Narrative:

Departed runway 27L cvg on cvg 1 departure which specifies runway heading to 6000'. Switched to departure control. Climbing thru 5000', departure cleared us to climb to 12,000' which we acknowledged. Leveled at 12,000' on a heading of 270 degree. Continuing wbound with no other instructions from departure, we called 128.7 and asked for a higher altitude but received no response. The departure controller was busy talking to several other aircraft with almost continuous conversation on the frequency still heading 270 degree at 12,000'. We again called departure and asked for another frequency and were told by departure to 'stand by'. Continuing west at 12,000' we switched to ZID without being told to do so by cvg departure. ZID (128.8) told us to call ind on 119.55 which we did. At this point (50 mi west of cvg at 12,000') ZID told us that he 'didn't know how you got there' and that we were coming out the west side of restr airspace R3403A/R3403B and to continue west. Soon thereafter we were issued climb instructions and a turn to the north. The remainder of the flight to ord was uneventful. We were later told the R3403A/R3403B was 'hot' but not actually in use at the time we passed thru. The departure controller was so busy that he apparently did not realize that we were still wbound at 12,000' heading for the restr airspace and still under his control (he never handed us off to ZID). No accident/near miss occurred but the potential did exist had the restr airspace been in use. A phone call to the cvg departure control supervisor confirmed that cvg departure was very busy and that several data blocks overlapped on his radar, including ours. A phone call to the ZID supervisor confirmed that R3403A/R3403B was 'hot' but not in use at this time and that no handoff from cvg departure had occurred. We were told the incident will be investigated.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW PENETRATES RESTRICTED AREA WHILE ON SID PROC, AND UNABLE TO COM WITH DEP CTL DUE FREQ CONGESTION.

Narrative: DEPARTED RWY 27L CVG ON CVG 1 DEP WHICH SPECIFIES RWY HDG TO 6000'. SWITCHED TO DEP CTL. CLIMBING THRU 5000', DEP CLRED US TO CLIMB TO 12,000' WHICH WE ACKNOWLEDGED. LEVELED AT 12,000' ON A HDG OF 270 DEG. CONTINUING WBOUND WITH NO OTHER INSTRUCTIONS FROM DEP, WE CALLED 128.7 AND ASKED FOR A HIGHER ALT BUT RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. THE DEP CTLR WAS BUSY TALKING TO SEVERAL OTHER ACFT WITH ALMOST CONTINUOUS CONVERSATION ON THE FREQ STILL HDG 270 DEG AT 12,000'. WE AGAIN CALLED DEP AND ASKED FOR ANOTHER FREQ AND WERE TOLD BY DEP TO 'STAND BY'. CONTINUING W AT 12,000' WE SWITCHED TO ZID WITHOUT BEING TOLD TO DO SO BY CVG DEP. ZID (128.8) TOLD US TO CALL IND ON 119.55 WHICH WE DID. AT THIS POINT (50 MI W OF CVG AT 12,000') ZID TOLD US THAT HE 'DIDN'T KNOW HOW YOU GOT THERE' AND THAT WE WERE COMING OUT THE W SIDE OF RESTR AIRSPACE R3403A/R3403B AND TO CONTINUE W. SOON THEREAFTER WE WERE ISSUED CLIMB INSTRUCTIONS AND A TURN TO THE N. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT TO ORD WAS UNEVENTFUL. WE WERE LATER TOLD THE R3403A/R3403B WAS 'HOT' BUT NOT ACTUALLY IN USE AT THE TIME WE PASSED THRU. THE DEP CTLR WAS SO BUSY THAT HE APPARENTLY DID NOT REALIZE THAT WE WERE STILL WBOUND AT 12,000' HDG FOR THE RESTR AIRSPACE AND STILL UNDER HIS CTL (HE NEVER HANDED US OFF TO ZID). NO ACCIDENT/NEAR MISS OCCURRED BUT THE POTENTIAL DID EXIST HAD THE RESTR AIRSPACE BEEN IN USE. A PHONE CALL TO THE CVG DEP CTL SUPVR CONFIRMED THAT CVG DEP WAS VERY BUSY AND THAT SEVERAL DATA BLOCKS OVERLAPPED ON HIS RADAR, INCLUDING OURS. A PHONE CALL TO THE ZID SUPVR CONFIRMED THAT R3403A/R3403B WAS 'HOT' BUT NOT IN USE AT THIS TIME AND THAT NO HANDOFF FROM CVG DEP HAD OCCURRED. WE WERE TOLD THE INCIDENT WILL BE INVESTIGATED.

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.