Narrative:

I departed hagerstown airport VFR, for a pleasure flight at XA00 am local time using a left turn from runway 27 for a southeast departure. Visibility was at least 10 mi, with cloud cover at 12000 ft. I exited controled airspace at 2000 ft MSL and circled my house which is just outside the hagerstown control zone, at 164 degrees from the airport. Next, I turned northeast, beginning a climb to 5500 ft to cross the mountains towards gettysburg. During the climb, I heard an aircraft announce that it was inbound from the east, 7 mi out. I turned more to the east to avoid cutting across the other plane's flight path and began looking for him. I called hagerstown and announced that I was east at about 7 or 8 mi climbing through 3500 ft. The tower responded, to, 'stand by.' then they asked for course and altitude. I told him eastbound through 4000 ft, heading towards gettysburg. He said course change approved. He asked another question about my location and I answered. I heard the controller ask the other pilot for his altitude. He said out of 4000 ft. Shortly after, I announced I was at 4000 ft approximately 1 mi from the mountains. I responded that I had the traffic off my left wing and behind me. I heard the tower announce to the other pilot that he was past me. Just prior to crossing the mountains I was at 4500 ft and still climbing. After a short pause, I checked my chart and realized that I either infringed or was about to infringe on the camp david area. I was paying more attention to ground landmarks at that point - namely protuberances in the mountains shown on the chart. I saw the most western ridge to my left and initiated a turn towards the north to avoid any more eastbound movement. In retrospect, I assume I was at about 5000 ft at that point because I had been climbing at roughly 500- 600 FPM at 80-90 KTS prior to crossing the mountains. I continued on a more northern course, while trying to locate exactly where I was. I continued until I was about due west of where the mountains protruded east near emmitsburgh. I saw what I thought was the gettysburg airport and descended, still confused, and, to see if I could recognize anything that would indicate I was over gettysburg. After circling, I realized that I was over emmitsburgh and initiated a climb to return. At altitude I dialed in the hagerstown VOR near the 90 degree radial, and crossed the mountains. During other similar flts I have always double checked my location before crossing the mountains. This time, I became concerned after hearing the other pilot call out his inbound location in the area where I was flying. At that point I was only worried about finding him or avoiding him. I felt safer flying directly east so I could keep my eyes straight ahead and avoid crossing his path where he would be hidden from my view. During this time I completely neglected navigation. Once I spotted the plane there was still a lag in time where it occurred to me that I may infringe on the camp david area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH PENETRATION OF PROHIBITED AREA.

Narrative: I DEPARTED HAGERSTOWN ARPT VFR, FOR A PLEASURE FLT AT XA00 AM LCL TIME USING A L TURN FROM RWY 27 FOR A SE DEP. VISIBILITY WAS AT LEAST 10 MI, WITH CLOUD COVER AT 12000 FT. I EXITED CTLED AIRSPACE AT 2000 FT MSL AND CIRCLED MY HOUSE WHICH IS JUST OUTSIDE THE HAGERSTOWN CTL ZONE, AT 164 DEGS FROM THE ARPT. NEXT, I TURNED NE, BEGINNING A CLB TO 5500 FT TO CROSS THE MOUNTAINS TOWARDS GETTYSBURG. DURING THE CLB, I HEARD AN ACFT ANNOUNCE THAT IT WAS INBOUND FROM THE E, 7 MI OUT. I TURNED MORE TO THE E TO AVOID CUTTING ACROSS THE OTHER PLANE'S FLT PATH AND BEGAN LOOKING FOR HIM. I CALLED HAGERSTOWN AND ANNOUNCED THAT I WAS E AT ABOUT 7 OR 8 MI CLBING THROUGH 3500 FT. THE TWR RESPONDED, TO, 'STAND BY.' THEN THEY ASKED FOR COURSE AND ALT. I TOLD HIM EBOUND THROUGH 4000 FT, HDG TOWARDS GETTYSBURG. HE SAID COURSE CHANGE APPROVED. HE ASKED ANOTHER QUESTION ABOUT MY LOCATION AND I ANSWERED. I HEARD THE CTLR ASK THE OTHER PLT FOR HIS ALT. HE SAID OUT OF 4000 FT. SHORTLY AFTER, I ANNOUNCED I WAS AT 4000 FT APPROX 1 MI FROM THE MOUNTAINS. I RESPONDED THAT I HAD THE TFC OFF MY L WING AND BEHIND ME. I HEARD THE TWR ANNOUNCE TO THE OTHER PLT THAT HE WAS PAST ME. JUST PRIOR TO XING THE MOUNTAINS I WAS AT 4500 FT AND STILL CLBING. AFTER A SHORT PAUSE, I CHKED MY CHART AND REALIZED THAT I EITHER INFRINGED OR WAS ABOUT TO INFRINGE ON THE CAMP DAVID AREA. I WAS PAYING MORE ATTN TO GND LANDMARKS AT THAT POINT - NAMELY PROTUBERANCES IN THE MOUNTAINS SHOWN ON THE CHART. I SAW THE MOST WESTERN RIDGE TO MY L AND INITIATED A TURN TOWARDS THE N TO AVOID ANY MORE EBOUND MOVEMENT. IN RETROSPECT, I ASSUME I WAS AT ABOUT 5000 FT AT THAT POINT BECAUSE I HAD BEEN CLBING AT ROUGHLY 500- 600 FPM AT 80-90 KTS PRIOR TO XING THE MOUNTAINS. I CONTINUED ON A MORE NORTHERN COURSE, WHILE TRYING TO LOCATE EXACTLY WHERE I WAS. I CONTINUED UNTIL I WAS ABOUT DUE W OF WHERE THE MOUNTAINS PROTRUDED E NEAR EMMITSBURGH. I SAW WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE GETTYSBURG ARPT AND DSNDED, STILL CONFUSED, AND, TO SEE IF I COULD RECOGNIZE ANYTHING THAT WOULD INDICATE I WAS OVER GETTYSBURG. AFTER CIRCLING, I REALIZED THAT I WAS OVER EMMITSBURGH AND INITIATED A CLB TO RETURN. AT ALT I DIALED IN THE HAGERSTOWN VOR NEAR THE 90 DEG RADIAL, AND CROSSED THE MOUNTAINS. DURING OTHER SIMILAR FLTS I HAVE ALWAYS DOUBLE CHKED MY LOCATION BEFORE XING THE MOUNTAINS. THIS TIME, I BECAME CONCERNED AFTER HEARING THE OTHER PLT CALL OUT HIS INBOUND LOCATION IN THE AREA WHERE I WAS FLYING. AT THAT POINT I WAS ONLY WORRIED ABOUT FINDING HIM OR AVOIDING HIM. I FELT SAFER FLYING DIRECTLY E SO I COULD KEEP MY EYES STRAIGHT AHEAD AND AVOID XING HIS PATH WHERE HE WOULD BE HIDDEN FROM MY VIEW. DURING THIS TIME I COMPLETELY NEGLECTED NAV. ONCE I SPOTTED THE PLANE THERE WAS STILL A LAG IN TIME WHERE IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT I MAY INFRINGE ON THE CAMP DAVID AREA.

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.