AN SMA PLT; ON A TEST FLT TO CALIBRATE CERTAIN INSTRUMENTS; PENETRATED R2516 WHILE CONCENTRATING ON HIS GPS READOUT.

Narrative

WHILE ON A CALIBRATION TEST FLT OF MY PITOT-STATIC SYSTEM; I INADVERTENTLY ENTERED VANDENBERG AFB RESTRICTED AIRSPACE R2516 AT ITS NORTHEAST CORNER. I HAD EARLIER DONE A FLT TO DETERMINE THE WIND SPD AND DIRECTION AT MY ALT; AND WAS FLYING ON ONE OF THOSE HDGS WHEN THE VIOLATION OCCURRED. I HAD MY HDG AND ALT-HOLD AUTOPLTS ENGAGED; AND WAS CONCENTRATING ON MY GPS READOUT OF GND SPD WHEN I SAW ON ITS DISPLAY THAT I WAS RIGHT AT THE EDGE OF R2516; FLYING IN A SOUTHWESTERLY DIRECTION OF 230 DEGS MAGNETIC. I IMMEDIATELY DISENGAGED BOTH AUTOPLTS AND INSTITUTED A 180 DEG TURN; BUT BY THIS TIME AT MY GND SPD OF 220 MPH; I PENETRATED R2516 BY ABOUT 1 MILE. THIS IS AN AREA I FLY IN ALL THE TIME; AND I'M FAMILIAR WITH R2516 SURFACE PROJECTION. IN THIS INSTANCE; THE SURFACE IN THIS AREA WAS COVERED WITH AN OVERCAST MARINE LAYER; SO I MISSED THE SURFACE CUES OF MY WHEREABOUTS. THIS WAS A TYPICAL CASE OF HAVING TOO MUCH CONCENTRATION IN THE COCKPIT WITHOUT LOOKING OUT TO SEE WHERE I WAS. CONTRIBUTING WAS THAT MY GPS; WHICH USUALLY WARNS ME WHEN I AM NEARING CTLED AIRSPACE; SUCH AS CLASS B; C; AND D; GAVE NO SUCH WARNING FOR R2516; ALTHOUGH IT WAS CLEARLY DEPICTED ON THE GARMIN 196 SCREEN.