Narrative:

I was on a VFR cross country flight from 4nc7 (raleigh, nc) to W95 (ocracoke, nc). A direct course goes through restr area R5306A. I planned to fly a route that would keep me clear of this airspace. I called cherry point approach control to check on the status of this restr area to see if it was active. This call occurred approximately 40 NM west of the restr area. Cherry point approach told me that the restr area was active but that it would become inactive shortly. I replied that I would change course to proceed directly to W95 if they could guarantee me that it would be inactive when I got there. They could not guarantee this, so I continued on my present course to go around R5306A. About 10 or 12 mins later, I called cherry point approach again to check on the status of R5306A. This time they said that it was inactive. I then proceeded direct to W95 and stayed on cherry point approach's frequency. About 5 mi from ocracoke, I called cherry point approach to ask them for their surface winds at cherry point. They gave me the winds and asked me to squawk identify. I don't know if I was too low for them to identify me or not but they said that I may have been in restr area R5306A. At this time I was approaching to land and I don't know if they could hear me but I could still hear them. I repeated that they told me that R5306A was inactive and they replied that even though it was, that I still needed permission to enter the airspace. I thanked them and proceeded to land. The rest of the flight was uneventful. Later that evening, I called the supervisor at cherry point approach to discuss the situation with him. He was very nice and helpful and said that he felt that, although it was a common misconception among many pilots, that one needed permission to enter a restr area even though it was inactive.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C180 PLT ENTERED RESTR AIRSPACE AFTER MIL CTLR TOLD HIM THE AIRSPACE WAS NOT IN USE.

Narrative: I WAS ON A VFR XCOUNTRY FLT FROM 4NC7 (RALEIGH, NC) TO W95 (OCRACOKE, NC). A DIRECT COURSE GOES THROUGH RESTR AREA R5306A. I PLANNED TO FLY A RTE THAT WOULD KEEP ME CLR OF THIS AIRSPACE. I CALLED CHERRY POINT APCH CTL TO CHK ON THE STATUS OF THIS RESTR AREA TO SEE IF IT WAS ACTIVE. THIS CALL OCCURRED APPROX 40 NM W OF THE RESTR AREA. CHERRY POINT APCH TOLD ME THAT THE RESTR AREA WAS ACTIVE BUT THAT IT WOULD BECOME INACTIVE SHORTLY. I REPLIED THAT I WOULD CHANGE COURSE TO PROCEED DIRECTLY TO W95 IF THEY COULD GUARANTEE ME THAT IT WOULD BE INACTIVE WHEN I GOT THERE. THEY COULD NOT GUARANTEE THIS, SO I CONTINUED ON MY PRESENT COURSE TO GO AROUND R5306A. ABOUT 10 OR 12 MINS LATER, I CALLED CHERRY POINT APCH AGAIN TO CHK ON THE STATUS OF R5306A. THIS TIME THEY SAID THAT IT WAS INACTIVE. I THEN PROCEEDED DIRECT TO W95 AND STAYED ON CHERRY POINT APCH'S FREQ. ABOUT 5 MI FROM OCRACOKE, I CALLED CHERRY POINT APCH TO ASK THEM FOR THEIR SURFACE WINDS AT CHERRY POINT. THEY GAVE ME THE WINDS AND ASKED ME TO SQUAWK IDENT. I DON'T KNOW IF I WAS TOO LOW FOR THEM TO IDENT ME OR NOT BUT THEY SAID THAT I MAY HAVE BEEN IN RESTR AREA R5306A. AT THIS TIME I WAS APCHING TO LAND AND I DON'T KNOW IF THEY COULD HEAR ME BUT I COULD STILL HEAR THEM. I REPEATED THAT THEY TOLD ME THAT R5306A WAS INACTIVE AND THEY REPLIED THAT EVEN THOUGH IT WAS, THAT I STILL NEEDED PERMISSION TO ENTER THE AIRSPACE. I THANKED THEM AND PROCEEDED TO LAND. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. LATER THAT EVENING, I CALLED THE SUPVR AT CHERRY POINT APCH TO DISCUSS THE SIT WITH HIM. HE WAS VERY NICE AND HELPFUL AND SAID THAT HE FELT THAT, ALTHOUGH IT WAS A COMMON MISCONCEPTION AMONG MANY PLTS, THAT ONE NEEDED PERMISSION TO ENTER A RESTR AREA EVEN THOUGH IT WAS INACTIVE.

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.