Narrative:

Flight in aircraft xyz, crew landed with csg tower, tower closed at XZ00 local. Crew unable to reach clearance on ground, took off VFR to contact ZTL. Crew flew after departure 5000 ft heading 180 degrees. Difficulties communicating with center. Once we were talking, I stated, we needed our IFR to dothan, al, 5000 ft heading 180 degrees. Center advised he had no clearance, remain VFR. Our course to dhn kept us just west of restr area 3002. ATC then said radar contact. He showed us either close to or just in the restr area. We immediately turned west. He also suggested a southwest heading. We queried ATC. The controller said it was not a problem. Crew still unsure if we flew through the area, called on phone in dhn. Controller (sector's controller) he said it wasn't a problem and would not press any issue. Also we discussed lack of ground to center reception. Possible contributing factors: west winds stronger than forecasted. Thunderstorms north approaching. Unable to reach by radio on the ground ZTL for clearance. Once airborne in contact with ZTL, they had no clearance on file (initially). During telephone conversation (crew initiated phone call) crew learned that in R-3002 a C172 was operating. He (ZTL) restated they had no problems and believed anyone else in the restr area probably had no problems. We explained our course and actions again and queried where we breached the airspace. The response was it was no problem with ZTL. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that it was the first time that he had flown into this airport and that others had said that the center after tower hours can sometimes be reached on the ground, but not always, it usually takes about 5000 ft above the airport to make center contact. He thought that he would be clear of the restr area since he took off on the northeast runway and turned right staying west of the high towers located on the edge of the restr area. However, since he took up a 180 degree heading and the restr area border runs southwest, he may have penetrated it. He is going to obtain more training and information on a more acceptable way to pick up his flight plan out of csg due to WX could prevent him from taking off VFR and picking up the flight plan. Also be sure that flight plan is on file and he has current WX report for the destination airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A SAAB SF340A (SF34L) INADVERTENTLY PENETRATED A RESTR AREA DURING A NIGHT VFR CLBOUT FROM A NEARBY ARPT AFTER TWR CLOSING TIME. FLC WERE UNABLE TO PICK UP THEIR IFR FLT PLAN VIA RADIO ON THE GND DUE TO TWR CLOSURE AND INABILITY TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE ARTCC. AFTER CONTACTING ARTCC IN THE AIR, THEY WERE ADVISED THAT THERE WAS NO FLT PLAN ON FILE FOR THEM BUT WERE THEN ISSUED ONE FOR THEIR INTENDED FLT.

Narrative: FLT IN ACFT XYZ, CREW LANDED WITH CSG TWR, TWR CLOSED AT XZ00 LCL. CREW UNABLE TO REACH CLRNC ON GND, TOOK OFF VFR TO CONTACT ZTL. CREW FLEW AFTER DEP 5000 FT HDG 180 DEGS. DIFFICULTIES COMMUNICATING WITH CTR. ONCE WE WERE TALKING, I STATED, WE NEEDED OUR IFR TO DOTHAN, AL, 5000 FT HDG 180 DEGS. CTR ADVISED HE HAD NO CLRNC, REMAIN VFR. OUR COURSE TO DHN KEPT US JUST W OF RESTR AREA 3002. ATC THEN SAID RADAR CONTACT. HE SHOWED US EITHER CLOSE TO OR JUST IN THE RESTR AREA. WE IMMEDIATELY TURNED W. HE ALSO SUGGESTED A SW HEADING. WE QUERIED ATC. THE CTLR SAID IT WAS NOT A PROB. CREW STILL UNSURE IF WE FLEW THROUGH THE AREA, CALLED ON PHONE IN DHN. CTLR (SECTOR'S CTLR) HE SAID IT WASN'T A PROB AND WOULD NOT PRESS ANY ISSUE. ALSO WE DISCUSSED LACK OF GND TO CTR RECEPTION. POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: W WINDS STRONGER THAN FORECASTED. TSTMS N APCHING. UNABLE TO REACH BY RADIO ON THE GND ZTL FOR CLRNC. ONCE AIRBORNE IN CONTACT WITH ZTL, THEY HAD NO CLRNC ON FILE (INITIALLY). DURING TELEPHONE CONVERSATION (CREW INITIATED PHONE CALL) CREW LEARNED THAT IN R-3002 A C172 WAS OPERATING. HE (ZTL) RESTATED THEY HAD NO PROBS AND BELIEVED ANYONE ELSE IN THE RESTR AREA PROBABLY HAD NO PROBS. WE EXPLAINED OUR COURSE AND ACTIONS AGAIN AND QUERIED WHERE WE BREACHED THE AIRSPACE. THE RESPONSE WAS IT WAS NO PROB WITH ZTL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT HE HAD FLOWN INTO THIS ARPT AND THAT OTHERS HAD SAID THAT THE CTR AFTER TWR HRS CAN SOMETIMES BE REACHED ON THE GND, BUT NOT ALWAYS, IT USUALLY TAKES ABOUT 5000 FT ABOVE THE ARPT TO MAKE CTR CONTACT. HE THOUGHT THAT HE WOULD BE CLR OF THE RESTR AREA SINCE HE TOOK OFF ON THE NE RWY AND TURNED R STAYING W OF THE HIGH TWRS LOCATED ON THE EDGE OF THE RESTR AREA. HOWEVER, SINCE HE TOOK UP A 180 DEG HDG AND THE RESTR AREA BORDER RUNS SW, HE MAY HAVE PENETRATED IT. HE IS GOING TO OBTAIN MORE TRAINING AND INFO ON A MORE ACCEPTABLE WAY TO PICK UP HIS FLT PLAN OUT OF CSG DUE TO WX COULD PREVENT HIM FROM TAKING OFF VFR AND PICKING UP THE FLT PLAN. ALSO BE SURE THAT FLT PLAN IS ON FILE AND HE HAS CURRENT WX RPT FOR THE DEST ARPT.

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.