2001-10 · NASA ASRS report 528098
PIPER PA28 PLT INADVERTENTLY PENETRATED PROHIBITED AIRSPACE SURROUNDING A POWER PLANT DURING CROSS COUNTRY FLT USING ATC FLT FOLLOWING.
ON A RETURN FLT TO THV; FROM 26N; I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED VFR FLT FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS; INCLUDING A XPONDER CODE FROM ATLANTIC CITY CLRNC DELIVERY BEFORE DEP 26N. I REQUESTED AND WAS APPROVED FOR 4500 FT. THE RTE FLOWN WAS DIRECT THV. UPON TKOF; THE FLT WAS HANDLED BY ATLANTIC CITY APCH; HANDED OFF TO PHILADELPHIA APCH; THEN TO BALTIMORE APCH; WHO LIKE THE OTHERS CONFIRMED MY FLT AS 'RADAR CONTACT.' A FEW MOMENTS LATER THE BALTIMORE APCH CTLR ADVISED ME OF A REQUEST BY WASHINGTON CTR TO CALL THEM UPON LNDG AT THE DESTINATION ARPT. INTERESTINGLY; BALTIMORE VOLUNTEERED THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW THE NATURE OF THE REQUEST. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. THERE WAS ONE LAST HANDOFF TO HARRISBURG APCH WHO ADVISED RADAR SVC TERMINATED; SQUAWK VFR; NEAR THE YORK ARPT. UPON CALLING WASHINGTON CTR BY PHONE; UPON LNDG THE GENTLEMAN ADVISED ME I HAD OVERFLOWN THE HOPE CREEK NUCLEAR POWER PLANT. I WAS (AND AM) FAMILIAR WITH THE NOTAM ON THIS ISSUE STATING 'TO THE EXTENT PRACTICABLE' PLTS SHOULD 'AVOID' AIRSPACE IN PROX TO SUCH SITES. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL; HOWEVER; IF THIS NOTICE INDICATED A MORE PRECISE ALT AND/OR DISTANCE TO MAINTAIN AWAY FROM THOSE FACILITIES. ALSO; SOMEWHAT PUZZLING IS THE FACT THAT AT NO TIME DID ANY CTLR OFFER; ADVISE OR REQUIRE DEV INSTRUCTIONS AROUND THIS FACILITY. AT NO TIME DID I CIRCLE OR LOITER -- MY FLT PATH WAS DIRECT DISTINCTION. I MADE AN INQUIRY TO FSS THE FOLLOWING DAY AS TO THE EXACT LOCATION (LAT/LONG) OF HOPE CREEK POWER PLANT. BUT THE BRIEFER 'COULD NOT FIND IT.' THE BRIEFER DID REPEAT THE GENERAL NOTAM REFERENCED ABOVE. FINALLY; FOUR PLTS WERE ON BOARD THE FLT; WHO LIKE ME SEEK HOW TO BEST AVOID ALL SENSITIVE OFF LIMITS FACILITIES UNDER VFR. PLEASE KNOW I WILL RE-DOUBLE MY EFFORTS TO AVOID ALL SENSITIVE; RESTR AND PROHIBITED AIRSPACE; RECOGNIZING THE HIGH STATE OF ALERT IN THE USA.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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