Narrative:

On nov/xa/98 we (I, the pilot, and my husband the radioman) departed rdg at XA31Z and landed at vuj at XD40Z, the trip under VFR and in ideal VFR conditions. The first portion of the trip was planned direct balance, thence direct ric (except for diversions around restr areas R6611A, R6612, R6613A and R6601). We were cleared through the baltimore-washington class B airspace, maintain 4500 ft. We moved several mi west of the direct balance-ric course to clear R6611A and R6612, then east to pass R6601 on the east side. We were just east of the northeast corner of R6601 when we were directed to make an immediate turn to 270 degrees by an extremely busy washington controller. (Although we were then outside the class B airspace, we were still being directed by washington approach.) he made some reference to 'restr area,' the context of which was lost in noise, then switched us to ric approach but we failed to get the frequency. We were alarmed because we knew that on the 270 degree heading we were going directly into the restr area, we did not know the reason for the 270 degree heading and were scanning for possible conflicting traffic and trying to get the attention of the controller to get the correct ric frequency. By the time we got the frequency we were more than 1/2 way across the restr area. We were quite disturbed at being directed into a restr area. The washington controller was much too busy for us to discuss the matter with him. Our best judgement was that we were only 500 ft below the top of R6601, near its north end, likely not as dangerous a position for us as being in the path of some high speed traffic yet unseen by us. We finally got straightened out with the richmond controller. We do not see what we could have done in this situation other than what we did. A controller's instruction to make an immediate turn to (heading) with no stated reason for the instruction seems to be mandatory unless the pilot sees that it places his aircraft in immediate danger, such as being turned into a nearby cliff or the path of other close traffic. Perhaps had the frequency congestion allowed and we had advised the sector controller in advance that we intended to go west of R6612 and east of R6601, this information would have precluded our incursion into R6601.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT APPARENTLY PENETRATED RESTR AIRSPACE IN THE BWI AREA.

Narrative: ON NOV/XA/98 WE (I, THE PLT, AND MY HUSBAND THE RADIOMAN) DEPARTED RDG AT XA31Z AND LANDED AT VUJ AT XD40Z, THE TRIP UNDER VFR AND IN IDEAL VFR CONDITIONS. THE FIRST PORTION OF THE TRIP WAS PLANNED DIRECT BAL, THENCE DIRECT RIC (EXCEPT FOR DIVERSIONS AROUND RESTR AREAS R6611A, R6612, R6613A AND R6601). WE WERE CLRED THROUGH THE BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON CLASS B AIRSPACE, MAINTAIN 4500 FT. WE MOVED SEVERAL MI W OF THE DIRECT BAL-RIC COURSE TO CLR R6611A AND R6612, THEN E TO PASS R6601 ON THE E SIDE. WE WERE JUST E OF THE NE CORNER OF R6601 WHEN WE WERE DIRECTED TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE TURN TO 270 DEGS BY AN EXTREMELY BUSY WASHINGTON CTLR. (ALTHOUGH WE WERE THEN OUTSIDE THE CLASS B AIRSPACE, WE WERE STILL BEING DIRECTED BY WASHINGTON APCH.) HE MADE SOME REF TO 'RESTR AREA,' THE CONTEXT OF WHICH WAS LOST IN NOISE, THEN SWITCHED US TO RIC APCH BUT WE FAILED TO GET THE FREQ. WE WERE ALARMED BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT ON THE 270 DEG HDG WE WERE GOING DIRECTLY INTO THE RESTR AREA, WE DID NOT KNOW THE REASON FOR THE 270 DEG HDG AND WERE SCANNING FOR POSSIBLE CONFLICTING TFC AND TRYING TO GET THE ATTN OF THE CTLR TO GET THE CORRECT RIC FREQ. BY THE TIME WE GOT THE FREQ WE WERE MORE THAN 1/2 WAY ACROSS THE RESTR AREA. WE WERE QUITE DISTURBED AT BEING DIRECTED INTO A RESTR AREA. THE WASHINGTON CTLR WAS MUCH TOO BUSY FOR US TO DISCUSS THE MATTER WITH HIM. OUR BEST JUDGEMENT WAS THAT WE WERE ONLY 500 FT BELOW THE TOP OF R6601, NEAR ITS N END, LIKELY NOT AS DANGEROUS A POS FOR US AS BEING IN THE PATH OF SOME HIGH SPD TFC YET UNSEEN BY US. WE FINALLY GOT STRAIGHTENED OUT WITH THE RICHMOND CTLR. WE DO NOT SEE WHAT WE COULD HAVE DONE IN THIS SIT OTHER THAN WHAT WE DID. A CTLR'S INSTRUCTION TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE TURN TO (HDG) WITH NO STATED REASON FOR THE INSTRUCTION SEEMS TO BE MANDATORY UNLESS THE PLT SEES THAT IT PLACES HIS ACFT IN IMMEDIATE DANGER, SUCH AS BEING TURNED INTO A NEARBY CLIFF OR THE PATH OF OTHER CLOSE TFC. PERHAPS HAD THE FREQ CONGESTION ALLOWED AND WE HAD ADVISED THE SECTOR CTLR IN ADVANCE THAT WE INTENDED TO GO W OF R6612 AND E OF R6601, THIS INFO WOULD HAVE PRECLUDED OUR INCURSION INTO R6601.

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.