Narrative:

Departed C66 for mdh. (I had flown the opp route the night before and had no problem avoiding the springfield arsa in my direct route to C66.) I was flying strictly by dead reckoning because there were no VOR radials for me to track. I was searching for the city of jacksonville which is about 30 mi west of springfield. When I was unable to verify jacksonville, I started a VOR x-chk to determine my exact position. I knew that springfield was close however, so I thought it best to call up the approach frequency and give my approximately (more like estimated) position to be safe. I also initiated my climb from 3500 to 5500', so that I would be out of the arsa, had I been close. The controller gave me a squawk code which I transmitted. The controller verified me radar contact at 6 mi west of spi and told me to maintain a VFR altitude, so I descended out of 4000 for 3500'. I had no idea until I looked that I was that close to spi, let alone even in the arsa already. The only reason that I feel I made this mistake was because I have taken too small of wind correction and didn't have an accurate idea of the area northwest of spi. I have flown into spi a dozen times before, all of which I arrived from the south or southeast. I admit that I was a little tired and very unfamiliar with the northwest portion of spi. Because the flight before was at night, I was in reality making the flight for the first time. Poor dead reckoning procedures was a large factor in the mistake. More frequent VOR x-chks and better dead reckoning would have prevented this occurrence and any more in the future. Upon having radar service terminated, I was asked to call spi tower as soon as I reached carbondale. I called as soon as I landed and spoke with the operator who was in charge that morning. He told me of my violation of the arsa and wanted to know the circumstances. I told him everything which I have written on this report and he told me that most likely nothing would come of the situation. He told me he would tell his advisor of my counseling from him and that would probably be as far as it would go. Later in 5/90 I received an incident report from the spi arsa stating the events I have described. No follow up letter or phone call was requested of me. This whole occurrence has served as a good lesson to me, and one which will probably never occur again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT ENTERS ARSA WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: DEPARTED C66 FOR MDH. (I HAD FLOWN THE OPP RTE THE NIGHT BEFORE AND HAD NO PROB AVOIDING THE SPRINGFIELD ARSA IN MY DIRECT RTE TO C66.) I WAS FLYING STRICTLY BY DEAD RECKONING BECAUSE THERE WERE NO VOR RADIALS FOR ME TO TRACK. I WAS SEARCHING FOR THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE WHICH IS ABOUT 30 MI W OF SPRINGFIELD. WHEN I WAS UNABLE TO VERIFY JACKSONVILLE, I STARTED A VOR X-CHK TO DETERMINE MY EXACT POS. I KNEW THAT SPRINGFIELD WAS CLOSE HOWEVER, SO I THOUGHT IT BEST TO CALL UP THE APCH FREQ AND GIVE MY APPROX (MORE LIKE ESTIMATED) POS TO BE SAFE. I ALSO INITIATED MY CLB FROM 3500 TO 5500', SO THAT I WOULD BE OUT OF THE ARSA, HAD I BEEN CLOSE. THE CTLR GAVE ME A SQUAWK CODE WHICH I XMITTED. THE CTLR VERIFIED ME RADAR CONTACT AT 6 MI W OF SPI AND TOLD ME TO MAINTAIN A VFR ALT, SO I DSNDED OUT OF 4000 FOR 3500'. I HAD NO IDEA UNTIL I LOOKED THAT I WAS THAT CLOSE TO SPI, LET ALONE EVEN IN THE ARSA ALREADY. THE ONLY REASON THAT I FEEL I MADE THIS MISTAKE WAS BECAUSE I HAVE TAKEN TOO SMALL OF WIND CORRECTION AND DIDN'T HAVE AN ACCURATE IDEA OF THE AREA NW OF SPI. I HAVE FLOWN INTO SPI A DOZEN TIMES BEFORE, ALL OF WHICH I ARRIVED FROM THE S OR SE. I ADMIT THAT I WAS A LITTLE TIRED AND VERY UNFAMILIAR WITH THE NW PORTION OF SPI. BECAUSE THE FLT BEFORE WAS AT NIGHT, I WAS IN REALITY MAKING THE FLT FOR THE FIRST TIME. POOR DEAD RECKONING PROCS WAS A LARGE FACTOR IN THE MISTAKE. MORE FREQUENT VOR X-CHKS AND BETTER DEAD RECKONING WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS OCCURRENCE AND ANY MORE IN THE FUTURE. UPON HAVING RADAR SVC TERMINATED, I WAS ASKED TO CALL SPI TWR AS SOON AS I REACHED CARBONDALE. I CALLED AS SOON AS I LANDED AND SPOKE WITH THE OPERATOR WHO WAS IN CHARGE THAT MORNING. HE TOLD ME OF MY VIOLATION OF THE ARSA AND WANTED TO KNOW THE CIRCUMSTANCES. I TOLD HIM EVERYTHING WHICH I HAVE WRITTEN ON THIS RPT AND HE TOLD ME THAT MOST LIKELY NOTHING WOULD COME OF THE SITUATION. HE TOLD ME HE WOULD TELL HIS ADVISOR OF MY COUNSELING FROM HIM AND THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE AS FAR AS IT WOULD GO. LATER IN 5/90 I RECEIVED AN INCIDENT RPT FROM THE SPI ARSA STATING THE EVENTS I HAVE DESCRIBED. NO FOLLOW UP LETTER OR PHONE CALL WAS REQUESTED OF ME. THIS WHOLE OCCURRENCE HAS SERVED AS A GOOD LESSON TO ME, AND ONE WHICH WILL PROBABLY NEVER OCCUR AGAIN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.