PLT STRAYS INTO ABQ SPECIAL EVENT TFR.

Narrative

THE PLAN WAS TO FLY BY THE ANNUAL SPECIAL EVENT FOR A VIEW OF THE MORNING MASS ASCENSION AND MAYBE ONTO AEG ARPT FOR BREAKFAST. I APCHED THE SPECIAL EVENT FROM A NE TO SW DIRECTION WITH THE EVENT TO THE SE AT AN ALT OF 8500 FT MSL. AFTER PASSING THE EVENT ON MY L; I TURNED THE ACFT AROUND FOR ANOTHER LOOK. DURING THIS TIME; I LOST SOME ALT; PROBABLY ABOUT 1000 FT. I CAUGHT A GLIMPSE OF A HELI APCHING MY ACFT FROM THE DIRECTION OF THE SPECIAL EVENT AND I INTERPED THIS TO MEAN DON'T COME ANY NEARER TO THE EVENT AREA. I IMMEDIATELY DEPARTED THE AREA AND DIDN'T SEE THE HELI ANYMORE UNTIL A FEW MINS LATER WHEN HE SHOWED UP ON MY L REAR. I SAW THEN THAT IT WAS A LAW ENFORCEMENT ACFT SO I SWITCHED MY RADIO TO THE EMER FREQ 121.5. AT THAT TIME; I RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS TO LAND AT AEG (DOUBLE EAGLE ARPT). AT DOUBLE EAGLE I WAS MET ON THE RAMP BY 2 HOMELAND SECURITY OFFICERS; 2 FAA OFFICIALS; AND 2 FBI AGENTS. I WAS INFORMED THAT I HAD VIOLATED THE SPECIAL EVENT TFR AND ALBUQUERQUE CLASS C AIRSPACE. I IMMEDIATELY MADE MY GPS AVAILABLE TO THE FAA OFFICIALS FOR THEIR INSPECTION. THE GPS GND TRACK RECORDING ON MY GARMIN CLRLY SHOWS THAT; ACCORDING TO THE DATABASE; I HAD REMAINED JUST OUTSIDE THE ALBUQUERQUE CLASS C AIRSPACE BOUNDARY LINE. AS FOR THE TFR; I WAS ESTIMATING THAT I WAS FURTHER AWAY FROM THE SITE THAT THE OFFICIALS SAID I WAS. I WAS WATCHING THE EVENT BELOW AND SW OF MY POS AND LET MY ALT SAG BELOW THE 8000 FT CEILING OF THE TFR. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS. PERCEPTIONS; JUDGEMENTS; DECISIONS -- I WAS ESTIMATING MY DISTANCE FROM THE SPECIAL EVENT AND I SHOULD HAVE USED A DIFFERENT; MORE PRECISE METHOD. FACTORS AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF HUMAN PERFORMANCE -- THE SPECIAL EVENT IS IN AN AREA NEAR MY HOME BASE AND I AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE RTE BTWN HOME BASE AND AEG. I ALWAYS FLY AROUND THE OUTSIDE PERIMETER OF THE CLASS C AIRSPACE. I KNOW IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO CONTACT ALBUQUERQUE APCH EVEN WHEN OUTSIDE THE CLASS C BOUNDARIES; BUT IN THE PAST THAT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT. THE CTLR SEEMS TO BE MONITORING MULTIPLE FREQS AND WHEN CALLING IN; YOU CAN HEAR THE CTLR RESPONDING TO OTHER ACFT; BUT I CAN'T HEAR ALL OF THE OTHER ACFT'S RESPONSES. IN OTHER WORDS; I COULD BE XMITTING AT THE SAME TIME ANOTHER ACFT IS XMITTING TO THE SAME CTLR. ACTIONS OR INACTIONS -- I WAS AWARE OF THE SPECIAL EVENT TFR AS I HAD CHKED THE NOTAMS SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE; BUT NOT ON THE DAY OF THE OCCURRENCE. I LET MY FAMILIARITY WITH THE AREA GET IN THE WAY OF PROPER DILIGENCE AND GOOD OPERATING PRACTICES; SUCH AS CHKING NOTAMS BEFORE EACH FLT AND TAKING GREATER CARE TO OBSERVE THOSE NOTAMS TO THE LETTER. IN THIS CASE; ESTIMATING DISTANCES WAS A POOR PRACTICE. IN CONCLUSION; I HAVE BEEN FLYING FOR SEVERAL YRS WITHOUT EVER HAVING AN INCIDENT OR VIOLATION. I CONSIDER THIS EVENT A WAKE UP CALL TO BE MORE DILIGENT IN ALL ASPECTS OF FLYING EVEN IN AREAS CLOSE TO HOME.