BEECH B23 PVT PLT INADVERTENTLY CROSSED THROUGH RESTR AIRSPACE DURING A XCOUNTRY FLT RESULTING IN A MIL F16 INTERCEPT AND LOOK OVER PRIOR TO EXITING THE AIRSPACE.

Date: 2001-09 · Aircraft: Sundowner 23 · Phase: cruise

Anomalies: airspace-violation-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far

Synopsis

BEECH B23 PVT PLT INADVERTENTLY CROSSED THROUGH RESTR AIRSPACE DURING A XCOUNTRY FLT RESULTING IN A MIL F16 INTERCEPT AND LOOK OVER PRIOR TO EXITING THE AIRSPACE.

Narrative

ON A FLT FROM PORTERVILLE ARPT TO BORREGO VALLEY ARPT; I MISTAKENLY ENTERED/PASSED THROUGH RESTR AREA 2515 BELIEVING I WAS CLR OF AIRSPACE ON THE R SIDE OF EDWARDS. SOME CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE FATIGUE; SUN GLARE OF MORNING SUN AND LACK OF VIGILANCE ON MY PART TO BE IN CONTACT WITH ZLA; FLT FOLLOWING. MY FIRST TIME FLYING IN THIS VICINITY ALSO DID NOT HELP ME TO DETERMINE EXACT POS. A HURRIED DEP AND LACK OF PREFLT PLANNING WAS ALSO NEGLIGENCE ON MY PART. WHILE GROGGILY FLYING ALONG; WE (MY WIFE AND I) WERE SUDDENLY AND HEART-STOPPINGLY JOINED BY A RED AND WHITE F16; ABOUT 500 FT (IT SEEMED LIKE 5 FT) ABOVE OUR R WINGTIP. HE TOOK A LONG HARD LOOK AT US; CIRCLED AROUND IN FRONT AND SHOT BACK TOWARDS EDWARDS. I JUST SAID; 'OH LORD!' I AM TERRIBLY SORRY THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED. ESPECIALLY NOW IN THE HEIGHTENED STATE OF NATIONAL SECURITY. IN THE FUTURE; I WILL BE MUCH MORE PREPARED TO AVOID THIS TYPE OF MISTAKE. I WILL BE WELL RESTED; SO EXTENSIVE PREFLT PLANNING; CONTACT CTL AND BE MORE VIGILANT OF RTES AVOIDING RESTR AIRSPACE. I ACTUALLY MADE A RETURN TRIP N; DOING ALL OF THE ABOVE WITHOUT VIOLATING RESTR AREA 2515. I AM SO SORRY THIS HAPPENED; AND WILL MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO SEE IT DOES NOT HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE.

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