PLT ENTERED A TFR AREA; BECAUSE THE LAST TIME HE ENCOUNTERED ONE; IT EXTENDED ONLY 10 MI. THAT WAS OVER A YR AGO.
Synopsis
PLT ENTERED A TFR AREA; BECAUSE THE LAST TIME HE ENCOUNTERED ONE; IT EXTENDED ONLY 10 MI. THAT WAS OVER A YR AGO.
Narrative
ON AUG/WED/03; AT APPROX XA30 CDT I WAS APCHING WACO REGIONAL ARPT (ACT) 50 NM OUT INBOUND ON THE 180 DEG RADIAL. I LISTENED TO ATIS AND UNDERSTOOD THAT FLT WAS RESTR; BUT I MISHEARD THE DISTANCE OF THE RESTR. I HAD BEEN THERE ABOUT A YEAR EARLIER AND THE DISTANCE WAS 10 MI; SO I MIGHT HAVE ASSUMED THAT THE DISTANCE WAS STILL 10 MI. AT 20.9 NM I RADIOED APCH AS ACFT XXXXXX ON 135.2 AND WAS ACKNOWLEDGED. AFTER A SHORT WHILE I WAS THEN XFERRED TO 126.12 AND WITHIN A MIN OR SO THE CTLR NOTIFIED ME THAT I HAD VIOLATED RESTR AIRSPACE. HE TOLD ME TO STANDBY FOR A TELEPHONE NUMBER THAT I NEEDED TO CALL AS SOON AS I LANDED. SHORTLY THEREAFTER HE GAVE ME THE PHONE NUMBER AND I LANDED. I CALLED THE NUMBER AND AN FAA REPRESENTATIVE SPOKE WITH ME. HE STATED IF I KNEW ABOUT THE RESTR AREA AND IF THE WX BRIEFER HAD INFORMED ME ABOUT IT. I TOLD HIM THAT I HAD ORIGINALLY GOTTEN WX FOR ROSWELL; BUT THE BRIEFER HAD STILL MENTIONED THE WACO RESTR. I TOLD THE REPRESENTATIVE THAT I CHANGED MY DEST TO WACO AFTER I GOT INTO MY AIRPLANE BECAUSE THE VACANT SPACE IN MY PANEL REMINDED ME THAT I HAD A COM RADIO BEING REPAIRED IN WACO AND I WAS SUPPOSED TO PICK IT UP BY XB00 CDT. AFTER BEING AIRBORNE; MY GPS INFORMED ME THAT I COULD STILL REACH WACO BY XB00 CDT; SO I DIVERTED TO WACO. THE ENRTE WX WAS CLR ENOUGH THAT IT NEVER NECESSITATED ACQUIRING ADDITIONAL WX INFO. IN PREVIOUS CONTACTS WITH ANY TYPE OF 'TFC CTLR;' IF THE CTLR COULD NOT IMMEDIATELY LET ME ENTER THEY WOULD RESPOND WITH A WARNING NOT TO ENTER; SO I ASKED THE FAA REPRESENTATIVE WHY THE CTLR DID NOT DO SO IN THIS CASE. HE RESPONDED BY SAYING THAT SHE DID NOT WARN ME BECAUSE I HAD ALREADY VIOLATED THE SPACE. HE THEN SAID THAT HE WOULD BE WRITING UP A RPT AND SUBMITTING IT TO THE SAN ANTONIO FLT STANDARDS OFFICE. A SECRET SVC AGENT ALSO MET WITH ME BRIEFLY FOR IDENT PURPOSES AND FOR A BRIEF LOOK INSIDE THE ACFT. HE ALSO ASKED IF I SAW THE F16'S AND THE HELI AND I SAID NO; SO MAYBE THOSE ACFT FAILED TO RESPOND CORRECTLY. THE NEXT DAY I WAS CONTINUING MY JOURNEY TO SEATTLE AND THINKING ABOUT CONTACTING PLT'S ASSOCIATION. I ALSO COULD STILL NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE CTLR DID NOT GIVE ME SOME TYPE OF WARNING. THEN IT DAWNED ON ME. THE CTLR MADE A STATEMENT 2 OR 3 TIMES SAYING 'BELLANCA XXX; TURN R IMMEDIATELY TO XX HEADING' AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF THAT SOMEBODY WAS CERTAINLY IN THE WRONG PLACE; BUT I HAD NO IDEA IT WAS ME. APPARENTLY THE CTLR WAS TALKING TO ME; BUT MY IDENTIFIER IS XXXXX NOT XXZXX. THERE ARE MANY BELLANCAS IN THE AREA; SO I DID NOT REALIZE THE ERROR. TO CHANGE TO 126.12 SHE MIGHT HAVE SAID BELLANCA XXXXX; BUT I HEARD XXZXX (WITH XX IT WAS MORE OBVIOUS THAT SHE WAS ADDRESSING ME). IF I HAD RESPONDED TO THE CTLR I MIGHT HAVE BEEN SPARED HAVING TO RESPOND TO THIS PROB. AS I STATED; I WAS AT 20.9 NM ON THE 180 DEG RADIAL UPON RADIO CONTACT AND THE RANCH IS ON THE 241 DEG RADIAL AT 14 NM; SO I WAS VERY CLOSE TO BEING OUTSIDE THE AREA ALTHOUGH I HAVE NOT DONE THE MATH.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.