Narrative:

To begin with, the problem: I've been advised verbally by an FAA supervisor in columbia, sc, that I have violated far 91.104. I believe this is in error or, at any rate, did nothing to deliberately violate a regulation of which I was aware or to flaunt regulations. I was initially told that I had violated the cae arsa when it was in a restr condition, then later told that I had violated restr airspace. It was not until the next day when I telephoned the supervisor another time that I was informed that the violation was actually far 91.104. I left cub with intended business at cae following typical procedures for local flight. I observed local WX, listened to cae ATIS (no report of restrictions), talked with cub unicom (was told of no restr airspace). I had a passenger on board (recently moved to columbia) and agreed to one circle of the city before contacting cae for permission to enter their space and land. I carefully skirted the arsa and made one very wide circle around downtown columbia. Then, before entering the arsa, established contact with cae approach control. ATC immediately assigned transponder code, reported my position just outside the arsa, gave approval to come to cae and began vectoring me in. There were several communication exchanges since the vectoring was out of the ordinary with no explanation. It was not until I landed with permission that I was told that there had been a violation. There seems to have been a problem with FAA not fully utilizing means to notify airmen of restrictions, including ATIS and actually sending cub printed details of more intended restrictions (apparently plans for this were known several days in advance). I would appreciate your investigation of this. I've been fully cooperative with every instruction from FAA both during and since the alleged violation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states FAA representative called the uncontrolled airport where he is based, read a NOTAM to the administrative assistant who answered the phone. NOTAM wording was so confusing that her decision was to just tell everyone who called unicom to contact ATC at the main airport. When reporter called unicom she was out to lunch and her replacement merely indicated that 'they are really watching the arsa so be sure to be careful and contact before entering.' approach at cae made no mention of a NOTAM nor any kind of restrictions when contacted.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTED VIOLATION OF FEDERAL AVIATION REG 91 PT 104, FLT RESTRICTIONS IN THE PROX OF THE PRESIDENTIAL AND OTHER PARTIES.

Narrative: TO BEGIN WITH, THE PROB: I'VE BEEN ADVISED VERBALLY BY AN FAA SUPVR IN COLUMBIA, SC, THAT I HAVE VIOLATED FAR 91.104. I BELIEVE THIS IS IN ERROR OR, AT ANY RATE, DID NOTHING TO DELIBERATELY VIOLATE A REG OF WHICH I WAS AWARE OR TO FLAUNT REGS. I WAS INITIALLY TOLD THAT I HAD VIOLATED THE CAE ARSA WHEN IT WAS IN A RESTR CONDITION, THEN LATER TOLD THAT I HAD VIOLATED RESTR AIRSPACE. IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE NEXT DAY WHEN I TELEPHONED THE SUPVR ANOTHER TIME THAT I WAS INFORMED THAT THE VIOLATION WAS ACTUALLY FAR 91.104. I LEFT CUB WITH INTENDED BUSINESS AT CAE FOLLOWING TYPICAL PROCS FOR LCL FLT. I OBSERVED LCL WX, LISTENED TO CAE ATIS (NO RPT OF RESTRICTIONS), TALKED WITH CUB UNICOM (WAS TOLD OF NO RESTR AIRSPACE). I HAD A PAX ON BOARD (RECENTLY MOVED TO COLUMBIA) AND AGREED TO ONE CIRCLE OF THE CITY BEFORE CONTACTING CAE FOR PERMISSION TO ENTER THEIR SPACE AND LAND. I CAREFULLY SKIRTED THE ARSA AND MADE ONE VERY WIDE CIRCLE AROUND DOWNTOWN COLUMBIA. THEN, BEFORE ENTERING THE ARSA, ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH CAE APCH CTL. ATC IMMEDIATELY ASSIGNED XPONDER CODE, RPTED MY POS JUST OUTSIDE THE ARSA, GAVE APPROVAL TO COME TO CAE AND BEGAN VECTORING ME IN. THERE WERE SEVERAL COM EXCHANGES SINCE THE VECTORING WAS OUT OF THE ORDINARY WITH NO EXPLANATION. IT WAS NOT UNTIL I LANDED WITH PERMISSION THAT I WAS TOLD THAT THERE HAD BEEN A VIOLATION. THERE SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN A PROB WITH FAA NOT FULLY UTILIZING MEANS TO NOTIFY AIRMEN OF RESTRICTIONS, INCLUDING ATIS AND ACTUALLY SENDING CUB PRINTED DETAILS OF MORE INTENDED RESTRICTIONS (APPARENTLY PLANS FOR THIS WERE KNOWN SEVERAL DAYS IN ADVANCE). I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR INVESTIGATION OF THIS. I'VE BEEN FULLY COOPERATIVE WITH EVERY INSTRUCTION FROM FAA BOTH DURING AND SINCE THE ALLEGED VIOLATION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES FAA REPRESENTATIVE CALLED THE UNCONTROLLED ARPT WHERE HE IS BASED, READ A NOTAM TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT WHO ANSWERED THE PHONE. NOTAM WORDING WAS SO CONFUSING THAT HER DECISION WAS TO JUST TELL EVERYONE WHO CALLED UNICOM TO CONTACT ATC AT THE MAIN ARPT. WHEN REPORTER CALLED UNICOM SHE WAS OUT TO LUNCH AND HER REPLACEMENT MERELY INDICATED THAT 'THEY ARE REALLY WATCHING THE ARSA SO BE SURE TO BE CAREFUL AND CONTACT BEFORE ENTERING.' APCH AT CAE MADE NO MENTION OF A NOTAM NOR ANY KIND OF RESTRICTIONS WHEN CONTACTED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.