Narrative:

On jul/sun/93 I flew up the missouri river to hermann, mo, northeast to lock at winfield and down the mississippi to st. Charles at altitudes varying from 1500-3000 ft MSL. I had been out of town for several days and wanted to assess the flood damage at one local airport where I had helped evacuate/evacuation the previous week. I wanted to get photos of a friend's shop blocked by flood waters and I wished to see the historic flood conditions. While exercising extreme vigilance for other anticipated traffic, I failed to exercise sufficient vigilance for spirit air traffic area. I was approaching sus from this direction, i.e., the north, for the first time and the vastly altered shape of the river as well as hazy conditions may have contributed to my error. When I saw that I was inside sus air traffic area I promptly departed. When I landed later I learned that the area up to 3000 ft and within 3 mi of the rivers had been declared restr. As regards this type of restr, it seems inevitable that some people won't get the word and flying in these areas was legal and indeed necessary in evacuate/evacuation duties 4 days earlier. For my part, I intend in future to pass through the airport office in a more attentive and observant manner prior to future flts and probably ask if anything is new or has been changed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT PERFORMS UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE WHEN IN PROX OF ATA RESTRICTED AREA.

Narrative: ON JUL/SUN/93 I FLEW UP THE MISSOURI RIVER TO HERMANN, MO, NE TO LOCK AT WINFIELD AND DOWN THE MISSISSIPPI TO ST. CHARLES AT ALTS VARYING FROM 1500-3000 FT MSL. I HAD BEEN OUT OF TOWN FOR SEVERAL DAYS AND WANTED TO ASSESS THE FLOOD DAMAGE AT ONE LCL ARPT WHERE I HAD HELPED EVAC THE PREVIOUS WK. I WANTED TO GET PHOTOS OF A FRIEND'S SHOP BLOCKED BY FLOOD WATERS AND I WISHED TO SEE THE HISTORIC FLOOD CONDITIONS. WHILE EXERCISING EXTREME VIGILANCE FOR OTHER ANTICIPATED TFC, I FAILED TO EXERCISE SUFFICIENT VIGILANCE FOR SPIRIT ATA. I WAS APCHING SUS FROM THIS DIRECTION, I.E., THE N, FOR THE FIRST TIME AND THE VASTLY ALTERED SHAPE OF THE RIVER AS WELL AS HAZY CONDITIONS MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO MY ERROR. WHEN I SAW THAT I WAS INSIDE SUS ATA I PROMPTLY DEPARTED. WHEN I LANDED LATER I LEARNED THAT THE AREA UP TO 3000 FT AND WITHIN 3 MI OF THE RIVERS HAD BEEN DECLARED RESTR. AS REGARDS THIS TYPE OF RESTR, IT SEEMS INEVITABLE THAT SOME PEOPLE WON'T GET THE WORD AND FLYING IN THESE AREAS WAS LEGAL AND INDEED NECESSARY IN EVAC DUTIES 4 DAYS EARLIER. FOR MY PART, I INTEND IN FUTURE TO PASS THROUGH THE ARPT OFFICE IN A MORE ATTENTIVE AND OBSERVANT MANNER PRIOR TO FUTURE FLTS AND PROBABLY ASK IF ANYTHING IS NEW OR HAS BEEN CHANGED.

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.