Narrative:

I left prc in a rented C172 with 2 adults and 1 small child onboard. We were going on a scenic flight toward flagstaff, az. Shortly before reaching sedona the small girl became sick. We landed at sedona for a break. I contacted sedona unicom for advisories. They did not mention the temporary fire restr area in effect because of fires in the area but I was aware of most of them. We departed sedona northbound, climbing toward flagstaff. Climb was slow because of high density altitude and high gross weight of aircraft. Shortly after departure the little girl became sick again and threw up. (She apparently had fully recovered during our break in sedona and was doing fine.) at the urging of the girl's aunt I immediately turned southwest direct toward prescott, still climbing. At this time we discovered a fire at the base of the canyon ahead of us. Since there was no visible activity and no tanker traffic in the area, I continued my climbing flight swbound. I was at 7000 ft MSL at the time. I noticed a small twin about 300 ft above me about 1000 ft to my right, maintaining parallel flight to me. I was not sure if he saw me or what his intentions were. To avoid possible conflict, I maintained my current altitude and direction of flight, raised my right wing and kept my eye on him. When the twin maintained his position I switched to unicom frequency 122.80 to attempt contact with the pilot. I heard the twin pilot contact unicom, asking whether they had fueled a red cessna (my airplane) earlier. I made no attempt of radio contact but kept my eye on the twin. He fell behind and I continued on course for prc. I later contacted FSS and learned that I had apparently violated the temporary fire restr area in effect 4 mi north of sedona, of which I was not aware at the time. My suggestions would be that unicom announces any temporary fire restr areas in such close proximity to the airport, to all traffic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT ENTERS TEMPORARY RESTR AREA ABOVE FIRE AREA. HE IS MONITORED BY AN ACFT FLYING PARALLEL TO HIS COURSE.

Narrative: I LEFT PRC IN A RENTED C172 WITH 2 ADULTS AND 1 SMALL CHILD ONBOARD. WE WERE GOING ON A SCENIC FLT TOWARD FLAGSTAFF, AZ. SHORTLY BEFORE REACHING SEDONA THE SMALL GIRL BECAME SICK. WE LANDED AT SEDONA FOR A BREAK. I CONTACTED SEDONA UNICOM FOR ADVISORIES. THEY DID NOT MENTION THE TEMPORARY FIRE RESTR AREA IN EFFECT BECAUSE OF FIRES IN THE AREA BUT I WAS AWARE OF MOST OF THEM. WE DEPARTED SEDONA NBOUND, CLBING TOWARD FLAGSTAFF. CLB WAS SLOW BECAUSE OF HIGH DENSITY ALT AND HIGH GROSS WT OF ACFT. SHORTLY AFTER DEP THE LITTLE GIRL BECAME SICK AGAIN AND THREW UP. (SHE APPARENTLY HAD FULLY RECOVERED DURING OUR BREAK IN SEDONA AND WAS DOING FINE.) AT THE URGING OF THE GIRL'S AUNT I IMMEDIATELY TURNED SW DIRECT TOWARD PRESCOTT, STILL CLBING. AT THIS TIME WE DISCOVERED A FIRE AT THE BASE OF THE CANYON AHEAD OF US. SINCE THERE WAS NO VISIBLE ACTIVITY AND NO TANKER TFC IN THE AREA, I CONTINUED MY CLBING FLT SWBOUND. I WAS AT 7000 FT MSL AT THE TIME. I NOTICED A SMALL TWIN ABOUT 300 FT ABOVE ME ABOUT 1000 FT TO MY R, MAINTAINING PARALLEL FLT TO ME. I WAS NOT SURE IF HE SAW ME OR WHAT HIS INTENTIONS WERE. TO AVOID POSSIBLE CONFLICT, I MAINTAINED MY CURRENT ALT AND DIRECTION OF FLT, RAISED MY R WING AND KEPT MY EYE ON HIM. WHEN THE TWIN MAINTAINED HIS POS I SWITCHED TO UNICOM FREQ 122.80 TO ATTEMPT CONTACT WITH THE PLT. I HEARD THE TWIN PLT CONTACT UNICOM, ASKING WHETHER THEY HAD FUELED A RED CESSNA (MY AIRPLANE) EARLIER. I MADE NO ATTEMPT OF RADIO CONTACT BUT KEPT MY EYE ON THE TWIN. HE FELL BEHIND AND I CONTINUED ON COURSE FOR PRC. I LATER CONTACTED FSS AND LEARNED THAT I HAD APPARENTLY VIOLATED THE TEMPORARY FIRE RESTR AREA IN EFFECT 4 MI N OF SEDONA, OF WHICH I WAS NOT AWARE AT THE TIME. MY SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE THAT UNICOM ANNOUNCES ANY TEMPORARY FIRE RESTR AREAS IN SUCH CLOSE PROX TO THE ARPT, TO ALL TFC.

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.