Narrative:

I left sna, flew to palm springs, turned north into restr airspace. This was a mistake that was due to poor preflight planning and complacency. I had intended to turn north to las vegas just after passing a mountain peak northwest of palm springs. When I took off from sna, I was given one frequency after the other that the older radio I had couldn't receive. This was the first time I've departed sna (or any other los angeles airport) since moving to los angeles in october. By the time I got near palm springs the ceiling was too low for me to turn north as planned. So I kept going to where the sky was clear to the north. I then turned north. I was being careful not to fly too near palm springs (which I could just look down and see) and not to fly into a cloud or mountain. Between the stress from leaving the los angeles basin, the lower than expected overcast and looking outside to avoid palm springs, clouds and mountains, I just wasn't paying enough attention to my sectional. Once I had made the turn and things finally seemed under control again, I found myself on the sectional in the restr area. If I had a chance to do it all over again, I would have reviewed more carefully the airspace around my proposed flight path and thought about alternatives if the ceiling was too low. I am also making sure I always have a radio capable of receiving all required frequencys.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A C150 INADVERTENTLY FLEW IN TO A RESTR AREA DUE TO CIRCUMNAVING WX. PLT RECOGNIZED HIS ERROR AND EXITED AT ONCE.

Narrative: I LEFT SNA, FLEW TO PALM SPRINGS, TURNED N INTO RESTR AIRSPACE. THIS WAS A MISTAKE THAT WAS DUE TO POOR PREFLT PLANNING AND COMPLACENCY. I HAD INTENDED TO TURN N TO LAS VEGAS JUST AFTER PASSING A MOUNTAIN PEAK NW OF PALM SPRINGS. WHEN I TOOK OFF FROM SNA, I WAS GIVEN ONE FREQ AFTER THE OTHER THAT THE OLDER RADIO I HAD COULDN'T RECEIVE. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I'VE DEPARTED SNA (OR ANY OTHER LOS ANGELES ARPT) SINCE MOVING TO LOS ANGELES IN OCTOBER. BY THE TIME I GOT NEAR PALM SPRINGS THE CEILING WAS TOO LOW FOR ME TO TURN N AS PLANNED. SO I KEPT GOING TO WHERE THE SKY WAS CLR TO THE N. I THEN TURNED N. I WAS BEING CAREFUL NOT TO FLY TOO NEAR PALM SPRINGS (WHICH I COULD JUST LOOK DOWN AND SEE) AND NOT TO FLY INTO A CLOUD OR MOUNTAIN. BTWN THE STRESS FROM LEAVING THE LOS ANGELES BASIN, THE LOWER THAN EXPECTED OVCST AND LOOKING OUTSIDE TO AVOID PALM SPRINGS, CLOUDS AND MOUNTAINS, I JUST WASN'T PAYING ENOUGH ATTN TO MY SECTIONAL. ONCE I HAD MADE THE TURN AND THINGS FINALLY SEEMED UNDER CTL AGAIN, I FOUND MYSELF ON THE SECTIONAL IN THE RESTR AREA. IF I HAD A CHANCE TO DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN, I WOULD HAVE REVIEWED MORE CAREFULLY THE AIRSPACE AROUND MY PROPOSED FLT PATH AND THOUGHT ABOUT ALTERNATIVES IF THE CEILING WAS TOO LOW. I AM ALSO MAKING SURE I ALWAYS HAVE A RADIO CAPABLE OF RECEIVING ALL REQUIRED FREQS.

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.