Narrative:

We were on a VFR flight plan, returning to carlsbad-palomar airport. The flight from slo to the vicinity of ocn VOR was uneventful, with VFR WX prevailing. Our planned route took us from slo direct to sba VOR, direct ot ventura VOR, a dogleg around the lax TCA, direct to the ocn VOR, then direct to palomar. As we approached ocn, descending through 3500', the layer of scattered to broken clouds along the coastline appeared to present no problem for a safe VFR approach to palomar airport. The copilot at this time suggested a particular space between some scattered clouds as the target through which to descend. I concurred, judging the space would provide us with adequate VFR cloud sep margins. At this time I reduced power, to assure a steep enough descent, and began a left turn to align us with the biggest open area. As we passed through this area and descended below the clouds, I was careful to maintain VFR sep. After passing through the hole, I continued our descent to maintain the 500' VFR below cloud sep required. Just as I was leveling off, the owner's wife, also a private pilot, asked over the intercom if that was camp pendleton ahead of us. At this time we were over the ocean heading east, turning to southeast, about 2 mi from the coastline. I looked at the coastline and saw one of the small helicopter practice airfields in front of us on the bluff just above the beach. Suddenly I remembered that pendleton restr airspace extends over the water with a ceiling of 2000'. I assumed we must be within the horizontal confines of the airspace because of the airstrip I could see below. I glanced down at my sectional chart, and up at my altimeter, which was reading 1600', and realized we must have just penetrated the pendleton restr airspace. I immediately began a climb between some other clouds, continued to 3500' and proceeded to the VOR. The cloud layer became less scattered and more broken as we crossed the VOR, so I called san approach and requested the VOR-a approach to palomar. The VOR approach was executed west/O incident to a normal landing, taxi to parking and shutdown.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA UNAUTH PENETRATION OF R2533.

Narrative: WE WERE ON A VFR FLT PLAN, RETURNING TO CARLSBAD-PALOMAR ARPT. THE FLT FROM SLO TO THE VICINITY OF OCN VOR WAS UNEVENTFUL, WITH VFR WX PREVAILING. OUR PLANNED RTE TOOK US FROM SLO DIRECT TO SBA VOR, DIRECT OT VENTURA VOR, A DOGLEG AROUND THE LAX TCA, DIRECT TO THE OCN VOR, THEN DIRECT TO PALOMAR. AS WE APCHED OCN, DSNDING THROUGH 3500', THE LAYER OF SCATTERED TO BROKEN CLOUDS ALONG THE COASTLINE APPEARED TO PRESENT NO PROB FOR A SAFE VFR APCH TO PALOMAR ARPT. THE COPLT AT THIS TIME SUGGESTED A PARTICULAR SPACE BTWN SOME SCATTERED CLOUDS AS THE TARGET THROUGH WHICH TO DSND. I CONCURRED, JUDGING THE SPACE WOULD PROVIDE US WITH ADEQUATE VFR CLOUD SEP MARGINS. AT THIS TIME I REDUCED PWR, TO ASSURE A STEEP ENOUGH DSNT, AND BEGAN A LEFT TURN TO ALIGN US WITH THE BIGGEST OPEN AREA. AS WE PASSED THROUGH THIS AREA AND DSNDED BELOW THE CLOUDS, I WAS CAREFUL TO MAINTAIN VFR SEP. AFTER PASSING THROUGH THE HOLE, I CONTINUED OUR DSNT TO MAINTAIN THE 500' VFR BELOW CLOUD SEP REQUIRED. JUST AS I WAS LEVELING OFF, THE OWNER'S WIFE, ALSO A PVT PLT, ASKED OVER THE INTERCOM IF THAT WAS CAMP PENDLETON AHEAD OF US. AT THIS TIME WE WERE OVER THE OCEAN HDG E, TURNING TO SE, ABOUT 2 MI FROM THE COASTLINE. I LOOKED AT THE COASTLINE AND SAW ONE OF THE SMALL HELI PRACTICE AIRFIELDS IN FRONT OF US ON THE BLUFF JUST ABOVE THE BEACH. SUDDENLY I REMEMBERED THAT PENDLETON RESTR AIRSPACE EXTENDS OVER THE WATER WITH A CEILING OF 2000'. I ASSUMED WE MUST BE WITHIN THE HORIZ CONFINES OF THE AIRSPACE BECAUSE OF THE AIRSTRIP I COULD SEE BELOW. I GLANCED DOWN AT MY SECTIONAL CHART, AND UP AT MY ALTIMETER, WHICH WAS READING 1600', AND REALIZED WE MUST HAVE JUST PENETRATED THE PENDLETON RESTR AIRSPACE. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN A CLB BTWN SOME OTHER CLOUDS, CONTINUED TO 3500' AND PROCEEDED TO THE VOR. THE CLOUD LAYER BECAME LESS SCATTERED AND MORE BROKEN AS WE CROSSED THE VOR, SO I CALLED SAN APCH AND REQUESTED THE VOR-A APCH TO PALOMAR. THE VOR APCH WAS EXECUTED W/O INCIDENT TO A NORMAL LNDG, TAXI TO PARKING AND SHUTDOWN.

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.