direct to BVL and realized I was in Bravo airspace without a clearance.Despite being a 450 hour a year pilot and going into the SLC area regularly; I will not go into BTF anymore as a result of this. The complex Bravo airspace and VFR corridors; when combined with terrain squeeze VFR aircraft into marginal areas for both traffic and terrain avoidance. I will only go in and out of SLC IFR in the future.
C421 pilot reported violating Bravo airspace near SLC when he was squeezed by terrain and a traffic conflict.