<< >> NASA ASRS Report 340775, July 1996

Reporter pilot entered restr area without clearance. Claims confusion with altitudes depicted in sectional chart.

Attributes
ACN	340775
Time
Date	199607
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bvl
State Reference	UT
Altitude	msl bound lower : 9500 msl bound upper : 9500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zlc
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 130 flight time total : 19000 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	340775
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was about 1 NM west of wendover, ut, and wanted to fly south which would take me through R-6405. The salt lake sectional chart indicated that R-6405 airspace went from '100 ft AGL to FL580.' I took this to mean from 10000 ft AGL to 58000 ft in keeping with the convention of dropping the last 2 zeros as is indicated by 'FL580' in same phrase. This convention is widely used in other FAA and WX reporting applications such as sequence WX reports and forecast cloud bases which are abbreviated with last 2 zeros missing. It doesn't seem logical to mix altitude denominations in the same phrase because of the chance of mistake. I suggest using the words '100 ft above ground to 58000 ft (FL580)' be used which would eliminate possible confusion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR PLT ENTERED RESTR AREA WITHOUT CLRNC. CLAIMS CONFUSION WITH ALTS DEPICTED IN SECTIONAL CHART.

Narrative: I WAS ABOUT 1 NM W OF WENDOVER, UT, AND WANTED TO FLY S WHICH WOULD TAKE ME THROUGH R-6405. THE SALT LAKE SECTIONAL CHART INDICATED THAT R-6405 AIRSPACE WENT FROM '100 FT AGL TO FL580.' I TOOK THIS TO MEAN FROM 10000 FT AGL TO 58000 FT IN KEEPING WITH THE CONVENTION OF DROPPING THE LAST 2 ZEROS AS IS INDICATED BY 'FL580' IN SAME PHRASE. THIS CONVENTION IS WIDELY USED IN OTHER FAA AND WX RPTING APPLICATIONS SUCH AS SEQUENCE WX RPTS AND FORECAST CLOUD BASES WHICH ARE ABBREVIATED WITH LAST 2 ZEROS MISSING. IT DOESN'T SEEM LOGICAL TO MIX ALT DENOMINATIONS IN THE SAME PHRASE BECAUSE OF THE CHANCE OF MISTAKE. I SUGGEST USING THE WORDS '100 FT ABOVE GND TO 58000 FT (FL580)' BE USED WHICH WOULD ELIMINATE POSSIBLE CONFUSION.

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.