Small aircraft flight testing equipment penetrates arsa without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	187749
Time
Date	199108
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : osu
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cmh
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 5400 flight time type : 30
ASRS Report	187749
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Upon departing osu on a data gathering flight, testing the GPS system and software, we began a routine climb and departure direct to ape VOR, our first data point. Normally we arrest the climb at 2000 ft and proceed under the base of the 10 mi arsa. When clear, we climb to 3500 ft to initialize our software for the GPS test. On this day, we had begun to have some system (navigation computer software) problems. My technician on board began to request 3500 ft to initialize, stating 'I need 3500 ft..., that's what I programmed the software for'. In an attempt to accommodate his request, I began to climb inadvertently into cmh's arsa about 8 mi out from the center. I was monitoring departure (120.2) in my climb but this day had not communicated with him. As we neared ape I heard a partially blocked transmission from departure to me but was unsure the call sign was mine and since I was not talking to departure, I did not respond or query his transmission. The flight continued with no incident or problem through the geographical chkpoints. I did contact indianapolis center over gallipolis, oh, and was advised of an arsa tag and request that I call the tower (cmh) upon my return to osu. Upon my return, I spoke with shift supervisor who indicated it was no big deal, but I had violated the arsa and as he said 'they' are cracking down on this sort of thing. I asked for some understanding and he said he agreed with me but would have to file the report with the FSDO. I asked for more understanding and admitted I was wrong and I had been temporarily distraction. He said he understood but would have to call the FSDO operations personnel on call for the weekend, which he did. I called supervisor back and he indicated that he had initiated the paperwork and it would be up to the FSDO as to how it was handled. I called another friend in the FAA that works approach and it turns out he was the one that caught my incursion and tagged my flight. He said he would talk to supervisor and ask if he could drop it since he was the one who had to fill out the paperwork. Supervisor said no, it had been reported and could not be dropped. My friend told me that had that been his supervisor it would have been dropped. I went to the radar room on the morning after the incursion to see where I went into it and how to avoid this same situation again.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA FLT TESTING EQUIP PENETRATES ARSA WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: UPON DEPARTING OSU ON A DATA GATHERING FLT, TESTING THE GPS SYS AND SOFTWARE, WE BEGAN A ROUTINE CLB AND DEP DIRECT TO APE VOR, OUR FIRST DATA POINT. NORMALLY WE ARREST THE CLB AT 2000 FT AND PROCEED UNDER THE BASE OF THE 10 MI ARSA. WHEN CLR, WE CLB TO 3500 FT TO INITIALIZE OUR SOFTWARE FOR THE GPS TEST. ON THIS DAY, WE HAD BEGUN TO HAVE SOME SYS (NAV COMPUTER SOFTWARE) PROBLEMS. MY TECHNICIAN ON BOARD BEGAN TO REQUEST 3500 FT TO INITIALIZE, STATING 'I NEED 3500 FT..., THAT'S WHAT I PROGRAMMED THE SOFTWARE FOR'. IN AN ATTEMPT TO ACCOMMODATE HIS REQUEST, I BEGAN TO CLB INADVERTENTLY INTO CMH'S ARSA ABOUT 8 MI OUT FROM THE CENTER. I WAS MONITORING DEP (120.2) IN MY CLB BUT THIS DAY HAD NOT COMMUNICATED WITH HIM. AS WE NEARED APE I HEARD A PARTIALLY BLOCKED XMISSION FROM DEP TO ME BUT WAS UNSURE THE CALL SIGN WAS MINE AND SINCE I WAS NOT TALKING TO DEP, I DID NOT RESPOND OR QUERY HIS XMISSION. THE FLT CONTINUED WITH NO INCIDENT OR PROBLEM THROUGH THE GEOGRAPHICAL CHKPOINTS. I DID CONTACT INDIANAPOLIS CENTER OVER GALLIPOLIS, OH, AND WAS ADVISED OF AN ARSA TAG AND REQUEST THAT I CALL THE TWR (CMH) UPON MY RETURN TO OSU. UPON MY RETURN, I SPOKE WITH SHIFT SUPVR WHO INDICATED IT WAS NO BIG DEAL, BUT I HAD VIOLATED THE ARSA AND AS HE SAID 'THEY' ARE CRACKING DOWN ON THIS SORT OF THING. I ASKED FOR SOME UNDERSTANDING AND HE SAID HE AGREED WITH ME BUT WOULD HAVE TO FILE THE RPT WITH THE FSDO. I ASKED FOR MORE UNDERSTANDING AND ADMITTED I WAS WRONG AND I HAD BEEN TEMPORARILY DISTR. HE SAID HE UNDERSTOOD BUT WOULD HAVE TO CALL THE FSDO OPS PERSONNEL ON CALL FOR THE WEEKEND, WHICH HE DID. I CALLED SUPVR BACK AND HE INDICATED THAT HE HAD INITIATED THE PAPERWORK AND IT WOULD BE UP TO THE FSDO AS TO HOW IT WAS HANDLED. I CALLED ANOTHER FRIEND IN THE FAA THAT WORKS APCH AND IT TURNS OUT HE WAS THE ONE THAT CAUGHT MY INCURSION AND TAGGED MY FLT. HE SAID HE WOULD TALK TO SUPVR AND ASK IF HE COULD DROP IT SINCE HE WAS THE ONE WHO HAD TO FILL OUT THE PAPERWORK. SUPVR SAID NO, IT HAD BEEN RPTED AND COULD NOT BE DROPPED. MY FRIEND TOLD ME THAT HAD THAT BEEN HIS SUPVR IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DROPPED. I WENT TO THE RADAR ROOM ON THE MORNING AFTER THE INCURSION TO SEE WHERE I WENT INTO IT AND HOW TO AVOID THIS SAME SITUATION 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.