Unauthorized penetration of airspace.

Attributes
ACN	147135
Time
Date	199006
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : tph
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11500 msl bound upper : 11500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 65 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	147135
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger observation : observer
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

En route to cedar city, ut. Once over sierra nevada mtn range descended to 11500'. Preflight map check indicated flight from sfo via buchanan direct to cedar city would bypass restr area to the north. Over buchanan set LORAN and proceeded on course. I navigated until over mon lake (ca). I then asked my wife (student pilot) to watch altitude, course, and traffic while I prepared a speech for south ut university commissioning of rotc cadets to second lt. I glanced up from time to time and we seemed to be on course and at proper altitude. I had the autoplt engaged. My wife inquired about an airfield almost directly below us. I checked the chart and idented the field as being just inside the north edge of the tonopah restr area. I always fly with radio #1 on 122.0 flight watch and radio #2 on 121.5 emergency. During flts near china lake, I've had ground contact me on 121.5 to insure we stayed clear of the restr area. No one communicated on 122.0 or 121.5 as we flew over the field at tonopah. I continued on, made a PIREP to cedar city FSS on 122.2 concerning WX and wind over the sierra nevadas, nothing was said by them about any violation. I didn't notice any activity on or near the tonopah airfield, nor did I see any air activity. It was saturday mid-morning. I noticed that my dg had moved almost 20 degrees off course towards the south. This had caused the autoplt to gradually steer the aircraft right of our intended course. I reset the dg with the magnetic compass and corrected our course for cedar city. There is no question that my attention to flying would have prevented this possible intrusion into restr airspace. The weekend, plus pressure of public speaking engagements prior to our flight had my mind on preparing for the rotc commissionings at cedar city. My wife had many hours in the right seat both VMC and IMC, but she didn't notice the increasing irregularity between the dg (autoplt) and magnetic compass. There were no near misses, no attempted communications from ground to air. No one has said anything, but I believe we flew into restr airspace.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ENRTE TO CEDAR CITY, UT. ONCE OVER SIERRA NEVADA MTN RANGE DSNDED TO 11500'. PREFLT MAP CHK INDICATED FLT FROM SFO VIA BUCHANAN DIRECT TO CEDAR CITY WOULD BYPASS RESTR AREA TO THE N. OVER BUCHANAN SET LORAN AND PROCEEDED ON COURSE. I NAVIGATED UNTIL OVER MON LAKE (CA). I THEN ASKED MY WIFE (STUDENT PLT) TO WATCH ALT, COURSE, AND TFC WHILE I PREPARED A SPEECH FOR S UT UNIVERSITY COMMISSIONING OF ROTC CADETS TO SECOND LT. I GLANCED UP FROM TIME TO TIME AND WE SEEMED TO BE ON COURSE AND AT PROPER ALT. I HAD THE AUTOPLT ENGAGED. MY WIFE INQUIRED ABOUT AN AIRFIELD ALMOST DIRECTLY BELOW US. I CHKED THE CHART AND IDENTED THE FIELD AS BEING JUST INSIDE THE N EDGE OF THE TONOPAH RESTR AREA. I ALWAYS FLY WITH RADIO #1 ON 122.0 FLT WATCH AND RADIO #2 ON 121.5 EMER. DURING FLTS NEAR CHINA LAKE, I'VE HAD GND CONTACT ME ON 121.5 TO INSURE WE STAYED CLR OF THE RESTR AREA. NO ONE COMMUNICATED ON 122.0 OR 121.5 AS WE FLEW OVER THE FIELD AT TONOPAH. I CONTINUED ON, MADE A PIREP TO CEDAR CITY FSS ON 122.2 CONCERNING WX AND WIND OVER THE SIERRA NEVADAS, NOTHING WAS SAID BY THEM ABOUT ANY VIOLATION. I DIDN'T NOTICE ANY ACTIVITY ON OR NEAR THE TONOPAH AIRFIELD, NOR DID I SEE ANY AIR ACTIVITY. IT WAS SATURDAY MID-MORNING. I NOTICED THAT MY DG HAD MOVED ALMOST 20 DEGS OFF COURSE TOWARDS THE S. THIS HAD CAUSED THE AUTOPLT TO GRADUALLY STEER THE ACFT R OF OUR INTENDED COURSE. I RESET THE DG WITH THE MAG COMPASS AND CORRECTED OUR COURSE FOR CEDAR CITY. THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT MY ATTN TO FLYING WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS POSSIBLE INTRUSION INTO RESTR AIRSPACE. THE WEEKEND, PLUS PRESSURE OF PUBLIC SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS PRIOR TO OUR FLT HAD MY MIND ON PREPARING FOR THE ROTC COMMISSIONINGS AT CEDAR CITY. MY WIFE HAD MANY HRS IN THE R SEAT BOTH VMC AND IMC, BUT SHE DIDN'T NOTICE THE INCREASING IRREGULARITY BTWN THE DG (AUTOPLT) AND MAG COMPASS. THERE WERE NO NEAR MISSES, NO ATTEMPTED COMS FROM GND TO AIR. NO ONE HAS SAID ANYTHING, BUT I BELIEVE WE FLEW INTO RESTR AIRSPACE.

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.