Pilots should be wary when operating close to the boundaries of Class B airspace, the FAA said recently in a Safety Alert for Operators. Flight crew who are on a visual approach may sometimes stray outside the boundaries of the designated airspace, the FAA said. In addition, the published approaches may sometimes take an airplane temporarily outside the airspace. At the same time, GA pilots may be operating close outside the boundaries without talking to ATC, as they depend more and more on inflight navigation aids such as GPS moving maps. That proximity increases the risk of a near-midair collision, the FAA says. The solution is for all pilots, whether flying inside or outside the Class B space, to become familiar with the vertical and lateral boundaries, the FAA said.
In addition, the SAFO notes, during busy times, pilots and flight crew might follow a controller’s instructions that cause them to exit the Class B airspace, but the crew is not aware of the excursion because the controllers are too busy to advise them. All pilots should “maintain external vigilance,” avoid distractions, and apply see-and-avoid practices anytime they are operating near Class B airspace boundaries, according to the SAFO. Class B airspace surrounds the nation’s busiest airports.
