Unauthorized penetration of airspace. These pilots went sightseeing over a crime scene then belatedl...

Attributes
ACN	302936
Time
Date	199504
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 77g
State Reference	MI
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-32 Cherokee Six/Lance/Saratoga
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 12 flight time total : 525 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	302936
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger observation : observer
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited penetrated airspace
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

My partner and I were practicing VOR DME-a approachs at the marlette, mi, airport when we noticed the much publicized decker, mi, was only a few mi away from marlette. We figured there wouldn't be much activity anymore, but were quite surprised at the number of vehicles in the vicinity. We then surmised there could be a temporary restr airspace and left. Although I will certainly admit to poor judgement, when the concept of restr airspace entered my mind, I couldn't think of any automated broadcast service that would alert me to this NOTAM. When we were back on the ground, a call to the saginaw 1-800-wxbrief confirmed our suspicions. Hopefully, this situation is so infrequent it isn't a problem for 99.99 percent of all pilots. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter and his partner were flying a piper cherokee 180 during this event and they had not planned to leave the traffic pattern. They admit that they erred in flying into the temporary restr area, but they did not fly below 1000 ft AGL according to the reporter. The total absence of other aircraft and the large number of official vehicles alerted them to the possibility that they had made a mistake. The pilot said that he normally checks the WX even if he is going to stay in the pattern and he would have learned of the restr if he had checked. No enforcement personnel have contacted them.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE. THESE PLTS WENT SIGHTSEEING OVER A CRIME SCENE THEN BELATEDLY THOUGHT THAT IT MAY BE A TEMPORARY RESTR AREA. IT WAS JUST THAT.

Narrative: MY PARTNER AND I WERE PRACTICING VOR DME-A APCHS AT THE MARLETTE, MI, ARPT WHEN WE NOTICED THE MUCH PUBLICIZED DECKER, MI, WAS ONLY A FEW MI AWAY FROM MARLETTE. WE FIGURED THERE WOULDN'T BE MUCH ACTIVITY ANYMORE, BUT WERE QUITE SURPRISED AT THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES IN THE VICINITY. WE THEN SURMISED THERE COULD BE A TEMPORARY RESTR AIRSPACE AND LEFT. ALTHOUGH I WILL CERTAINLY ADMIT TO POOR JUDGEMENT, WHEN THE CONCEPT OF RESTR AIRSPACE ENTERED MY MIND, I COULDN'T THINK OF ANY AUTOMATED BROADCAST SVC THAT WOULD ALERT ME TO THIS NOTAM. WHEN WE WERE BACK ON THE GND, A CALL TO THE SAGINAW 1-800-WXBRIEF CONFIRMED OUR SUSPICIONS. HOPEFULLY, THIS SIT IS SO INFREQUENT IT ISN'T A PROB FOR 99.99 PERCENT OF ALL PLTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR AND HIS PARTNER WERE FLYING A PIPER CHEROKEE 180 DURING THIS EVENT AND THEY HAD NOT PLANNED TO LEAVE THE TFC PATTERN. THEY ADMIT THAT THEY ERRED IN FLYING INTO THE TEMPORARY RESTR AREA, BUT THEY DID NOT FLY BELOW 1000 FT AGL ACCORDING TO THE RPTR. THE TOTAL ABSENCE OF OTHER ACFT AND THE LARGE NUMBER OF OFFICIAL VEHICLES ALERTED THEM TO THE POSSIBILITY THAT THEY HAD MADE A MISTAKE. THE PLT SAID THAT HE NORMALLY CHKS THE WX EVEN IF HE IS GOING TO STAY IN THE PATTERN AND HE WOULD HAVE LEARNED OF THE RESTR IF HE HAD CHKED. NO ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL HAVE CONTACTED THEM.

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.

Unauthorized penetration of airspace. These pilots went sightseeing over a crime scene then belatedly thought that it may be a temporary restr area. It was just that.