Narrative:

I was on a VFR flight from benton, il, to beckley, wv, and was unaware of any problems until after landing at beckley, wv. The airport lineman came out to my airplane and said that the charleston approach control radar supervisor wanted to talk to me and would call again. This was around XA30 pm, local. When he called he idented himself as the charleston, wv, approach control radar supervisor and told me that the lex radar approach control said that I had passed through their arsa west/O contacting them on the radio. He then said the ZID followed me on from lex to charleston, wv, and I assume that charleston radar followed me to beckley, wv. He said that I might have passed on the north edge of the huntington, wv, TRSA, but he also indicated as I took it, there was no problem here. He went on to say that I had passed through part of the charleston, wv, arsa. I believe he said on the southwest side. He then informed me when to make radio contact when approaching an arsa. When he did that, he said that lex radar approach control wanted my airplane number, my name, address, phone # and pilot certificate # and that I would be hearing from the FAA. I was using current VFR sectionals and was monitoring the approach control frequency at lex, huntington, wv, and charleston, wv, while passing around these areas. According to my radio navigation, I thought I was not in these radar areas mentioned above. I am also confused as to the language in the magenta blocks next to the arsa on the map which says, 'arriving VFR aircraft should contact approach control within 20 NM.' I take the word 'should' as suggesting to the pilot that radio contact with approach control is optional. I would definitely change the word 'should' in this block on the maps to 'must.' if that had been the case, I certainly would have had no problem calling them in advance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA UNAUTH PENETRATION OF 2 ARSA AND 1 TRSA ON CROSS COUNTRY FLT.

Narrative: I WAS ON A VFR FLT FROM BENTON, IL, TO BECKLEY, WV, AND WAS UNAWARE OF ANY PROBS UNTIL AFTER LNDG AT BECKLEY, WV. THE ARPT LINEMAN CAME OUT TO MY AIRPLANE AND SAID THAT THE CHARLESTON APCH CTL RADAR SUPVR WANTED TO TALK TO ME AND WOULD CALL AGAIN. THIS WAS AROUND XA30 PM, LCL. WHEN HE CALLED HE IDENTED HIMSELF AS THE CHARLESTON, WV, APCH CTL RADAR SUPVR AND TOLD ME THAT THE LEX RADAR APCH CTL SAID THAT I HAD PASSED THROUGH THEIR ARSA W/O CONTACTING THEM ON THE RADIO. HE THEN SAID THE ZID FOLLOWED ME ON FROM LEX TO CHARLESTON, WV, AND I ASSUME THAT CHARLESTON RADAR FOLLOWED ME TO BECKLEY, WV. HE SAID THAT I MIGHT HAVE PASSED ON THE N EDGE OF THE HUNTINGTON, WV, TRSA, BUT HE ALSO INDICATED AS I TOOK IT, THERE WAS NO PROB HERE. HE WENT ON TO SAY THAT I HAD PASSED THROUGH PART OF THE CHARLESTON, WV, ARSA. I BELIEVE HE SAID ON THE SW SIDE. HE THEN INFORMED ME WHEN TO MAKE RADIO CONTACT WHEN APCHING AN ARSA. WHEN HE DID THAT, HE SAID THAT LEX RADAR APCH CTL WANTED MY AIRPLANE NUMBER, MY NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE # AND PLT CERTIFICATE # AND THAT I WOULD BE HEARING FROM THE FAA. I WAS USING CURRENT VFR SECTIONALS AND WAS MONITORING THE APCH CTL FREQ AT LEX, HUNTINGTON, WV, AND CHARLESTON, WV, WHILE PASSING AROUND THESE AREAS. ACCORDING TO MY RADIO NAV, I THOUGHT I WAS NOT IN THESE RADAR AREAS MENTIONED ABOVE. I AM ALSO CONFUSED AS TO THE LANGUAGE IN THE MAGENTA BLOCKS NEXT TO THE ARSA ON THE MAP WHICH SAYS, 'ARRIVING VFR ACFT SHOULD CONTACT APCH CTL WITHIN 20 NM.' I TAKE THE WORD 'SHOULD' AS SUGGESTING TO THE PLT THAT RADIO CONTACT WITH APCH CTL IS OPTIONAL. I WOULD DEFINITELY CHANGE THE WORD 'SHOULD' IN THIS BLOCK ON THE MAPS TO 'MUST.' IF THAT HAD BEEN THE CASE, I CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE HAD NO PROB CALLING THEM IN ADVANCE.

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.