Narrative:

I departed cadillac/wexford city airport alone on jun/xx/94 approximately XA30 local time in good VFR conditions for a 2 hour flight at 6500 ft. Direct badger VOR, direct rfd, direct gbg municipal. Phone call to gbg AWOS reported clear below 12000 ft, 10 mi visibility: and my impression was that VMC existed along all my route. I, too, neglected to get a full briefing from FSS to confirm that -- or rather would have told me about enough clouds and rain showers that I would have filed IFR, for which I and the airplane and qualified and equipped. Near muskegon some cloud build-up was evident to the west, and contact then with lansing FSS confirmed broken ceilings 3000 ft and rain showers near and north of milwaukee. At about mid-lake michigan, beneath the minnow MOA, my route ahead seemed acceptably VMC, but I then noted that on that line I would violate R6903: so I turned directly toward falls VOR to pass west of R6903 limits. That direction however took me into a rain shower area so that visibility was probably less than VMC at times. From near fah, I resumed southwest heading to pass 10 mi or so west of bae to stay well away from milwaukee, timmerman traffic: and started descending: so that by about 3500 ft. I was beneath the clouds and able to stay in VMC, still in rain at times. A short distance southwest of bae the rain ended and clouds were only high scattered. I report this occurrence as recognition by me of a number of possible or near violations: such as, not getting full briefing from FSS, from which I probably would have elected to file IFR, or at least have gone a more southerly route where it was better VMC. I probably intruded somewhat into R6903 before clearing the western limit, and I was in and out of what was probably more truly IMC than VMC for a short part of the flight. This flight brought back clearly to my attention how casual I seem to have become about planning: and also how much more practical and time saving, as well as safer, it would have been to just routinely call and file IFR! Although this flight had an entirely satisfactory outcome for me, I realize I might well have caused disruption for other pilots and their controllers -- and for that I am sincerely apologetic: and I intend to avoid such in the future by tightening up my discipline as to planning, briefing, filing and flying.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF A SMA TWIN ERRONEOUSLY ENTERED A RESTR AREA DUE TO AN INFLT ENCOUNTER WITH WX.

Narrative: I DEPARTED CADILLAC/WEXFORD CITY ARPT ALONE ON JUN/XX/94 APPROX XA30 LCL TIME IN GOOD VFR CONDITIONS FOR A 2 HR FLT AT 6500 FT. DIRECT BADGER VOR, DIRECT RFD, DIRECT GBG MUNICIPAL. PHONE CALL TO GBG AWOS RPTED CLR BELOW 12000 FT, 10 MI VISIBILITY: AND MY IMPRESSION WAS THAT VMC EXISTED ALONG ALL MY RTE. I, TOO, NEGLECTED TO GET A FULL BRIEFING FROM FSS TO CONFIRM THAT -- OR RATHER WOULD HAVE TOLD ME ABOUT ENOUGH CLOUDS AND RAIN SHOWERS THAT I WOULD HAVE FILED IFR, FOR WHICH I AND THE AIRPLANE AND QUALIFIED AND EQUIPPED. NEAR MUSKEGON SOME CLOUD BUILD-UP WAS EVIDENT TO THE W, AND CONTACT THEN WITH LANSING FSS CONFIRMED BROKEN CEILINGS 3000 FT AND RAIN SHOWERS NEAR AND N OF MILWAUKEE. AT ABOUT MID-LAKE MICHIGAN, BENEATH THE MINNOW MOA, MY RTE AHEAD SEEMED ACCEPTABLY VMC, BUT I THEN NOTED THAT ON THAT LINE I WOULD VIOLATE R6903: SO I TURNED DIRECTLY TOWARD FALLS VOR TO PASS W OF R6903 LIMITS. THAT DIRECTION HOWEVER TOOK ME INTO A RAIN SHOWER AREA SO THAT VISIBILITY WAS PROBABLY LESS THAN VMC AT TIMES. FROM NEAR FAH, I RESUMED SW HDG TO PASS 10 MI OR SO W OF BAE TO STAY WELL AWAY FROM MILWAUKEE, TIMMERMAN TFC: AND STARTED DSNDING: SO THAT BY ABOUT 3500 FT. I WAS BENEATH THE CLOUDS AND ABLE TO STAY IN VMC, STILL IN RAIN AT TIMES. A SHORT DISTANCE SW OF BAE THE RAIN ENDED AND CLOUDS WERE ONLY HIGH SCATTERED. I RPT THIS OCCURRENCE AS RECOGNITION BY ME OF A NUMBER OF POSSIBLE OR NEAR VIOLATIONS: SUCH AS, NOT GETTING FULL BRIEFING FROM FSS, FROM WHICH I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE ELECTED TO FILE IFR, OR AT LEAST HAVE GONE A MORE SOUTHERLY RTE WHERE IT WAS BETTER VMC. I PROBABLY INTRUDED SOMEWHAT INTO R6903 BEFORE CLRING THE WESTERN LIMIT, AND I WAS IN AND OUT OF WHAT WAS PROBABLY MORE TRULY IMC THAN VMC FOR A SHORT PART OF THE FLT. THIS FLT BROUGHT BACK CLRLY TO MY ATTN HOW CASUAL I SEEM TO HAVE BECOME ABOUT PLANNING: AND ALSO HOW MUCH MORE PRACTICAL AND TIME SAVING, AS WELL AS SAFER, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN TO JUST ROUTINELY CALL AND FILE IFR! ALTHOUGH THIS FLT HAD AN ENTIRELY SATISFACTORY OUTCOME FOR ME, I REALIZE I MIGHT WELL HAVE CAUSED DISRUPTION FOR OTHER PLTS AND THEIR CTLRS -- AND FOR THAT I AM SINCERELY APOLOGETIC: AND I INTEND TO AVOID SUCH IN THE FUTURE BY TIGHTENING UP MY DISCIPLINE AS TO PLANNING, BRIEFING, FILING AND FLYING.

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.