SMA PLT PENETRATES RESTR AREA.

Narrative

DEPARTED EL PASO; CLBED OUT THROUGH PASS TO NW UNDER RADAR DEP COVERAGE. CLRED THE SW CORNER OF 5107A UNDER RADAR COVERAGE; COVERAGE TERMINATED AND FREQ CHANGE APPROVED. ADVISED BY FLT SVC THAT R5111 A; B; C AND 5107E WERE NOT IN USE. TURNED MORE NORTHERLY TO APPROX 320 DEG HDG. THE WAC CHART IN USE SHOWED 5107A CLRLY; BUT ONLY A LINE LESS THAN 1 MILLIMETER THICK OF THE BASE OF 5107B IS SHOWN; BUT NOT LABELED AT ALL. I BELIEVED THIS TO BE THE BASE OF 5111B (INCORRECTLY) AT THE TIME OF THE RADAR HDOF. GIVEN THE CLBOUT - CRUISE TRANSITION AND RADAR HDOF AND FREQ CHANGE ETC; AND NEARING THE EDGE OF THE GOV CHART ALL AT THE SAME TIME PLUS STRONG WESTERLY WINDS; IN JUST A FEW MOMENTS TO SELECT THE NEXT CHART; A CHAIN OF EVENTS OCCURRED WHICH LEFT ME HDG STRAIGHT TOWARDS THE SW CORNER OF 5107B. WHEN I SEQUENCED TO THE NEXT CHART (STILL OVER CH-23 TERRAIN) I IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED THAT THE BASE OF 5107B WAS INDEED NOT THE BASE OF R5111B (THE AREA NOT IN USE) BUT A HOT RESTRICTED AREA; A QUICK LOOK AT THE TERRAIN INDICATED THAT I WAS INDEED 'PAINTED INTO A CORNER.' A PRUDENT TURN AWAY FROM THE RESTRICTED AREA FOLLOWED. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT I ACTUALLY PENETRATED THE HOT AREA; BUT IT WAS TOO CLOSE FOR MY LIKING. THE SUCKER HOLE THAT I WANDERED MYSELF INTO WAS; I BELIEVE DUE IN PART TO THE ABOVE SERIES OF EVENTS; BUT I BELIEVE; COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THERE WAS A BIT MORE OVERLAP OF THE GOV CHARTS. IT DOES TAKE A BIT MORE CONCENTRATION AND SOMETIMES SUBSTANTIAL TIME TO RE-ORIENT AFTER A CHART XING THAT COULD BE AVOIDED OR AT LEAST SIMPLIFIED WITH AN INCH OR 2 OF CHART OVERLAP ALONG THE EDGES. I HAVE OVER 5500 LOGGED HRS AND HAVE NEVER HAD AN ACCIDENT; INCIDENT OR VIOLATION AND HAVE VERY FEW SUCH SITS OCCUR. I PLAN CAREFULLY AND AM QUITE CAREFUL; BUT THIS ONE DID SNEAK UP ON ME DESPITE PLANNING AND CAUTION IN DEPARTING EL PASO.