Narrative:

The flight to rdu was for the purpose of taking my wife to duke university hospital for further medical tests and consultation to confirm the diagnosis of 2 other local doctors that she may have cancer. The tests confirmed the need for additional tests and major surgery in 4 days. Upon leaving rdu, I was vectored significantly to the east by rdu departure. Rdu approach/departure was very busy and communications between pilots, including myself, and ATC was hectic. When rdu departure released me to resume my own navigation, I assumed that I was far enough east to avoid ft bragg restr area and entered a direct course to 51J on the LORAN. I made no further radio contact until calling flo approach. After establishing contact, flo approach informed me to contact fay approach by phone upon landing. I called fay approach and was informed that the ft bragg restr area was hot and was requested to provide my name, address and certificate number for reporting purposes. All information requested was furnished. I was both surprised and embarrassed by the notification of the incident and immediately retraced the events leading up to the situation in order to determine my deficiencies and make appropriate corrective action. Because of my wife's medical problems and the bad news about the coming major surgery, I failed to ask for her usual help in a hectic situation. Instead, I was preoccupied with getting home and making the necessary preparations for her coming hospital stay. Because of this, my preflight planning was inadequate and my en route procedures were deficient. I failed to make radio contact with fay approach and inadvertently encroached the far eastern side of R5311-a. My airplane is equipped with an encoding altimeter, and it seems that I failed to change the squawk code back to 1200 after being released by rdu departure. After my review, I realized that I inadvertently flew through a hazardous situation, and the outcome could have been worse. To prevent this from happening again, I modified my preflight planning checklist to make sure that not only were any prohibited, restr, MOA or other flight hazards duly noted, but also that radio contact would be established with all arsa, TRSA and other appropriate facs en route. The potential hazards of this incident are etched in my memory and will help to reinforce the corrective procedures stated above. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter certainly had a very disturbing day and tried to put that aside while flying. Thought rdu had vectored him far enough east so that his LORAN course would keep him clear of the restr area. It probably did, because the letter from the FAA never mentioned the restr area. The accusation related only to a violation of the arsa. Reporter responded to letter with information that he had filed a report with ASRS, and has heard nothing to date.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POSSIBLY ENTERED RESTRICTED AREA WHEN HOT.

Narrative: THE FLT TO RDU WAS FOR THE PURPOSE OF TAKING MY WIFE TO DUKE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL FOR FURTHER MEDICAL TESTS AND CONSULTATION TO CONFIRM THE DIAGNOSIS OF 2 OTHER LCL DOCTORS THAT SHE MAY HAVE CANCER. THE TESTS CONFIRMED THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL TESTS AND MAJOR SURGERY IN 4 DAYS. UPON LEAVING RDU, I WAS VECTORED SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE E BY RDU DEP. RDU APCH/DEP WAS VERY BUSY AND COMS BTWN PLTS, INCLUDING MYSELF, AND ATC WAS HECTIC. WHEN RDU DEP RELEASED ME TO RESUME MY OWN NAV, I ASSUMED THAT I WAS FAR ENOUGH E TO AVOID FT BRAGG RESTR AREA AND ENTERED A DIRECT COURSE TO 51J ON THE LORAN. I MADE NO FURTHER RADIO CONTACT UNTIL CALLING FLO APCH. AFTER ESTABLISHING CONTACT, FLO APCH INFORMED ME TO CONTACT FAY APCH BY PHONE UPON LNDG. I CALLED FAY APCH AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE FT BRAGG RESTR AREA WAS HOT AND WAS REQUESTED TO PROVIDE MY NAME, ADDRESS AND CERTIFICATE NUMBER FOR RPTING PURPOSES. ALL INFO REQUESTED WAS FURNISHED. I WAS BOTH SURPRISED AND EMBARRASSED BY THE NOTIFICATION OF THE INCIDENT AND IMMEDIATELY RETRACED THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE SITUATION IN ORDER TO DETERMINE MY DEFICIENCIES AND MAKE APPROPRIATE CORRECTIVE ACTION. BECAUSE OF MY WIFE'S MEDICAL PROBS AND THE BAD NEWS ABOUT THE COMING MAJOR SURGERY, I FAILED TO ASK FOR HER USUAL HELP IN A HECTIC SITUATION. INSTEAD, I WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH GETTING HOME AND MAKING THE NECESSARY PREPARATIONS FOR HER COMING HOSPITAL STAY. BECAUSE OF THIS, MY PREFLT PLANNING WAS INADEQUATE AND MY ENRTE PROCS WERE DEFICIENT. I FAILED TO MAKE RADIO CONTACT WITH FAY APCH AND INADVERTENTLY ENCROACHED THE FAR EASTERN SIDE OF R5311-A. MY AIRPLANE IS EQUIPPED WITH AN ENCODING ALTIMETER, AND IT SEEMS THAT I FAILED TO CHANGE THE SQUAWK CODE BACK TO 1200 AFTER BEING RELEASED BY RDU DEP. AFTER MY REVIEW, I REALIZED THAT I INADVERTENTLY FLEW THROUGH A HAZARDOUS SITUATION, AND THE OUTCOME COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE. TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN, I MODIFIED MY PREFLT PLANNING CHKLIST TO MAKE SURE THAT NOT ONLY WERE ANY PROHIBITED, RESTR, MOA OR OTHER FLT HAZARDS DULY NOTED, BUT ALSO THAT RADIO CONTACT WOULD BE ESTABLISHED WITH ALL ARSA, TRSA AND OTHER APPROPRIATE FACS ENRTE. THE POTENTIAL HAZARDS OF THIS INCIDENT ARE ETCHED IN MY MEMORY AND WILL HELP TO REINFORCE THE CORRECTIVE PROCS STATED ABOVE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR CERTAINLY HAD A VERY DISTURBING DAY AND TRIED TO PUT THAT ASIDE WHILE FLYING. THOUGHT RDU HAD VECTORED HIM FAR ENOUGH E SO THAT HIS LORAN COURSE WOULD KEEP HIM CLR OF THE RESTR AREA. IT PROBABLY DID, BECAUSE THE LETTER FROM THE FAA NEVER MENTIONED THE RESTR AREA. THE ACCUSATION RELATED ONLY TO A VIOLATION OF THE ARSA. RPTR RESPONDED TO LETTER WITH INFO THAT HE HAD FILED A RPT WITH ASRS, AND HAS HEARD NOTHING TO DATE.

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.