Narrative:

I was on a long cross country vacation, traveling from montana though idaho, oregon, california, arizona, new mexico, colorado, utah, and back to montana. My airplane is a 1948 aeronca sedan with minimal VFR navigating equipment. My VOR was intermittent (I discovered later, due to a loose antenna connection, which I fixed), and I was unfamiliar with the area. I had a great deal of concern about inadvertently entering the class C airspace near sacramento, and planned a route through a very narrow corridor between that and the travis air force base restricted area. I crossed over woodland airport on schedule and on course, and turned southeast. I saw a number of large jets leaving sacramento, at low altitude, climbing west, and thought I would descend a bit (from 2400 ft MSL to 2000 ft MSL), and change course slightly to the west. That was a mistake, as, while I watched out for the GA and commercial traffic buzzing around me, I strayed too far off course. I noticed that the large aircraft ahead and above me were shooting lndgs into travis. I descended further, to about 1500 ft MSL and turned immediately east to get back on course. At no time was there a danger of collision, and I felt no wake turbulence, but I was very anxious to exit the restricted airspace as soon as possible, worried that I might see a fighter escort in my windshield. I worried all the way to my next stop at monterey, and expected a phone call from the FAA at any time. In retrospect, I should have planned a route farther from travis's restricted space, and should have contacted sacramento approach for assistance in transitioning the class C space. The reputation for ATC in metropolitan areas is that the controllers are frequently impatient with the small aircraft interfering with the order by handling of commercial traffic, so I was hesitant to intentionally traverse the class C space. Next time I'll do it, and avoid the stress I unnecessarily suffered.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT REGRETS FLYING INTO AN ALERT AREA.

Narrative: I WAS ON A LONG XCOUNTRY VACATION, TRAVELING FROM MONTANA THOUGH IDAHO, OREGON, CALIFORNIA, ARIZONA, NEW MEXICO, COLORADO, UTAH, AND BACK TO MONTANA. MY AIRPLANE IS A 1948 AERONCA SEDAN WITH MINIMAL VFR NAVIGATING EQUIP. MY VOR WAS INTERMITTENT (I DISCOVERED LATER, DUE TO A LOOSE ANTENNA CONNECTION, WHICH I FIXED), AND I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA. I HAD A GREAT DEAL OF CONCERN ABOUT INADVERTENTLY ENTERING THE CLASS C AIRSPACE NEAR SACRAMENTO, AND PLANNED A RTE THROUGH A VERY NARROW CORRIDOR BTWN THAT AND THE TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE RESTRICTED AREA. I CROSSED OVER WOODLAND ARPT ON SCHEDULE AND ON COURSE, AND TURNED SE. I SAW A NUMBER OF LARGE JETS LEAVING SACRAMENTO, AT LOW ALT, CLBING W, AND THOUGHT I WOULD DSND A BIT (FROM 2400 FT MSL TO 2000 FT MSL), AND CHANGE COURSE SLIGHTLY TO THE W. THAT WAS A MISTAKE, AS, WHILE I WATCHED OUT FOR THE GA AND COMMERCIAL TFC BUZZING AROUND ME, I STRAYED TOO FAR OFF COURSE. I NOTICED THAT THE LARGE ACFT AHEAD AND ABOVE ME WERE SHOOTING LNDGS INTO TRAVIS. I DSNDED FURTHER, TO ABOUT 1500 FT MSL AND TURNED IMMEDIATELY E TO GET BACK ON COURSE. AT NO TIME WAS THERE A DANGER OF COLLISION, AND I FELT NO WAKE TURB, BUT I WAS VERY ANXIOUS TO EXIT THE RESTRICTED AIRSPACE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, WORRIED THAT I MIGHT SEE A FIGHTER ESCORT IN MY WINDSHIELD. I WORRIED ALL THE WAY TO MY NEXT STOP AT MONTEREY, AND EXPECTED A PHONE CALL FROM THE FAA AT ANY TIME. IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD HAVE PLANNED A RTE FARTHER FROM TRAVIS'S RESTRICTED SPACE, AND SHOULD HAVE CONTACTED SACRAMENTO APCH FOR ASSISTANCE IN TRANSITIONING THE CLASS C SPACE. THE REPUTATION FOR ATC IN METROPOLITAN AREAS IS THAT THE CTLRS ARE FREQUENTLY IMPATIENT WITH THE SMALL ACFT INTERFERING WITH THE ORDER BY HANDLING OF COMMERCIAL TFC, SO I WAS HESITANT TO INTENTIONALLY TRAVERSE THE CLASS C SPACE. NEXT TIME I'LL DO IT, AND AVOID THE STRESS I UNNECESSARILY SUFFERED.

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.