Narrative:

Chain of events: on oct/xa/98 at approximately XA15Z, I was en route from rdg to W29 with a non pilot passenger in the right seat. I had filed a VFR flight plan with williamsport FSS prior to departure and opened the flight pan after takeoff from rdg. I requested and received flight following (at 2500 ft) from rdg degree. I was subsequently passed off to harrisburg approach approximately 10 NM north of the susquehana river, radar service was terminated, and a frequency was suggested for further advisories from bwi approach. Initial attempts to reach bwi approach while I was still north of the susquehana river were unsuccessful. By the time I established contact with bei approach, I was approximately 45 mi nnw of my destination airport, as confirmed by LORAN. I was given a squawk code and told to identify. I complied with this instruction, but bwi seemed to have trouble finding me on their radar initially. After a period of silence that lasted approximately 3-4 mins, I received several more requests to identify. When bwi finally was able to establish radar contact, they commanded an immediate turn to a heading of 360 degrees, as I was in restr airspace (R4001B). Subsequent vectors from bwi took me north and then west of the sua before turning me back on course for bay bridge. I was also granted clearance to enter the class B airspace at this time. The bwi approach controller then gave me a phone number to call upon reaching my destination. After landing at bay bridge, I immediately called the number and idented myself to a woman controller, who stated she was one of the approach controllers on duty. I admitted my mistake, explained what I'd done wrong, and was advised how to avoid the affected airspace in the future using local terrain references. I was relieved that controller was very friendly and understanding, while leaving no doubt that what I'd done was potentially extremely dangerous. In a follow up call to ATC about 1/2 hour later, I expressed my concern about a possible enforcement action by the FAA, but was assured that no further action would be taken in this matter. Human performance considerations: this was my first trip to bay bridge as PIC, after several identical trips as a passenger. In retrospect, I realize I should have preceded this flight with a better developed 'game plan.' while I was aware (prior to liftoff) of the restr airspace I would eventually need to transit or circumnav, I allowed myself to become too dependent on the LORAN for navigation information, and spent too little time confirming my position with reference to outside landmarks and my sectional. There was also a VOR at phillipsburg that would have been a good xchk, had I thought to use it. I now realize I should not have proceeded past the south bank of the susquehana river until bwi had me on their radar. My second opportunity to temporarily reverse course or circle was during the brief period of silence while awaiting a call from bwi confirming radar contact. Then they could have cleared me into the class B and over, around, or through the restr airspace. Another alternative would have been to cross the chesapeake bay to the east of the mouth of the river and then proceed south to my destination, while remaining at an altitude that would have allowed me to remain VFR and clear of bwi's class B and the sua. While no one was hurt (except for my pride), and no aircraft were damaged as a result of my mistake, I am fully aware of the potential for disaster in a situation like this. It should be noted that every bwi approach controller I spoke to was professional, friendly, and helpful, and I am very appreciative of their assistance and understanding in this matter. Corrective action: upon my (thankfully uneventful) return to reading that evening, I made it a point to speak to my CFI and have since scheduled some ground sessions to review procedures for transiting and /or avoiding sua's as well as chart interpretation. The lesson learned from this series of events will not soon be forgotten, I can assure you!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PVT PLT IN A C172 PENETRATES RESTR AREA 4001B WHILE AWAITING BWI APCH CTLR'S CONFIRMATION OF HIS ACFT'S POS.

Narrative: CHAIN OF EVENTS: ON OCT/XA/98 AT APPROX XA15Z, I WAS ENRTE FROM RDG TO W29 WITH A NON PLT PAX IN THE R SEAT. I HAD FILED A VFR FLT PLAN WITH WILLIAMSPORT FSS PRIOR TO DEP AND OPENED THE FLT PAN AFTER TKOF FROM RDG. I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED FLT FOLLOWING (AT 2500 FT) FROM RDG DEG. I WAS SUBSEQUENTLY PASSED OFF TO HARRISBURG APCH APPROX 10 NM N OF THE SUSQUEHANA RIVER, RADAR SVC WAS TERMINATED, AND A FREQ WAS SUGGESTED FOR FURTHER ADVISORIES FROM BWI APCH. INITIAL ATTEMPTS TO REACH BWI APCH WHILE I WAS STILL N OF THE SUSQUEHANA RIVER WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. BY THE TIME I ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH BEI APCH, I WAS APPROX 45 MI NNW OF MY DEST ARPT, AS CONFIRMED BY LORAN. I WAS GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE AND TOLD TO IDENT. I COMPLIED WITH THIS INSTRUCTION, BUT BWI SEEMED TO HAVE TROUBLE FINDING ME ON THEIR RADAR INITIALLY. AFTER A PERIOD OF SILENCE THAT LASTED APPROX 3-4 MINS, I RECEIVED SEVERAL MORE REQUESTS TO IDENT. WHEN BWI FINALLY WAS ABLE TO ESTABLISH RADAR CONTACT, THEY COMMANDED AN IMMEDIATE TURN TO A HDG OF 360 DEGS, AS I WAS IN RESTR AIRSPACE (R4001B). SUBSEQUENT VECTORS FROM BWI TOOK ME N AND THEN W OF THE SUA BEFORE TURNING ME BACK ON COURSE FOR BAY BRIDGE. I WAS ALSO GRANTED CLRNC TO ENTER THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AT THIS TIME. THE BWI APCH CTLR THEN GAVE ME A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL UPON REACHING MY DEST. AFTER LNDG AT BAY BRIDGE, I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE NUMBER AND IDENTED MYSELF TO A WOMAN CTLR, WHO STATED SHE WAS ONE OF THE APCH CTLRS ON DUTY. I ADMITTED MY MISTAKE, EXPLAINED WHAT I'D DONE WRONG, AND WAS ADVISED HOW TO AVOID THE AFFECTED AIRSPACE IN THE FUTURE USING LCL TERRAIN REFS. I WAS RELIEVED THAT CTLR WAS VERY FRIENDLY AND UNDERSTANDING, WHILE LEAVING NO DOUBT THAT WHAT I'D DONE WAS POTENTIALLY EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. IN A FOLLOW UP CALL TO ATC ABOUT 1/2 HR LATER, I EXPRESSED MY CONCERN ABOUT A POSSIBLE ENFORCEMENT ACTION BY THE FAA, BUT WAS ASSURED THAT NO FURTHER ACTION WOULD BE TAKEN IN THIS MATTER. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: THIS WAS MY FIRST TRIP TO BAY BRIDGE AS PIC, AFTER SEVERAL IDENTICAL TRIPS AS A PAX. IN RETROSPECT, I REALIZE I SHOULD HAVE PRECEDED THIS FLT WITH A BETTER DEVELOPED 'GAME PLAN.' WHILE I WAS AWARE (PRIOR TO LIFTOFF) OF THE RESTR AIRSPACE I WOULD EVENTUALLY NEED TO TRANSIT OR CIRCUMNAV, I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BECOME TOO DEPENDENT ON THE LORAN FOR NAV INFO, AND SPENT TOO LITTLE TIME CONFIRMING MY POS WITH REF TO OUTSIDE LANDMARKS AND MY SECTIONAL. THERE WAS ALSO A VOR AT PHILLIPSBURG THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A GOOD XCHK, HAD I THOUGHT TO USE IT. I NOW REALIZE I SHOULD NOT HAVE PROCEEDED PAST THE S BANK OF THE SUSQUEHANA RIVER UNTIL BWI HAD ME ON THEIR RADAR. MY SECOND OPPORTUNITY TO TEMPORARILY REVERSE COURSE OR CIRCLE WAS DURING THE BRIEF PERIOD OF SILENCE WHILE AWAITING A CALL FROM BWI CONFIRMING RADAR CONTACT. THEN THEY COULD HAVE CLRED ME INTO THE CLASS B AND OVER, AROUND, OR THROUGH THE RESTR AIRSPACE. ANOTHER ALTERNATIVE WOULD HAVE BEEN TO CROSS THE CHESAPEAKE BAY TO THE E OF THE MOUTH OF THE RIVER AND THEN PROCEED S TO MY DEST, WHILE REMAINING AT AN ALT THAT WOULD HAVE ALLOWED ME TO REMAIN VFR AND CLR OF BWI'S CLASS B AND THE SUA. WHILE NO ONE WAS HURT (EXCEPT FOR MY PRIDE), AND NO ACFT WERE DAMAGED AS A RESULT OF MY MISTAKE, I AM FULLY AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL FOR DISASTER IN A SIT LIKE THIS. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT EVERY BWI APCH CTLR I SPOKE TO WAS PROFESSIONAL, FRIENDLY, AND HELPFUL, AND I AM VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THEIR ASSISTANCE AND UNDERSTANDING IN THIS MATTER. CORRECTIVE ACTION: UPON MY (THANKFULLY UNEVENTFUL) RETURN TO READING THAT EVENING, I MADE IT A POINT TO SPEAK TO MY CFI AND HAVE SINCE SCHEDULED SOME GND SESSIONS TO REVIEW PROCS FOR TRANSITING AND /OR AVOIDING SUA'S AS WELL AS CHART INTERP. THE LESSON LEARNED FROM THIS SERIES OF EVENTS WILL NOT SOON BE FORGOTTEN, I CAN ASSURE YOU!

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.