Narrative:

I departed reno cannon airport on runway 16R after being given a departure control frequency and transponder code for my stated flight to las. I was advised to maintain runway heading for traffic sep and was not told to resume my own navigation for several mins, at which time I had reached my stated cruising altitude of 9500' MSL. I turned to a more easterly heading and was given and acknowledged several traffic advisories until about 40 mi out, where I was advised that radar service was terminated, but that I was to remain on the departure frequency (which may have been 133.95). I remained on this frequency until I felt it was necessary to contact las approach in preparation for landing at north las vegas airport. When communication was established, approach gave me a phone # to call immediately upon landing, which would be nellis AFB. I called north las vegas tower with my problem, and they found another # for me to try. I was able to contact a sgt at this new # who advised me that I had entered nellis AFB restr areas. He took my home address information and ticket # and advised that I would probably be contacted, debriefed, and he didn't know what else--but if I wanted to avoid another such incident I should fly west of the reno-las vegas highway. I assured him I would do just that, as I have no intention of ever entering a restriction area. When I contacted FSS earlier the briefer predicted scattered clouds out V105 toward the tonopah VOR until noon, when thunderstorms would build. I proposed to fly west of that area to avoid the restr areas. Reno departure kept me on a 160 degree heading for so long that when I was told to resume my own navigation, I believed a direct course to las would carry me well west and south of the restr areas. The cloud tops were higher than predicted and I climbed to 11500' MSL over a deck, with occasional breaks soon after reaching the mountains. I was forced to maneuver around towering cumulus and virga which had developed sooner than predicted also. This system moved on through the las vegas area with high winds, lightning and downpours. I believe it was in the phase of my flight where I was avoiding the threatening WX that I may have unintentionally penetrated the restr areas. I believe the situation could have been avoided by: rno departure giving me a handoff frequency rather than instructing me to remain on their frequency; las approach advising me that a violation of airspace or altitude restrictions might be imminent; my contacting nellis AFB, even though I didn't believe I was in an area where this was required; and my filing a flight plan with flight following requested.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HOME-BUILT PENETRATES RESTRICTED AREAS WITHOUT PRIOR COORD WITH FSS AFTER DEVIATING FORM PLANNED ROUTE FOR WX AVOIDANCE, AND BECAUSE OF MISTAKEN CLRNC INTERP.

Narrative: I DEPARTED RENO CANNON ARPT ON RWY 16R AFTER BEING GIVEN A DEP CTL FREQ AND XPONDER CODE FOR MY STATED FLT TO LAS. I WAS ADVISED TO MAINTAIN RWY HDG FOR TFC SEP AND WAS NOT TOLD TO RESUME MY OWN NAV FOR SEVERAL MINS, AT WHICH TIME I HAD REACHED MY STATED CRUISING ALT OF 9500' MSL. I TURNED TO A MORE EASTERLY HDG AND WAS GIVEN AND ACKNOWLEDGED SEVERAL TFC ADVISORIES UNTIL ABOUT 40 MI OUT, WHERE I WAS ADVISED THAT RADAR SVC WAS TERMINATED, BUT THAT I WAS TO REMAIN ON THE DEP FREQ (WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN 133.95). I REMAINED ON THIS FREQ UNTIL I FELT IT WAS NECESSARY TO CONTACT LAS APCH IN PREPARATION FOR LNDG AT NORTH LAS VEGAS ARPT. WHEN COM WAS ESTABLISHED, APCH GAVE ME A PHONE # TO CALL IMMEDIATELY UPON LNDG, WHICH WOULD BE NELLIS AFB. I CALLED NORTH LAS VEGAS TWR WITH MY PROB, AND THEY FOUND ANOTHER # FOR ME TO TRY. I WAS ABLE TO CONTACT A SGT AT THIS NEW # WHO ADVISED ME THAT I HAD ENTERED NELLIS AFB RESTR AREAS. HE TOOK MY HOME ADDRESS INFO AND TICKET # AND ADVISED THAT I WOULD PROBABLY BE CONTACTED, DEBRIEFED, AND HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT ELSE--BUT IF I WANTED TO AVOID ANOTHER SUCH INCIDENT I SHOULD FLY W OF THE RENO-LAS VEGAS HWY. I ASSURED HIM I WOULD DO JUST THAT, AS I HAVE NO INTENTION OF EVER ENTERING A RESTRICTION AREA. WHEN I CONTACTED FSS EARLIER THE BRIEFER PREDICTED SCATTERED CLOUDS OUT V105 TOWARD THE TONOPAH VOR UNTIL NOON, WHEN TSTMS WOULD BUILD. I PROPOSED TO FLY W OF THAT AREA TO AVOID THE RESTR AREAS. RENO DEP KEPT ME ON A 160 DEG HDG FOR SO LONG THAT WHEN I WAS TOLD TO RESUME MY OWN NAV, I BELIEVED A DIRECT COURSE TO LAS WOULD CARRY ME WELL W AND S OF THE RESTR AREAS. THE CLOUD TOPS WERE HIGHER THAN PREDICTED AND I CLBED TO 11500' MSL OVER A DECK, WITH OCCASIONAL BREAKS SOON AFTER REACHING THE MOUNTAINS. I WAS FORCED TO MANEUVER AROUND TOWERING CUMULUS AND VIRGA WHICH HAD DEVELOPED SOONER THAN PREDICTED ALSO. THIS SYS MOVED ON THROUGH THE LAS VEGAS AREA WITH HIGH WINDS, LIGHTNING AND DOWNPOURS. I BELIEVE IT WAS IN THE PHASE OF MY FLT WHERE I WAS AVOIDING THE THREATENING WX THAT I MAY HAVE UNINTENTIONALLY PENETRATED THE RESTR AREAS. I BELIEVE THE SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY: RNO DEP GIVING ME A HDOF FREQ RATHER THAN INSTRUCTING ME TO REMAIN ON THEIR FREQ; LAS APCH ADVISING ME THAT A VIOLATION OF AIRSPACE OR ALT RESTRICTIONS MIGHT BE IMMINENT; MY CONTACTING NELLIS AFB, EVEN THOUGH I DIDN'T BELIEVE I WAS IN AN AREA WHERE THIS WAS REQUIRED; AND MY FILING A FLT PLAN WITH FLT FOLLOWING REQUESTED.

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.