Narrative:

While leading a flight of 3 uh-1H helicopters on a ferry flight originating at the dothan airport in dothan, al, and after stopping for fuel at the mid-georgia regional airport in macon, GA, and bush field in augusta, GA en route to florence airport in florence south carolina, I may have led the flight into or near the western edge of restr area 6002. This possible incursion was brought to the flight's attention because several jet fighters could be seen making gun or bomb runs some distance in front of us. The flight was led in a 360 degree orbit prior to landing in a field so that we could orient ourselves and organize any corrective or alternative actions. When we discovered that we were near the western edge of restr area 6002 we decided to fly 270 degrees until we were positively clear of this airspace and we could circumnav the restr area to the south. Navigation for the entire flight was primarily conducted by pilotage and GPS. The GPS unit was a trimble flightmate (hand held) that was laid upon the glare shield and connected to an external battery by a small cable. This cable disconnected several times throughout the flight which consequently pwred down the GPS unit. While this location for the GPS unit was not optimum, it did provide sufficient satellites most of the time for reliable posing and navigating. This unit does not have special use airspace warning capability. Additionally, restr area 6002 is located near the north edge of the jacksonville sectional chart near the junction of the atlanta, charlotte, and jacksonville sectional charts and it was difficult to change quickly from one chart to another without becoming disorganized. The restr area is also not annotated on the charlotte or atlanta sectional charts as being just off the edge of the map therefore not giving the pilot forewarning or cause for additional concern. Adding a warning not near the edge of adjoining sectional charts warning pilots of nearby restr or prohibited areas seems to be a prudent thing to accomplish. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the restr area referred to was R6002 near the shaw AFB. He and the other pilots did not believe that they did actually penetrate the restr airspace. He further stated that the lack of sectional chart information with regard to the total of 3 charts, wherein 2 did not provide information regarding the forth coming restr area, and a misunderstanding on his part wherein he confused restr area 6002 with 3002, which is located on the north edge of the jacksonville sectional chart. However, it is noted that restr area 3002 is also shown on the charlotte and atlanta sectional charts! He also stated that there was no contact from the FAA or military regarding this incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A GOV UH-I HUEY HELI BELIEVED THAT HE MAY HAVE INADVERTENTLY PENETRATED A RESTR AREA.

Narrative: WHILE LEADING A FLT OF 3 UH-1H HELIS ON A FERRY FLT ORIGINATING AT THE DOTHAN ARPT IN DOTHAN, AL, AND AFTER STOPPING FOR FUEL AT THE MID-GEORGIA REGIONAL ARPT IN MACON, GA, AND BUSH FIELD IN AUGUSTA, GA ENRTE TO FLORENCE ARPT IN FLORENCE S CAROLINA, I MAY HAVE LED THE FLT INTO OR NEAR THE WESTERN EDGE OF RESTR AREA 6002. THIS POSSIBLE INCURSION WAS BROUGHT TO THE FLT'S ATTN BECAUSE SEVERAL JET FIGHTERS COULD BE SEEN MAKING GUN OR BOMB RUNS SOME DISTANCE IN FRONT OF US. THE FLT WAS LED IN A 360 DEG ORBIT PRIOR TO LNDG IN A FIELD SO THAT WE COULD ORIENT OURSELVES AND ORGANIZE ANY CORRECTIVE OR ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS. WHEN WE DISCOVERED THAT WE WERE NEAR THE WESTERN EDGE OF RESTR AREA 6002 WE DECIDED TO FLY 270 DEGS UNTIL WE WERE POSITIVELY CLR OF THIS AIRSPACE AND WE COULD CIRCUMNAV THE RESTR AREA TO THE S. NAV FOR THE ENTIRE FLT WAS PRIMARILY CONDUCTED BY PILOTAGE AND GPS. THE GPS UNIT WAS A TRIMBLE FLIGHTMATE (HAND HELD) THAT WAS LAID UPON THE GLARE SHIELD AND CONNECTED TO AN EXTERNAL BATTERY BY A SMALL CABLE. THIS CABLE DISCONNECTED SEVERAL TIMES THROUGHOUT THE FLT WHICH CONSEQUENTLY PWRED DOWN THE GPS UNIT. WHILE THIS LOCATION FOR THE GPS UNIT WAS NOT OPTIMUM, IT DID PROVIDE SUFFICIENT SATELLITES MOST OF THE TIME FOR RELIABLE POSING AND NAVING. THIS UNIT DOES NOT HAVE SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE WARNING CAPABILITY. ADDITIONALLY, RESTR AREA 6002 IS LOCATED NEAR THE N EDGE OF THE JACKSONVILLE SECTIONAL CHART NEAR THE JUNCTION OF THE ATLANTA, CHARLOTTE, AND JACKSONVILLE SECTIONAL CHARTS AND IT WAS DIFFICULT TO CHANGE QUICKLY FROM ONE CHART TO ANOTHER WITHOUT BECOMING DISORGANIZED. THE RESTR AREA IS ALSO NOT ANNOTATED ON THE CHARLOTTE OR ATLANTA SECTIONAL CHARTS AS BEING JUST OFF THE EDGE OF THE MAP THEREFORE NOT GIVING THE PLT FOREWARNING OR CAUSE FOR ADDITIONAL CONCERN. ADDING A WARNING NOT NEAR THE EDGE OF ADJOINING SECTIONAL CHARTS WARNING PLTS OF NEARBY RESTR OR PROHIBITED AREAS SEEMS TO BE A PRUDENT THING TO ACCOMPLISH. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE RESTR AREA REFERRED TO WAS R6002 NEAR THE SHAW AFB. HE AND THE OTHER PLTS DID NOT BELIEVE THAT THEY DID ACTUALLY PENETRATE THE RESTR AIRSPACE. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THE LACK OF SECTIONAL CHART INFO WITH REGARD TO THE TOTAL OF 3 CHARTS, WHEREIN 2 DID NOT PROVIDE INFO REGARDING THE FORTH COMING RESTR AREA, AND A MISUNDERSTANDING ON HIS PART WHEREIN HE CONFUSED RESTR AREA 6002 WITH 3002, WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE N EDGE OF THE JACKSONVILLE SECTIONAL CHART. HOWEVER, IT IS NOTED THAT RESTR AREA 3002 IS ALSO SHOWN ON THE CHARLOTTE AND ATLANTA SECTIONAL CHARTS! HE ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS NO CONTACT FROM THE FAA OR MIL REGARDING THIS INCIDENT.

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.