Narrative:

On the morning of jun/xa/97 at XA00, I departed 48V using runway 15. I was flying my piper colt (PA22-108). On board was 1 passenger whom I was taking on a sight-seeing tour over downtown denver. I climbed to approximately 6800 ft MSL maintaining a heading of 170-180 degrees. I reached the downtown area at approximately XA20. I made a 180 degree turn toward the west (over mile high stadium) to a heading of approximately 000 degrees. I flew for several mins at this heading and during a normal traffic scan I saw a large, turbine pwred, flat black helicopter. The helicopter was at my altitude at approximately 40-50 yards distance. The helicopter was behind me at a heading of approximately 250 degrees. Someone in the helicopter was holding a sign out of the door with a radio frequency written on it. The card was hard to read at that distance due to the nature of the printing on the card. I could read 132.-- but could not read the 2 final digits. While I was trying to dial different frequencys around 132 and transmitting, the helicopter disappeared from my view and I did not see it again till I landed at 48V on my return. I performed several shallow clearing turns at this time (looking for the helicopter, but not wanting to turn into it if it was behind me) and did not see it. By this time I had guessed what had happened, ie, the denver airspace must have been restr. I assumed that since I could not see the helicopter, they had escorted me out of the airspace and returned to patrol over denver. I also assumed that my n- number had been recorded and I would check with the FAA at my first opportunity. I proceeded on my northerly heading until I was north of 48V where I made a turn to the northwest and flew toward the foothills. When I had come within a few mi of the foothills, I turned back to the southeast and proceeded back to 48V where I made a normal right downwind entry for runway 15. While announcing on 48V unicom frequency, I heard a helicopter announce in the pattern and recognized it when landing as the one I had seen. I exited the airplane and walked over to meet the armed personnel who had gotten out of the helicopter. They asked for my identify and pilot's license and questioned me as to my purpose in the flight and etc. They informed me that there was indeed a restr and that I had violated the airspace. I talked to various personnel over a period of approximately 1 1/2 hours at which time I was told that I was free to go and was through with them and that I would be hearing from the FAA early this week. Contributing factors: the main contributing factor in this incident was my failure to check NOTAMS before the flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA22 PLT FLEW OVER DENVER WITHOUT CHKING THE NOTAMS AND PENETRATED A TEMPORARY RESTR AREA. THIS ATTRACTED THE ATTN OF A MIL HELI THAT FOLLOWED HIM BACK TO HIS HOME ARPT AND COPIED HIS CREDENTIALS.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING OF JUN/XA/97 AT XA00, I DEPARTED 48V USING RWY 15. I WAS FLYING MY PIPER COLT (PA22-108). ON BOARD WAS 1 PAX WHOM I WAS TAKING ON A SIGHT-SEEING TOUR OVER DOWNTOWN DENVER. I CLBED TO APPROX 6800 FT MSL MAINTAINING A HDG OF 170-180 DEGS. I REACHED THE DOWNTOWN AREA AT APPROX XA20. I MADE A 180 DEG TURN TOWARD THE W (OVER MILE HIGH STADIUM) TO A HDG OF APPROX 000 DEGS. I FLEW FOR SEVERAL MINS AT THIS HDG AND DURING A NORMAL TFC SCAN I SAW A LARGE, TURBINE PWRED, FLAT BLACK HELI. THE HELI WAS AT MY ALT AT APPROX 40-50 YARDS DISTANCE. THE HELI WAS BEHIND ME AT A HDG OF APPROX 250 DEGS. SOMEONE IN THE HELI WAS HOLDING A SIGN OUT OF THE DOOR WITH A RADIO FREQ WRITTEN ON IT. THE CARD WAS HARD TO READ AT THAT DISTANCE DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE PRINTING ON THE CARD. I COULD READ 132.-- BUT COULD NOT READ THE 2 FINAL DIGITS. WHILE I WAS TRYING TO DIAL DIFFERENT FREQS AROUND 132 AND XMITTING, THE HELI DISAPPEARED FROM MY VIEW AND I DID NOT SEE IT AGAIN TILL I LANDED AT 48V ON MY RETURN. I PERFORMED SEVERAL SHALLOW CLRING TURNS AT THIS TIME (LOOKING FOR THE HELI, BUT NOT WANTING TO TURN INTO IT IF IT WAS BEHIND ME) AND DID NOT SEE IT. BY THIS TIME I HAD GUESSED WHAT HAD HAPPENED, IE, THE DENVER AIRSPACE MUST HAVE BEEN RESTR. I ASSUMED THAT SINCE I COULD NOT SEE THE HELI, THEY HAD ESCORTED ME OUT OF THE AIRSPACE AND RETURNED TO PATROL OVER DENVER. I ALSO ASSUMED THAT MY N- NUMBER HAD BEEN RECORDED AND I WOULD CHK WITH THE FAA AT MY FIRST OPPORTUNITY. I PROCEEDED ON MY NORTHERLY HDG UNTIL I WAS N OF 48V WHERE I MADE A TURN TO THE NW AND FLEW TOWARD THE FOOTHILLS. WHEN I HAD COME WITHIN A FEW MI OF THE FOOTHILLS, I TURNED BACK TO THE SE AND PROCEEDED BACK TO 48V WHERE I MADE A NORMAL R DOWNWIND ENTRY FOR RWY 15. WHILE ANNOUNCING ON 48V UNICOM FREQ, I HEARD A HELI ANNOUNCE IN THE PATTERN AND RECOGNIZED IT WHEN LNDG AS THE ONE I HAD SEEN. I EXITED THE AIRPLANE AND WALKED OVER TO MEET THE ARMED PERSONNEL WHO HAD GOTTEN OUT OF THE HELI. THEY ASKED FOR MY IDENT AND PLT'S LICENSE AND QUESTIONED ME AS TO MY PURPOSE IN THE FLT AND ETC. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS INDEED A RESTR AND THAT I HAD VIOLATED THE AIRSPACE. I TALKED TO VARIOUS PERSONNEL OVER A PERIOD OF APPROX 1 1/2 HRS AT WHICH TIME I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS FREE TO GO AND WAS THROUGH WITH THEM AND THAT I WOULD BE HEARING FROM THE FAA EARLY THIS WK. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: THE MAIN CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN THIS INCIDENT WAS MY FAILURE TO CHK NOTAMS BEFORE THE FLT.

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.