C172 PLT FLEW WHEN US AIRSPACE WAS CLOSED TO VFR FLT.

2001-09 · NASA ASRS report 524896

Date: 2001-09 · Aircraft: Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172 · Phase: cruise

Anomalies: airspace-violation-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|other-flew-vfr-when-us-airspace-was-closed-to-vfr-flt

Synopsis

C172 PLT FLEW WHEN US AIRSPACE WAS CLOSED TO VFR FLT.

Narrative

CAUSE OF PROB -- LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OF PERTINENT NOTAMS BY THIS PLT. CONFUSING CHANGES IN NOTAMS GOVERNING THIS EMER SIT. SUGGESTED SOLUTION -- REQUIRE ATIS TO ANNOUNCE ALL NOTAMS THAT AFFECT FLT IN THE ARPT AREA/AIRSPACE. ASK FLT SERVICE TO ANNOUNCE NOTAMS OF GENERAL NATURE. AT THE INITIAL PROMPT BY THE PHONE SYSTEM. CONTACT FBO'S OF ALL ARPTS TO REQUIRE THEM TO POST DATED NOTAMS (ALL OF A GENERAL NATURE) PROMINENTLY. MAKE ANNOUNCEMENTS OF NOTAMS IN THE TV AND RADIO MEDIA. LOWELL; MI; (24C) ON 9/SUN/01 AT XA00 LOCAL TIME. END DISCUSSION WITH LOCAL PLT AND SPOUSE WHILE PREFLTING ACFT. THOSE INDIVIDUALS HAD NOT FLOWN; BUT WISHED ME A GOOD AND SAFE FLT. XA00 + GO TO PLT'S LOUNGE TO CHK THE BOARD FOR NOTICES. NOTICE TO PLTS ON BOARD; NO FLTS IN US AIRSPACE. USED RADIO TO CHK GRR ATIS. NORMAL ATIS NO MENTION OF FLT RESTRS. CALLED FLT SERVICE; REMAINED HOLD FOR A BRIEFER FOR SEVERAL MINS. GAVE UP AND LEFT; ASSUMED NOTICE WAS OLD AND OBSOLETE. XA10 STARTED ACFT; COMPLETED GND RUN UP CHK; CHKED ATIS (STILL CURRENT). DEPARTED 24C TO THE N VIA RWY 30. CLRED MURRAY LAKE; CLIMBED TO 6500 FT TURNED E; THEN S. DESCENDED N OF GREENVILLE; (6D6); ENTERED PATTERN AND ANNOUNCED/LANDED RWY 28. ATIS GRR FREQ 127.1 WAS IN MY #2 COM RADIO UNTIL I ENTERED PATTERN AT 6D6. I CHKED THE #2 RADIO BY MONITORING ATIS AT THAT POINT; STILL CURRENT. #1 RADIO HAD BEEN TUNED TO 123.0 AND CONSTANTLY MONITORED THERE TO THAT POINT. NO CALLS RECEIVED ALTHOUGH AT LEAST ONE OTHER ARPT CALL HEARD ON THAT FREQ. 123.0 PLACED IN #2 RADIO; #1 COM RADIO SET TO 122.8 TO MAKE CALLS AT GREENVILLE. I TAXIED BACK ON TXWY; REENTERED RWY 28 AND DEPARTED. AFTER CLIMBING OUT ON HEADING 280; I TURNED TO HEADING 210 AND ANNOUNCED LEAVING THE PATTERN AT GREENVILLE TO THE S. GRAND RAPIDS TWR CALLED ME ON 122.8; REQUESTED I CONTACT THEM ON GRR APCH FREQ. ON GRR APCH FREQ THEY INFORMED ME THAT I WAS IN VIOLATION OF THE BAN ON VFR PLEASURE FLTS. THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO LAND AT LOWELL WHEN I INFORMED THEM IT WAS CLOSE. THEY CONTACTED ME AGAIN TO ASK MY NAME. THEY CONTACTED ME AGAIN TO REQUEST I CONTACT GRR TWR ON THE LAND LINE AND GAVE ME THE NUMBER. I LANDED AT LOWELL; TAXIED TO HANGAR AND PUT ACFT AWAY. I WALKED TOWARD THE PLT'S LOUNGE TO PHONE THE GRR TWR. MET LOWELL POLICE OFFICER ON THE WAY. KENT COUNTY OFFICER ARRIVED SHORTLY THEREAFTER. CONTACTED THE GRR TWR. RETURNED HOME AND CONTACTED (FAA). THEY INFORMED ME THAT MY '2 FLTS' HAD VIOLATED NOTAM. HE REQUESTED THAT I RETURN TO THE ARPT AND POST A NOTE OF NOTAM; ITS GENERAL PROHIBITION OF VFR FLTS; AND THE TIME AND DATE. I DID THAT. AFTER RETURNING HOME; I CHKED GRR ATIS ON LAND LINE. A NEW MESSAGE WAS THERE; WITH THE VFR PROHIBITION ANNOUNCEMENT.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.

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