Narrative:

I flew through a 'not hot' restr area. R531 abc after screwing up an IFR flight plan. Here is how problem arose. I recently bought a PA32 300R and took it to jnx to have a new intercom, GPS and other avionics work done. I picked up the plane several days later. WX was not bad only 1 section of clouds - no ice between jnx and cae. I filed IFR departed in good WX and was climbing from jnx towards fayetteville on course. Raleigh handed me off to fayetteville -- still good VFR I called rdu. Both communications so garbled -- no communication could be accomplished at 3500-4500 ft I leveled off (cursed the radios) and tried to reach anybody. Cloud layer was at 5000 ft (I was going to be IMC until around flo. I finally reached a military facility on guard on frequency 121.5 - canceled IFR and went back to jnx. Still trying to reach fay or rdu like a switch, the radios started working, fine. I flew over jnx a while trying to decide whether to land and have the now working fine radios checked or not. Being in good VMC it made no sense to get into IMC without communication. The event was disturbing. I worried about landing off and not continuing as filed and I worried whether my request to cancel IFR was forwarded before I turned back to jnx. So I decided because the radios were fine to just fly to cae VFR. I punched in cae direct and still disturbed, headed home. Now the radios were fine - I spoke to fay confirmed cancellation thanked anyone that would listen, and flew right into a restr area. Perceptions - judgement - decisions: I still think it's better not to have entered IMC without communication, while operating VFR, but I was wrong not having landed at jnx. I should have calmed down, called approach control explained the situation and not stayed focused on the IFR clearance requirements. Flying direct to cae was stupid. I had no VFR charts handy but was familiar enough with route to be incompetent. I forgot about the restr area by fay although it's huge! The controller at fay was real professional. Here is the same aircraft that recently lost both radios, leveled off then turned back on an IFR flight plan, showing up for flight following while cruising in a restr area!! The guy must have thought I was crazy! Still he was helpful and not even a touch sarcastic or annoyed! The problem? Water from a leaking windshield.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PLT OF A PIPER SARATOGA PENETRATED RESTR AIRSPACE WITHOUT A CLRNC, CLAIMING TO HAVE BEEN DISTRACTED BY A COM RADIO PROB, AND WX CONSIDERATIONS.

Narrative: I FLEW THROUGH A 'NOT HOT' RESTR AREA. R531 ABC AFTER SCREWING UP AN IFR FLT PLAN. HERE IS HOW PROB AROSE. I RECENTLY BOUGHT A PA32 300R AND TOOK IT TO JNX TO HAVE A NEW INTERCOM, GPS AND OTHER AVIONICS WORK DONE. I PICKED UP THE PLANE SEVERAL DAYS LATER. WX WAS NOT BAD ONLY 1 SECTION OF CLOUDS - NO ICE BTWN JNX AND CAE. I FILED IFR DEPARTED IN GOOD WX AND WAS CLBING FROM JNX TOWARDS FAYETTEVILLE ON COURSE. RALEIGH HANDED ME OFF TO FAYETTEVILLE -- STILL GOOD VFR I CALLED RDU. BOTH COMS SO GARBLED -- NO COM COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED AT 3500-4500 FT I LEVELED OFF (CURSED THE RADIOS) AND TRIED TO REACH ANYBODY. CLOUD LAYER WAS AT 5000 FT (I WAS GOING TO BE IMC UNTIL AROUND FLO. I FINALLY REACHED A MIL FACILITY ON GUARD ON FREQ 121.5 - CANCELED IFR AND WENT BACK TO JNX. STILL TRYING TO REACH FAY OR RDU LIKE A SWITCH, THE RADIOS STARTED WORKING, FINE. I FLEW OVER JNX A WHILE TRYING TO DECIDE WHETHER TO LAND AND HAVE THE NOW WORKING FINE RADIOS CHKED OR NOT. BEING IN GOOD VMC IT MADE NO SENSE TO GET INTO IMC WITHOUT COM. THE EVENT WAS DISTURBING. I WORRIED ABOUT LNDG OFF AND NOT CONTINUING AS FILED AND I WORRIED WHETHER MY REQUEST TO CANCEL IFR WAS FORWARDED BEFORE I TURNED BACK TO JNX. SO I DECIDED BECAUSE THE RADIOS WERE FINE TO JUST FLY TO CAE VFR. I PUNCHED IN CAE DIRECT AND STILL DISTURBED, HEADED HOME. NOW THE RADIOS WERE FINE - I SPOKE TO FAY CONFIRMED CANCELLATION THANKED ANYONE THAT WOULD LISTEN, AND FLEW RIGHT INTO A RESTR AREA. PERCEPTIONS - JUDGEMENT - DECISIONS: I STILL THINK IT'S BETTER NOT TO HAVE ENTERED IMC WITHOUT COM, WHILE OPERATING VFR, BUT I WAS WRONG NOT HAVING LANDED AT JNX. I SHOULD HAVE CALMED DOWN, CALLED APCH CTL EXPLAINED THE SIT AND NOT STAYED FOCUSED ON THE IFR CLRNC REQUIREMENTS. FLYING DIRECT TO CAE WAS STUPID. I HAD NO VFR CHARTS HANDY BUT WAS FAMILIAR ENOUGH WITH RTE TO BE INCOMPETENT. I FORGOT ABOUT THE RESTR AREA BY FAY ALTHOUGH IT'S HUGE! THE CTLR AT FAY WAS REAL PROFESSIONAL. HERE IS THE SAME ACFT THAT RECENTLY LOST BOTH RADIOS, LEVELED OFF THEN TURNED BACK ON AN IFR FLT PLAN, SHOWING UP FOR FLT FOLLOWING WHILE CRUISING IN A RESTR AREA!! THE GUY MUST HAVE THOUGHT I WAS CRAZY! STILL HE WAS HELPFUL AND NOT EVEN A TOUCH SARCASTIC OR ANNOYED! THE PROB? WATER FROM A LEAKING WINDSHIELD.

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.