Unauthorized penetration of airspace by small aircraft pilot returning home from vacation.

Attributes
ACN	180297
Time
Date	199105
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : las
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11500 msl bound upper : 11500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla artcc : zse
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 61 flight time total : 1960 flight time type : 61
ASRS Report	180297
Person 2
Affiliation	government other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited penetrated airspace other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After a week of flying and ocean scuba diving, we left san francisco gnoss field for a direct flight home to espanola, NM, planning to fuel when necessary--probably st george, az. I set the LORAN for home, checked the charts briefly and off we went. Right across the hugh nv missile range north of las vegas. I turbo twin small transport appeared off our right wing, the pilot gesticulating to talk. We did on 122.9. I was in military airspace. We followed him back to desert rock airfield and filled out forms saying we were not spying, etc. He took the film from our camera, too. Serious business. This was too blatant a mistake for me to ignore. Failure to plan correcting, failure to recognize the restr airspace even though I had the VFR chart on my lap! Corrective action: I vow to plan all long distance flts on the charts and forms before takeoff in the future. Sure I learned this, I got too lax. LORAN is easy to misuse, too--heading, time, distance to destination west/O regard for what's in between. Possible solution: instruction manuals might include discussion of this. It's obvious, but I didn't consider it.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE BY SMA PLT RETURNING HOME FROM VACATION.

Narrative: AFTER A WK OF FLYING AND OCEAN SCUBA DIVING, WE LEFT SAN FRANCISCO GNOSS FIELD FOR A DIRECT FLT HOME TO ESPANOLA, NM, PLANNING TO FUEL WHEN NECESSARY--PROBABLY ST GEORGE, AZ. I SET THE LORAN FOR HOME, CHKED THE CHARTS BRIEFLY AND OFF WE WENT. RIGHT ACROSS THE HUGH NV MISSILE RANGE N OF LAS VEGAS. I TURBO TWIN SMT APPEARED OFF OUR RIGHT WING, THE PLT GESTICULATING TO TALK. WE DID ON 122.9. I WAS IN MIL AIRSPACE. WE FOLLOWED HIM BACK TO DESERT ROCK AIRFIELD AND FILLED OUT FORMS SAYING WE WERE NOT SPYING, ETC. HE TOOK THE FILM FROM OUR CAMERA, TOO. SERIOUS BUSINESS. THIS WAS TOO BLATANT A MISTAKE FOR ME TO IGNORE. FAILURE TO PLAN CORRECTING, FAILURE TO RECOGNIZE THE RESTR AIRSPACE EVEN THOUGH I HAD THE VFR CHART ON MY LAP! CORRECTIVE ACTION: I VOW TO PLAN ALL LONG DISTANCE FLTS ON THE CHARTS AND FORMS BEFORE TKOF IN THE FUTURE. SURE I LEARNED THIS, I GOT TOO LAX. LORAN IS EASY TO MISUSE, TOO--HDG, TIME, DISTANCE TO DEST W/O REGARD FOR WHAT'S IN BTWN. POSSIBLE SOLUTION: INSTRUCTION MANUALS MIGHT INCLUDE DISCUSSION OF THIS. IT'S OBVIOUS, BUT I DIDN'T CONSIDER IT.

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.