Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG
Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 10; Flight Crew Total 243; Flight Crew Type 243
Situational Awareness; Human-Machine Interface
Airspace Violation All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Airspace Structure; Human Factors
I was transitioning southbound from OGD and had just left Hill Air Force Base's airspace and was attempting to speak with the Salt Lake Approach Controller. I had attempted to contact him a few times without him acknowledging me. I was continuing southbound and approaching Class B airspace. I continued to attempt to call him until he finally advised 'VFR traffic; standby' I then began circling over the city of Kaysville; Utah to avoid their airspace. I was at 5;500 FT as requested by Hill Tower. I understand the Controller was busy and was not able to answer me. I again called a few times to which he was not able to answer me. Prior to leaving Ogden I had observed a Lancair aircraft right behind me and performing a run-up prior to my take-off. I heard a Lancair call the same Controller to which he was also given the same standby; I'm too busy to talk to you at this point in time. I [mentally] questioned whether he was southbound at this time or not. Knowing that the Salt Lake Controller was too busy; I switched back to Hill Tower and asked them if the Lancair had followed me southbound and I advised him that the Salt Lake Controller was too busy to talk with me. He advised me to orbit and to continue to try to call Salt Lake Approach. I switched back to Salt Lake Approach frequency and again attempted to contact them and was told that he was busy. I had my GPS in the aircraft zoomed in and Foreflight on my iPad zoomed in to see on the TAC chart the airspace of Class B. I also had on my kneeboard a Sectional Chart folded to allow me to view the area in which I was flying. On my iPad Foreflight I could see on the left side the airway of V21 which is a lighter colored blue and on the right I could see the darker colored blue indicating the airspace of Class B from 9;000 to 10;000 FT. There was turbulence and a storm over the Salt Lake area which caused quite a few bumps. I did not distinguish the color difference between the airway of V21 and the airspace just to the east of me. I believed I was in an area that was not Class B and between Hill Air Force Base airspace and Salt Lake's airspace. Attempting to move south and avoid anymore circling and bad weather I began a climb in an attempt to go over Class B airspace south above 10;000 FT and maintain VFR from clouds. I heard the Lancair ask for flight following northbound. The Controller acknowledged him and told him to contact Salt Lake City Center and provided him the frequency. I then knew that we were not a factor. By this time I had climbed up to approximately 8;000 FT. On my way to above 10;000 FT to clear the Class B airspace; I observed a Commuter aircraft flying southbound en route to Salt Lake. I believe the Commuter plane had been talking to the same Controller that I had attempted to talk to numerous times without success as I heard the Controller ask if he could see the aircraft type. I could not hear the Commuter pilot but assumed it was me that he was referring to as we were a couple of miles apart and he was approximately 1;000 FT above me and 2 miles to the west. Believing that the Controller now had time for me; I again called him and he replied. I advised him of my location and altitude and requested clearance through Bravo airspace southbound. He provided me a squawk code and granted me permission into Bravo southbound. I proceed southbound at 8;500 (possibly 8;600) FT. Shortly after this time he had provided me with a phone number upon landing. Not knowing why I was told to call the number and frustrated over the entire incident due to the fact that weather was a factor; turbulence was a factor; and I had requested on several occasions to establish contact without him being able to fit me in; I zoomed my iPAD out and discovered that I was actually climbing through Class B airspace without permission. I observed on the iPad TAC chart that the shelf I was climbing in began at 7;600 to 10;000 FT. I then realized that I had intruded into their airspace without clearance. The sectional chart folds on the shelf indicating 7;600 to 10;000 FT making it difficult to see if it is folded up on a kneeboard. The other spot it indicates 7;600 to 10;000 FT is up by the city name of 'Clearfield' which is folded up and on the opposite side to fit in a kneeboard section. There is no clear evidence that the shelf is 7;600 to 10;000 FT with the way it was folded on my lap. By having the GPS zoomed in on both the aircraft Garmin and my iPad using Foreflight to attempt to avoid their airspace; I inadvertently flew into their airspace as it had been zoomed too far in as to obscure the actual shelf and altitude restrictions. Finding out the errors unfortunately after the fact I contacted the Tower at the above number and spoke with Mr. X and informed him of my findings and what I had done and that I did not know that I was in their airspace. Mr. X was very polite and respectful and discussed with me the of Commuter aircraft that was kind of close. I advised him that they were a few miles away and I had him in sight; but yes I heard the Controller speaking to a Commuter plane and assumed it was me when he asked for the type of aircraft that it was. I then was able to make contact with the Controller and have him provide me permission and clearance into Class B airspace. I have learned from this incident that it could have ended badly and there is risk flying into restricted airspace without permission. I did not know I was in their airspace unfortunately until after I had already penetrated their airspace by approximately 500 FT. I understand the concern from Mr. X and the Tower and them wishing me to contact them in regards to the matter. I have since analyzed the sectional chart as well as the TAC chart and know now to keep one of the moving map GPS units zoomed out far enough in order to view these altitude restrictions. As far as the sectional map I believe that by moving the altitude on the shelf restrictions it would provide for it to be visible easily in a kneeboard format and not on a crease or another page as it currently does. This situation should have been analyzed more thoroughly on my part prior to my flight and I should have fully understood the shelves and restrictions in altitude prior to my flight. I will fully understand this for all future flights.
C182 pilot reports inadvertently entering SLC Class B airspace while attempting to avoid it using a paper TAC; iPad with Foreflight; and a moving map GPS. The vertical dimension of the Class B airspace was obscured on all three maps for various reasons.