Narrative:

I was PIC of R22 helicopter and flew into a temporary restr area jul/xx/97. The restr area was established to control air traffic around the site of an oil rig explosion near pearsall, tx, and was placed in effect by ZHU at or below 2000 ft AGL within 5 NM of the cotulla VOR 351 degree radial at 24 mi. I did not receive a flight service or duats briefing the morning of the flight and having flown into the area the previous morning, I embarked upon my flight unaware the restr area was in effect. I completed 2 half orbits of the oil rig fire site, then continued a 360 degree turn around the location for the purposes of taking pictures for television in san antonio, tx, where I am employed as a reporter. My altitude was never below 400 ft AGL, and at no time was I closer than 1/4 to 1/2 mi from the fire (most of the time I was 1 mi or more). I was on station there for approximately 4 mins. I departed to the northeast, toward san antonio, and almost immediately received a page via my alpha- numeric pager. The message was from the newsroom assignment desk informing me I had violated a no-fly zone. Upon arrival at san antonio international airport, I was asked by ATC to contact the TRACON supervisor, which I did. I idented myself as the pilot of the helicopter and was asked if I had overflown the oil rig fire. I did not confirm, or deny the nature of my operations, but indicated had I been involved in such an undertaking, I would certainly be sorry for any trouble the flight might have caused, and most assuredly would not return to the site until the restrs were lifted. The TRACON supervisor said that assurance was good enough for him, and he would not push the matter. A trooper with the texas department of public safety called the newsroom that afternoon and inquired of the station's helicopter operations, and the assignment editor acknowledged I was the pilot of the aircraft in question. The trooper requested I call him. I have declined conversation with him on the matter, lest I incriminate myself. I checked with flight service at the conclusion of my flight, and was apprised of the location and dimensions of the flight restrs, and told they had been in effect for nearly 24 hours. Subsequent to that, I requested a duats briefing to obtain a hard copy of the flight restr area for my records, and was unable to download the fdc NOTAM from the system. It is of little consolation to know that a full 2 days after the restr entered the system, it was not available on duats, the service I use almost exclusively for WX briefings, and NOTAM review. While I am a fairly experienced fixed wing pilot, with 2400 hours logged, I am new to helicopter operations (about 150 hours) and certainly uninitiated in many areas of helicopter television news gathering. I should have known that a fire site such as the one would have been restr soon after news helicopters began buzzing the area. Instead of blindly heading to the scene, simply because I'd done so the day before without incident, I should have checked applicable NOTAMS. I did not. I was remiss. But ironically had I checked, I feel certain the fdc NOTAM would not have been included in my duats briefing.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF TV NEWS HELI ENTERS TEMPORARY RESTR AREA OF OIL RIG EXPLOSION. NOTAM NOT AVAILABLE ON DUAT 2 DAYS AFTER FLT.

Narrative: I WAS PIC OF R22 HELI AND FLEW INTO A TEMPORARY RESTR AREA JUL/XX/97. THE RESTR AREA WAS ESTABLISHED TO CTL AIR TFC AROUND THE SITE OF AN OIL RIG EXPLOSION NEAR PEARSALL, TX, AND WAS PLACED IN EFFECT BY ZHU AT OR BELOW 2000 FT AGL WITHIN 5 NM OF THE COTULLA VOR 351 DEG RADIAL AT 24 MI. I DID NOT RECEIVE A FLT SVC OR DUATS BRIEFING THE MORNING OF THE FLT AND HAVING FLOWN INTO THE AREA THE PREVIOUS MORNING, I EMBARKED UPON MY FLT UNAWARE THE RESTR AREA WAS IN EFFECT. I COMPLETED 2 HALF ORBITS OF THE OIL RIG FIRE SITE, THEN CONTINUED A 360 DEG TURN AROUND THE LOCATION FOR THE PURPOSES OF TAKING PICTURES FOR TELEVISION IN SAN ANTONIO, TX, WHERE I AM EMPLOYED AS A RPTR. MY ALT WAS NEVER BELOW 400 FT AGL, AND AT NO TIME WAS I CLOSER THAN 1/4 TO 1/2 MI FROM THE FIRE (MOST OF THE TIME I WAS 1 MI OR MORE). I WAS ON STATION THERE FOR APPROX 4 MINS. I DEPARTED TO THE NE, TOWARD SAN ANTONIO, AND ALMOST IMMEDIATELY RECEIVED A PAGE VIA MY ALPHA- NUMERIC PAGER. THE MESSAGE WAS FROM THE NEWSROOM ASSIGNMENT DESK INFORMING ME I HAD VIOLATED A NO-FLY ZONE. UPON ARR AT SAN ANTONIO INTL ARPT, I WAS ASKED BY ATC TO CONTACT THE TRACON SUPVR, WHICH I DID. I IDENTED MYSELF AS THE PLT OF THE HELI AND WAS ASKED IF I HAD OVERFLOWN THE OIL RIG FIRE. I DID NOT CONFIRM, OR DENY THE NATURE OF MY OPS, BUT INDICATED HAD I BEEN INVOLVED IN SUCH AN UNDERTAKING, I WOULD CERTAINLY BE SORRY FOR ANY TROUBLE THE FLT MIGHT HAVE CAUSED, AND MOST ASSUREDLY WOULD NOT RETURN TO THE SITE UNTIL THE RESTRS WERE LIFTED. THE TRACON SUPVR SAID THAT ASSURANCE WAS GOOD ENOUGH FOR HIM, AND HE WOULD NOT PUSH THE MATTER. A TROOPER WITH THE TEXAS DEPT OF PUBLIC SAFETY CALLED THE NEWSROOM THAT AFTERNOON AND INQUIRED OF THE STATION'S HELI OPS, AND THE ASSIGNMENT EDITOR ACKNOWLEDGED I WAS THE PLT OF THE ACFT IN QUESTION. THE TROOPER REQUESTED I CALL HIM. I HAVE DECLINED CONVERSATION WITH HIM ON THE MATTER, LEST I INCRIMINATE MYSELF. I CHKED WITH FLT SVC AT THE CONCLUSION OF MY FLT, AND WAS APPRISED OF THE LOCATION AND DIMENSIONS OF THE FLT RESTRS, AND TOLD THEY HAD BEEN IN EFFECT FOR NEARLY 24 HRS. SUBSEQUENT TO THAT, I REQUESTED A DUATS BRIEFING TO OBTAIN A HARD COPY OF THE FLT RESTR AREA FOR MY RECORDS, AND WAS UNABLE TO DOWNLOAD THE FDC NOTAM FROM THE SYS. IT IS OF LITTLE CONSOLATION TO KNOW THAT A FULL 2 DAYS AFTER THE RESTR ENTERED THE SYS, IT WAS NOT AVAILABLE ON DUATS, THE SVC I USE ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY FOR WX BRIEFINGS, AND NOTAM REVIEW. WHILE I AM A FAIRLY EXPERIENCED FIXED WING PLT, WITH 2400 HRS LOGGED, I AM NEW TO HELI OPS (ABOUT 150 HRS) AND CERTAINLY UNINITIATED IN MANY AREAS OF HELI TELEVISION NEWS GATHERING. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT A FIRE SITE SUCH AS THE ONE WOULD HAVE BEEN RESTR SOON AFTER NEWS HELIS BEGAN BUZZING THE AREA. INSTEAD OF BLINDLY HEADING TO THE SCENE, SIMPLY BECAUSE I'D DONE SO THE DAY BEFORE WITHOUT INCIDENT, I SHOULD HAVE CHKED APPLICABLE NOTAMS. I DID NOT. I WAS REMISS. BUT IRONICALLY HAD I CHKED, I FEEL CERTAIN THE FDC NOTAM WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN MY DUATS BRIEFING.

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.