Narrative:

I contacted hawthorne FSS to file my VFR flight plan from smo to mfr and requested a 'standard briefing.' it became evident that VFR flight was not recommended due to icing and mountain obscuration. The briefer suggested we move our route of flight east and proceed to bakersfield and then travel north to visalia VOR to manteca VOR to sacramento VOR to red bluff to mfr. I received winds aloft and PIREPS and then requested NOTAMS. We were interrupted twice during the NOTAM portion of the briefing and the briefer indicated he was, 'having some trouble with getting the NOTAMS.' the briefing was completed with the filing of the new flight plan. I departed smo and proceeded to bakersfield. At modesto the presence of scattered clouds at approximately 4700' MSL necessitated some maneuvering to maintain VFR cloud clearance in controled airspace. I maintained VFR cloud clearance and remained clear of the modesto air traffic area. At no time was I below 4000' MSL. During the overflt of the stockton air traffic area, I could clearly see military jet activity. At the sacramento arsa I contacted approach control and requested VFR flight following and clearance through the arsa. I was given a transponder code and cleared into the arsa. I was asked to contact the FSDO supervisor at stockton approach and I was given a phone # to cal. I terminated my flight at red bluff, called the FSDO supervisor and checked with the red bluff FSS for WX further north. Upon arrival at red bluff, I contacted stockton approach, gave them my name, address, phone # and pilot certificate # and was told by the controller that I had overflown an air show featuring the blue angels. The controller indicated that a NOTAM had been issued re: the air show. I indicated that I had not been given that NOTAM during my briefing that morning. I spoke with the staff at red bluff FSS and asked if they would check their NOTAMS for an air show. They located the NOTAM and printed out a copy for me. I've attached a photocopy of it to this narrative. It became clear to me immediately that NOTAMS are not obvious in the computer system and that mistakes can easily be made. This incident might have been avoided if I had reviewed a copy of the published NOTAMS directory before my flight. In the future I will not rely solely upon the briefing or the briefer for NOTAMS and will obtain a copy of the published NOTAMS. Further, even though I was well clear of the air traffic area, I could have listened to the local ATIS and contacted the tower to indicate my intention to overfly the air traffic area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I CONTACTED HAWTHORNE FSS TO FILE MY VFR FLT PLAN FROM SMO TO MFR AND REQUESTED A 'STANDARD BRIEFING.' IT BECAME EVIDENT THAT VFR FLT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED DUE TO ICING AND MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION. THE BRIEFER SUGGESTED WE MOVE OUR RTE OF FLT E AND PROCEED TO BAKERSFIELD AND THEN TRAVEL N TO VISALIA VOR TO MANTECA VOR TO SACRAMENTO VOR TO RED BLUFF TO MFR. I RECEIVED WINDS ALOFT AND PIREPS AND THEN REQUESTED NOTAMS. WE WERE INTERRUPTED TWICE DURING THE NOTAM PORTION OF THE BRIEFING AND THE BRIEFER INDICATED HE WAS, 'HAVING SOME TROUBLE WITH GETTING THE NOTAMS.' THE BRIEFING WAS COMPLETED WITH THE FILING OF THE NEW FLT PLAN. I DEPARTED SMO AND PROCEEDED TO BAKERSFIELD. AT MODESTO THE PRESENCE OF SCATTERED CLOUDS AT APPROX 4700' MSL NECESSITATED SOME MANEUVERING TO MAINTAIN VFR CLOUD CLRNC IN CTLED AIRSPACE. I MAINTAINED VFR CLOUD CLRNC AND REMAINED CLR OF THE MODESTO ATA. AT NO TIME WAS I BELOW 4000' MSL. DURING THE OVERFLT OF THE STOCKTON ATA, I COULD CLEARLY SEE MIL JET ACTIVITY. AT THE SACRAMENTO ARSA I CONTACTED APCH CTL AND REQUESTED VFR FLT FOLLOWING AND CLRNC THROUGH THE ARSA. I WAS GIVEN A XPONDER CODE AND CLRED INTO THE ARSA. I WAS ASKED TO CONTACT THE FSDO SUPVR AT STOCKTON APCH AND I WAS GIVEN A PHONE # TO CAL. I TERMINATED MY FLT AT RED BLUFF, CALLED THE FSDO SUPVR AND CHKED WITH THE RED BLUFF FSS FOR WX FURTHER N. UPON ARR AT RED BLUFF, I CONTACTED STOCKTON APCH, GAVE THEM MY NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE # AND PLT CERTIFICATE # AND WAS TOLD BY THE CTLR THAT I HAD OVERFLOWN AN AIR SHOW FEATURING THE BLUE ANGELS. THE CTLR INDICATED THAT A NOTAM HAD BEEN ISSUED RE: THE AIR SHOW. I INDICATED THAT I HAD NOT BEEN GIVEN THAT NOTAM DURING MY BRIEFING THAT MORNING. I SPOKE WITH THE STAFF AT RED BLUFF FSS AND ASKED IF THEY WOULD CHK THEIR NOTAMS FOR AN AIR SHOW. THEY LOCATED THE NOTAM AND PRINTED OUT A COPY FOR ME. I'VE ATTACHED A PHOTOCOPY OF IT TO THIS NARRATIVE. IT BECAME CLR TO ME IMMEDIATELY THAT NOTAMS ARE NOT OBVIOUS IN THE COMPUTER SYS AND THAT MISTAKES CAN EASILY BE MADE. THIS INCIDENT MIGHT HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF I HAD REVIEWED A COPY OF THE PUBLISHED NOTAMS DIRECTORY BEFORE MY FLT. IN THE FUTURE I WILL NOT RELY SOLELY UPON THE BRIEFING OR THE BRIEFER FOR NOTAMS AND WILL OBTAIN A COPY OF THE PUBLISHED NOTAMS. FURTHER, EVEN THOUGH I WAS WELL CLR OF THE ATA, I COULD HAVE LISTENED TO THE LCL ATIS AND CONTACTED THE TWR TO INDICATE MY INTENTION TO OVERFLY THE ATA.

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.