A GA PA23 IS ALLEGED BY ATC TO HAVE PERFORMED AN UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE. PROX OF RESTR AREA.

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ON OCTOBER 1996 I PLTED AZTEC PIPER FROM ILG TO BCB. I HAD A FRIEND; MR X; ACTING AS COPLT (OVER 8000 HRS MIL). PURPOSE OF THE FLT WAS TO RETURN MY NEPHEW TO COLLEGE. DEPARTING ILG RWY 27 AT AB20 PM WE COMMENCED A CLB TO 10500 FT TO FLY OVER THE WASHINGTON/BALTIMORE CLASS B AIRSPACE. WE STAYED CLR OF THE ABERDEEN PROVING GND RESTR AREA BY FLYING S OF IT. I WAS MONITORING MY GPS FOR POS ENRTE TO BCB. THE INITIAL COURSE TOOK US DOWN OVER THE MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE; THUS KEEPING US WELL CLR OF ABERDEEN. UPON REACHING OUR FINAL ALT (10500 FT) PRIOR TO THE BORDER OF THE WASHINGTON/BALTIMORE CLASS B AIRSPACE; I PLACED THE PLANE ON AUTOPLT AND BEGAN TO FLY THE COURSE BY GPS AND UTILIZING HDG BUG TO MAINTAIN TRACK. WE WERE FLYING GENERALLY DIRECT TO BCB AND I WAS KEEPING THE ACFT ON AN APPROX BEARING. I CHKED THE CURRENT ALTIMETER SETTING ON 115.1 BWI ATIS; TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE AT THE CORRECT ALT OVER THE CLASS B AIRSPACE; AND THEN ASKED MR. X TO OBTAIN A WX UPDATE FROM WASHINGTON FLT WATCH ON 122.0. WASHINGTON FLT WATCH RPTED A 2900 FT OVCST CEILING AT ROA; SOME 50 MI E OF BCB; SO WE DECIDED TO FILE AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM THE AIR WITH LEESBURG RADIO; TO FLY IFR FROM MONTEBELLO VOR TO BCB; AND PLANNED TO SHOOT THE LOC APCH TO RWY 12. LEESBURG RADIO GAVE US OUR IFR PLAN AND ASKED US TO CONTACT ZDC ON 124.65; WHICH WE DID. ON OUR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT; ZDC INFORMED ME THAT I HAD ENCROACHED THE P56 RESTR AREA. SINCE MY GPS GIVES WARNINGS ON THE PRESENCE OF SUA AHEAD; I WAS SHOCKED. I HAD RECEIVED NO WARNING FROM THE GPS. I WAS SURE THAT WE HAD PASSED ON A TRACK SE OF P56. I WAS NOT LOOKING AT THE GND. I WAS LOOKING FOR TFC AND FLYING THE PLANE; HOWEVER; MR. X SAID THAT HE HAD SEEN ANDREWS FIELD PASS UNDER OUR L WING; WHICH WOULD HAVE MEANT WE DID IN FACT REMAIN CLR OF P56. WE CONTINUED OUR FLT; PICKED UP OUR CLRNC AT MONTEBELLO VOR; AND ULTIMATELY MADE A VISUAL APCH TO BCB; LNDG APPROX AT AD34 PM. IF I DID ENCROACH THE P56 RESTR AIRSPACE; IT WAS INADVERTENT. IN THE FUTURE; I WILL FILE AN IFR PLAN PRIOR TO DEP OR AT A MINIMUM BE IN TOUCH WITH ZDC OR OTHER CTL SVCS WHEN FLYING OVER THE WASHINGTON/BALTIMORE OR OTHER CLASS B AIRSPACE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 349451: OBSERVED BOTH MTN AND BWI WELL OFF TO OUR R. OBSERVED THAT ANDREWS AFB SHOULD PASS UNDER OUR L WING -- TUNED WASHINGTON 111.0 AND OBSERVED A 11 DME AND INDICATIONS THAT WE WERE PASSING 11 MI SE OF THAT FIX AND CLR OF P56. LANDED AT BCB AT APPROX AD35 LCL; MADE THE REQUESTED CALL; AND COMPLIED WITH ALL THE REQUESTS OF THE CONTACTED AGENCY. AFTER COMPLETING INTERVIEWS WITH THEIR REPRESENTATIVE WE WERE ADVISED WE WERE CLR TO DEPART. FROM MY OBSERVATIONS; IT WAS NOT APPARENT TO ME THAT WE HAD ENCROACHED ANY RESTR OR PROHIBITED AIRSPACE. IT IS ALSO APPARENT TO ME; THAT IN THE FUTURE; IFR FLT PLANS ARE APPROPRIATE FOR THIS AREA.