Narrative:

On apr/xx/96 at approximately XA30 local time, I was flying a traffic patrol wbound along interstate 95. I had requested and received a clearance from wilmington, de, tower to transit their class D airspace. I had called about 10 mi out. As I was traveling wbound, the tower had requested my tail number. After complying with their request, I inquired as to why they needed my tail number. They stated that I had penetrated a temporary restr airspace. I asked where the airspace was and they replied that they did not know there was a restr airspace in the area and since they did not know they ordered me to stay clear of wilmington's airspace. I complied and went north. Prior to flying I had gotten a WX briefing and the only NOTAM I found was for a crane by the airport but nothing else pertaining to wilmington. I called williamsport flight service on 122.1 and asked them about a flight restr around the wilmington area. This was about XA45 local. The briefer replied to me that he had no flight restrs for the wilmington, de, area. I continued my flight and told the other company aircraft about the restr. The other pilot also contacted williamsport flight service and was told that there were no flight restrs for either the philadelphia, PA, or wilmington, de, areas. I had landed at about XB10 local and immediately contacted williamsport flight service by phone. I had explained to the briefer what had occurred. He again informed me that there were no flight restrs around the wilmington, de, area. I told him that there had to be something because the tower had informed me of the restr but they had no information themselves. He took several mins and did find the NOTAM under the fdc NOTAM's. He told me that unless someone requested a very detailed briefing this would probably not be reported. He then told me that there is a statement in the NOTAM 'unless cleared by ATC.' I was cleared into the area by the wilmington tower prior to entering their airspace. After I had conversed with the flight service, I called wilmington tower on the phone and talked to a controller at approximately XB40 local. I had informed him of the results of my inquiry with flight service and asked if there was a problem or if anyone had made a complaint. He had informed me that 'they' had called but nothing came of it. He then told me that there was nothing to worry about and have a good night. I feel that the system had a serious breakdown of communication. The tower in the immediate area was not informed of the temporary restr airspace. The flight service stations did not report any flight restrs in the area, even after being queried several times. It took a phone call to the service, and the available information that I had to find the restr. It took the briefer several mins to find the restr, and then he informed me that unless I had requested a very detailed briefing, this restr would not have been found. Temporary flight restrs should not be buried way down in the briefing. Anything that has to do with security, dangerous conditions, etc, should be in the NOTAMS that are normally associated with a normal or partial briefing. I have never violated an airspace since I have been flying. I always have a current chart and know the boundaries of where I fly. In addition to my flight planning, I use a GPS to double check my position, so I do not inadvertently penetrate any controled airspace around the philadelphia area. To avoid any area that I am not permitted in, I need the information so I can circumvent the location. If the information is not available, it is impossible to comply. I don't know if I could have done more, but I always have the best information for my flight before I begin. This incident has me very upset since I went through the temporary zone because I did not know it existed and what is worse even ATC and flight service did not know it existed until something had already happened.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A TFC PATROL SMA SEL INADVERTENTLY ENTERED A TEMPORARY RESTR AREA SINCE HE WAS NOT SO ADVISED OF THE TEMPORARY RESTR AREA DURING PREFLT BRIEFING FROM FAA FSS.

Narrative: ON APR/XX/96 AT APPROX XA30 LCL TIME, I WAS FLYING A TFC PATROL WBOUND ALONG INTERSTATE 95. I HAD REQUESTED AND RECEIVED A CLRNC FROM WILMINGTON, DE, TWR TO TRANSIT THEIR CLASS D AIRSPACE. I HAD CALLED ABOUT 10 MI OUT. AS I WAS TRAVELING WBOUND, THE TWR HAD REQUESTED MY TAIL NUMBER. AFTER COMPLYING WITH THEIR REQUEST, I INQUIRED AS TO WHY THEY NEEDED MY TAIL NUMBER. THEY STATED THAT I HAD PENETRATED A TEMPORARY RESTR AIRSPACE. I ASKED WHERE THE AIRSPACE WAS AND THEY REPLIED THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW THERE WAS A RESTR AIRSPACE IN THE AREA AND SINCE THEY DID NOT KNOW THEY ORDERED ME TO STAY CLR OF WILMINGTON'S AIRSPACE. I COMPLIED AND WENT N. PRIOR TO FLYING I HAD GOTTEN A WX BRIEFING AND THE ONLY NOTAM I FOUND WAS FOR A CRANE BY THE ARPT BUT NOTHING ELSE PERTAINING TO WILMINGTON. I CALLED WILLIAMSPORT FLT SVC ON 122.1 AND ASKED THEM ABOUT A FLT RESTR AROUND THE WILMINGTON AREA. THIS WAS ABOUT XA45 LCL. THE BRIEFER REPLIED TO ME THAT HE HAD NO FLT RESTRS FOR THE WILMINGTON, DE, AREA. I CONTINUED MY FLT AND TOLD THE OTHER COMPANY ACFT ABOUT THE RESTR. THE OTHER PLT ALSO CONTACTED WILLIAMSPORT FLT SVC AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WERE NO FLT RESTRS FOR EITHER THE PHILADELPHIA, PA, OR WILMINGTON, DE, AREAS. I HAD LANDED AT ABOUT XB10 LCL AND IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED WILLIAMSPORT FLT SVC BY PHONE. I HAD EXPLAINED TO THE BRIEFER WHAT HAD OCCURRED. HE AGAIN INFORMED ME THAT THERE WERE NO FLT RESTRS AROUND THE WILMINGTON, DE, AREA. I TOLD HIM THAT THERE HAD TO BE SOMETHING BECAUSE THE TWR HAD INFORMED ME OF THE RESTR BUT THEY HAD NO INFO THEMSELVES. HE TOOK SEVERAL MINS AND DID FIND THE NOTAM UNDER THE FDC NOTAM'S. HE TOLD ME THAT UNLESS SOMEONE REQUESTED A VERY DETAILED BRIEFING THIS WOULD PROBABLY NOT BE RPTED. HE THEN TOLD ME THAT THERE IS A STATEMENT IN THE NOTAM 'UNLESS CLRED BY ATC.' I WAS CLRED INTO THE AREA BY THE WILMINGTON TWR PRIOR TO ENTERING THEIR AIRSPACE. AFTER I HAD CONVERSED WITH THE FLT SVC, I CALLED WILMINGTON TWR ON THE PHONE AND TALKED TO A CTLR AT APPROX XB40 LCL. I HAD INFORMED HIM OF THE RESULTS OF MY INQUIRY WITH FLT SVC AND ASKED IF THERE WAS A PROB OR IF ANYONE HAD MADE A COMPLAINT. HE HAD INFORMED ME THAT 'THEY' HAD CALLED BUT NOTHING CAME OF IT. HE THEN TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT AND HAVE A GOOD NIGHT. I FEEL THAT THE SYS HAD A SERIOUS BREAKDOWN OF COM. THE TWR IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE TEMPORARY RESTR AIRSPACE. THE FLT SVC STATIONS DID NOT RPT ANY FLT RESTRS IN THE AREA, EVEN AFTER BEING QUERIED SEVERAL TIMES. IT TOOK A PHONE CALL TO THE SVC, AND THE AVAILABLE INFO THAT I HAD TO FIND THE RESTR. IT TOOK THE BRIEFER SEVERAL MINS TO FIND THE RESTR, AND THEN HE INFORMED ME THAT UNLESS I HAD REQUESTED A VERY DETAILED BRIEFING, THIS RESTR WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN FOUND. TEMPORARY FLT RESTRS SHOULD NOT BE BURIED WAY DOWN IN THE BRIEFING. ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH SECURITY, DANGEROUS CONDITIONS, ETC, SHOULD BE IN THE NOTAMS THAT ARE NORMALLY ASSOCIATED WITH A NORMAL OR PARTIAL BRIEFING. I HAVE NEVER VIOLATED AN AIRSPACE SINCE I HAVE BEEN FLYING. I ALWAYS HAVE A CURRENT CHART AND KNOW THE BOUNDARIES OF WHERE I FLY. IN ADDITION TO MY FLT PLANNING, I USE A GPS TO DOUBLE CHK MY POS, SO I DO NOT INADVERTENTLY PENETRATE ANY CTLED AIRSPACE AROUND THE PHILADELPHIA AREA. TO AVOID ANY AREA THAT I AM NOT PERMITTED IN, I NEED THE INFO SO I CAN CIRCUMVENT THE LOCATION. IF THE INFO IS NOT AVAILABLE, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO COMPLY. I DON'T KNOW IF I COULD HAVE DONE MORE, BUT I ALWAYS HAVE THE BEST INFO FOR MY FLT BEFORE I BEGIN. THIS INCIDENT HAS ME VERY UPSET SINCE I WENT THROUGH THE TEMPORARY ZONE BECAUSE I DID NOT KNOW IT EXISTED AND WHAT IS WORSE EVEN ATC AND FLT SVC DID NOT KNOW IT EXISTED UNTIL SOMETHING HAD ALREADY HAPPENED.

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.