Narrative:

Myself and another pilot departed pmx, ma, early in the morning to view damage done by a tornado in the great barrington area of massachusetts and new york. I commented to the second pilot, who has more experience that I, at least 4 times, that I thought we should check with FSS and see if the FAA had imposed a temporary flight restr over the damaged area. He insisted that the FAA 'didn't do that for tornado damaged areas.' I erroneously deferred to him because I didn't want to look foolish. In addition, the second pilot was in a rush and needed to get back by 3 hours later. We left and viewed the area over the course of about an hour at varying altitudes between 1100-2800 ft AGL. I'm not certain if I entered the temporary restr area, but it's probable. I checked the track log on the GPS moving map -- it was close. After informing another pilot friend of mine that he too should check at the damage by the tornado, he informed me about the temporary flight restr. I didn't call FSS on this particular morning for the reason that the WX was obviously perfect according to the WX channel. Lessons learned: FSS is good for more than WX. I check FSS religiously whenever I take long trips or there is any question of bad WX. Now I'll check it all the time. The fact that I was uncomfortable enough to mention it 4 times to my friend should have stopped me then and there to check with FSS. It's my butt on the line, not his 'so check FSS!' just because someone has more hours than me doesn't mean they are right, necessarily. The responsibility is/was solely mine. As PIC I should have acted as such and gone and done what I knew was the right thing to do. Factors: I'm not sure if it contributed, but I was operating on about 3 hours sleep (I work night shift). My mind probably wasn't that clear. Restr area, I found out, was on 090 degree bearing at a distance of 2 NM from the NDB near great barrington, ma, radios 5 NM, temporary flight restr terminates on jun/xx/95. Actions: I called him up and chewed his ass, it made me feel a little better.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT PENETRATES TEMPORARY RESTR AREA.

Narrative: MYSELF AND ANOTHER PLT DEPARTED PMX, MA, EARLY IN THE MORNING TO VIEW DAMAGE DONE BY A TORNADO IN THE GREAT BARRINGTON AREA OF MASSACHUSETTS AND NEW YORK. I COMMENTED TO THE SECOND PLT, WHO HAS MORE EXPERIENCE THAT I, AT LEAST 4 TIMES, THAT I THOUGHT WE SHOULD CHK WITH FSS AND SEE IF THE FAA HAD IMPOSED A TEMPORARY FLT RESTR OVER THE DAMAGED AREA. HE INSISTED THAT THE FAA 'DIDN'T DO THAT FOR TORNADO DAMAGED AREAS.' I ERRONEOUSLY DEFERRED TO HIM BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO LOOK FOOLISH. IN ADDITION, THE SECOND PLT WAS IN A RUSH AND NEEDED TO GET BACK BY 3 HRS LATER. WE LEFT AND VIEWED THE AREA OVER THE COURSE OF ABOUT AN HR AT VARYING ALTS BTWN 1100-2800 FT AGL. I'M NOT CERTAIN IF I ENTERED THE TEMPORARY RESTR AREA, BUT IT'S PROBABLE. I CHKED THE TRACK LOG ON THE GPS MOVING MAP -- IT WAS CLOSE. AFTER INFORMING ANOTHER PLT FRIEND OF MINE THAT HE TOO SHOULD CHK AT THE DAMAGE BY THE TORNADO, HE INFORMED ME ABOUT THE TEMPORARY FLT RESTR. I DIDN'T CALL FSS ON THIS PARTICULAR MORNING FOR THE REASON THAT THE WX WAS OBVIOUSLY PERFECT ACCORDING TO THE WX CHANNEL. LESSONS LEARNED: FSS IS GOOD FOR MORE THAN WX. I CHK FSS RELIGIOUSLY WHENEVER I TAKE LONG TRIPS OR THERE IS ANY QUESTION OF BAD WX. NOW I'LL CHK IT ALL THE TIME. THE FACT THAT I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE ENOUGH TO MENTION IT 4 TIMES TO MY FRIEND SHOULD HAVE STOPPED ME THEN AND THERE TO CHK WITH FSS. IT'S MY BUTT ON THE LINE, NOT HIS 'SO CHK FSS!' JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE HAS MORE HRS THAN ME DOESN'T MEAN THEY ARE RIGHT, NECESSARILY. THE RESPONSIBILITY IS/WAS SOLELY MINE. AS PIC I SHOULD HAVE ACTED AS SUCH AND GONE AND DONE WHAT I KNEW WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. FACTORS: I'M NOT SURE IF IT CONTRIBUTED, BUT I WAS OPERATING ON ABOUT 3 HRS SLEEP (I WORK NIGHT SHIFT). MY MIND PROBABLY WASN'T THAT CLR. RESTR AREA, I FOUND OUT, WAS ON 090 DEG BEARING AT A DISTANCE OF 2 NM FROM THE NDB NEAR GREAT BARRINGTON, MA, RADIOS 5 NM, TEMPORARY FLT RESTR TERMINATES ON JUN/XX/95. ACTIONS: I CALLED HIM UP AND CHEWED HIS ASS, IT MADE ME FEEL A LITTLE BETTER.

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.