Small aircraft on a night flight enters a restr area without a clearance.

Attributes
ACN	261728
Time
Date	199401
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : cos
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 14000 msl bound upper : 14000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv tracon : den tower : iah
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 260 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	261728
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Came out of mountains over royal gorge. Traveled east until I thought we were past I-25 (major n-s highway). Continued cos approach to transition class C airspace to apa. Took up a course direct to the cos VOR. A few mins later approach notified me I was in restr airspace and gave me a vector out of the area. I thought I was far enough east. At the time I was in contact with approach and had a squawk code. The penetration, if it indeed occurred, was my fault. ATC could have helped with a vector when they saw my course was going to clip the restr area. An IFR flight plan would have helped avoid this problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ON A NIGHT FLT ENTERS A RESTR AREA WITHOUT A CLRNC.

Narrative: CAME OUT OF MOUNTAINS OVER ROYAL GORGE. TRAVELED E UNTIL I THOUGHT WE WERE PAST I-25 (MAJOR N-S HWY). CONTINUED COS APCH TO TRANSITION CLASS C AIRSPACE TO APA. TOOK UP A COURSE DIRECT TO THE COS VOR. A FEW MINS LATER APCH NOTIFIED ME I WAS IN RESTR AIRSPACE AND GAVE ME A VECTOR OUT OF THE AREA. I THOUGHT I WAS FAR ENOUGH E. AT THE TIME I WAS IN CONTACT WITH APCH AND HAD A SQUAWK CODE. THE PENETRATION, IF IT INDEED OCCURRED, WAS MY FAULT. ATC COULD HAVE HELPED WITH A VECTOR WHEN THEY SAW MY COURSE WAS GOING TO CLIP THE RESTR AREA. AN IFR FLT PLAN WOULD HAVE HELPED AVOID THIS PROB.

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.