Narrative:

En route from the east coast to saf, NM, at FL430, ZDV descended us to FL350. We were given the option of descending from FL350 or waiting for eastbound traffic to pass underneath us. Due to thunderstorms 80-100 NM northeast of saf and building cumulus 50-70 NM northeast, I opted for a delayed descent. The resulting descent and deviation around WX into saf left us north of the airport, but too high to maneuver for a straight-in visual approach to runway 20, the runway in use. Other traffic was on left base and just south of the airport. We reported the runway in sight when about 10-12 NM nnw of saf (after deviating around a thunderstorm and building cumulus clouds). ZAB cleared us for a visual descent and approach. We indicated we needed to make a 360 degree turn, or some portion thereof, for descent. ZAB said a turn left or right was ok. I was the PIC and PNF. The PF, my copilot, opted for a 270 degree turn to the right. I concurred, though a left turn for maneuvering was my preference. But, I saw no reason a r-hand turn would not work. Our altitude was probably 11500 ft MSL, descending. Saf is 6345 ft. MSA from saf VOR is 13700 ft northeast, 11900 ft northwest. I advised ZAB accordingly of our turn and told us to contact saf tower. Soon after entry into the r-hand turn, TCASII traffic appeared on our navigation display and turned a solid blue diamond, followed quickly by turning amber with the accompanying aural 'traffic' alert. I immediately acquired the white, high wing cessna approaching our 12 - 1 O'clock position in the turn, about 1 1/2 NM distance, and about 1500 ft below us. We slowed out descent, straightened out our turn, and maneuvered comfortably, without any problem, above and behind (west off) the east to nebound cessna. I advised ZAB of the TCASII traffic and they said it had just popped up. My estimate of his altitude was about 8500-9000 ft. During our maneuvering west and north of the traffic, I lost visual contact with him, but continued to observe him on TCASII. We continued our descent and right turn reference to the traffic and I subsequently acquired him visually. Upon passing through his altitude, and approximately 3 NM west of him, we increased our right turn toward the airport. I called santa flight engineer tower while still in the northbound portion of our turn, reported about 12 NM north (I was really more northwest), and received instructions to report a 4 mi right base. We landed uneventfully on runway 20. While taxiing to the ramp, tower said we could '...call los alamos, if we wanted to,' and he gave us a phone number. After deplaning our passenger and calling in arrival numbers to my company, I began to dial the number for los alamos, realizing I did not know its area code. As I was about to ask the FBO's receptionist, I heard her repeat our registration number to a caller on the phone. She xferred the call to me and I was now talking to los alamos. The first question the caller wanted to know was why we were flying over los alamos restr airspace and what was that 'protuberance' sticking out the back of our airplane. I asked when this penetration of airspace occurred, and he replied '...about 15 mins ago.' I asked if los alamos was north of santa flight engineer and he answered in the affirmative. I told him I was not aware I had done so, but I did not argue about whether I did or not. I acknowledged I had probably inadvertently flown through R5101, the reason being our maneuvering further to the north and northwest than originally planned, due to safely maneuvering around the TCASII traffic. He informed me the cessna was a white caravan at 8500 ft MSL moving east or northeast. The caller's primary concern seemed to be in regards to '...that big antenna extending off the back of your airplane.' I informed him we only had standard avionics antennas on the aircraft, a normal tail cone, and some static wicks, but nothing unusual. Then, I remembered the satcom antenna on top of the vertical stabilizer. Maybe, in a turn, that looked like the 'protuberance' (a phrase I believe he used) in question. His manner turned more polite and there did not seem to be any questions he had that we did not resolve. I apologized for my unwitting, inadvertent penetration of los alamos restr airspace. I asked if he required any written response from me, and if he was going to pursue the matter beyond this conversation. He said 'no.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A PVT MLG INADVERTENTLY ENTERED RESTR AIRSPACE DURING A VISUAL DSCNT FOR LNDG.

Narrative: ENRTE FROM THE EAST COAST TO SAF, NM, AT FL430, ZDV DSNDED US TO FL350. WE WERE GIVEN THE OPTION OF DSNDING FROM FL350 OR WAITING FOR EBOUND TFC TO PASS UNDERNEATH US. DUE TO TSTMS 80-100 NM NE OF SAF AND BUILDING CUMULUS 50-70 NM NE, I OPTED FOR A DELAYED DSCNT. THE RESULTING DSCNT AND DEV AROUND WX INTO SAF LEFT US N OF THE ARPT, BUT TOO HIGH TO MANEUVER FOR A STRAIGHT-IN VISUAL APCH TO RWY 20, THE RWY IN USE. OTHER TFC WAS ON L BASE AND JUST S OF THE ARPT. WE RPTED THE RWY IN SIGHT WHEN ABOUT 10-12 NM NNW OF SAF (AFTER DEVIATING AROUND A TSTM AND BUILDING CUMULUS CLOUDS). ZAB CLRED US FOR A VISUAL DSCNT AND APCH. WE INDICATED WE NEEDED TO MAKE A 360 DEG TURN, OR SOME PORTION THEREOF, FOR DSCNT. ZAB SAID A TURN L OR R WAS OK. I WAS THE PIC AND PNF. THE PF, MY COPLT, OPTED FOR A 270 DEG TURN TO THE R. I CONCURRED, THOUGH A L TURN FOR MANEUVERING WAS MY PREFERENCE. BUT, I SAW NO REASON A R-HAND TURN WOULD NOT WORK. OUR ALT WAS PROBABLY 11500 FT MSL, DSNDING. SAF IS 6345 FT. MSA FROM SAF VOR IS 13700 FT NE, 11900 FT NW. I ADVISED ZAB ACCORDINGLY OF OUR TURN AND TOLD US TO CONTACT SAF TWR. SOON AFTER ENTRY INTO THE R-HAND TURN, TCASII TFC APPEARED ON OUR NAV DISPLAY AND TURNED A SOLID BLUE DIAMOND, FOLLOWED QUICKLY BY TURNING AMBER WITH THE ACCOMPANYING AURAL 'TFC' ALERT. I IMMEDIATELY ACQUIRED THE WHITE, HIGH WING CESSNA APCHING OUR 12 - 1 O'CLOCK POS IN THE TURN, ABOUT 1 1/2 NM DISTANCE, AND ABOUT 1500 FT BELOW US. WE SLOWED OUT DSCNT, STRAIGHTENED OUT OUR TURN, AND MANEUVERED COMFORTABLY, WITHOUT ANY PROB, ABOVE AND BEHIND (W OFF) THE E TO NEBOUND CESSNA. I ADVISED ZAB OF THE TCASII TFC AND THEY SAID IT HAD JUST POPPED UP. MY ESTIMATE OF HIS ALT WAS ABOUT 8500-9000 FT. DURING OUR MANEUVERING W AND N OF THE TFC, I LOST VISUAL CONTACT WITH HIM, BUT CONTINUED TO OBSERVE HIM ON TCASII. WE CONTINUED OUR DSCNT AND R TURN REF TO THE TFC AND I SUBSEQUENTLY ACQUIRED HIM VISUALLY. UPON PASSING THROUGH HIS ALT, AND APPROX 3 NM W OF HIM, WE INCREASED OUR R TURN TOWARD THE ARPT. I CALLED SANTA FE TWR WHILE STILL IN THE NBOUND PORTION OF OUR TURN, RPTED ABOUT 12 NM N (I WAS REALLY MORE NW), AND RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS TO RPT A 4 MI R BASE. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY ON RWY 20. WHILE TAXIING TO THE RAMP, TWR SAID WE COULD '...CALL LOS ALAMOS, IF WE WANTED TO,' AND HE GAVE US A PHONE NUMBER. AFTER DEPLANING OUR PAX AND CALLING IN ARR NUMBERS TO MY COMPANY, I BEGAN TO DIAL THE NUMBER FOR LOS ALAMOS, REALIZING I DID NOT KNOW ITS AREA CODE. AS I WAS ABOUT TO ASK THE FBO'S RECEPTIONIST, I HEARD HER REPEAT OUR REGISTRATION NUMBER TO A CALLER ON THE PHONE. SHE XFERRED THE CALL TO ME AND I WAS NOW TALKING TO LOS ALAMOS. THE FIRST QUESTION THE CALLER WANTED TO KNOW WAS WHY WE WERE FLYING OVER LOS ALAMOS RESTR AIRSPACE AND WHAT WAS THAT 'PROTUBERANCE' STICKING OUT THE BACK OF OUR AIRPLANE. I ASKED WHEN THIS PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE OCCURRED, AND HE REPLIED '...ABOUT 15 MINS AGO.' I ASKED IF LOS ALAMOS WAS N OF SANTA FE AND HE ANSWERED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. I TOLD HIM I WAS NOT AWARE I HAD DONE SO, BUT I DID NOT ARGUE ABOUT WHETHER I DID OR NOT. I ACKNOWLEDGED I HAD PROBABLY INADVERTENTLY FLOWN THROUGH R5101, THE REASON BEING OUR MANEUVERING FURTHER TO THE N AND NW THAN ORIGINALLY PLANNED, DUE TO SAFELY MANEUVERING AROUND THE TCASII TFC. HE INFORMED ME THE CESSNA WAS A WHITE CARAVAN AT 8500 FT MSL MOVING E OR NE. THE CALLER'S PRIMARY CONCERN SEEMED TO BE IN REGARDS TO '...THAT BIG ANTENNA EXTENDING OFF THE BACK OF YOUR AIRPLANE.' I INFORMED HIM WE ONLY HAD STANDARD AVIONICS ANTENNAS ON THE ACFT, A NORMAL TAIL CONE, AND SOME STATIC WICKS, BUT NOTHING UNUSUAL. THEN, I REMEMBERED THE SATCOM ANTENNA ON TOP OF THE VERT STABILIZER. MAYBE, IN A TURN, THAT LOOKED LIKE THE 'PROTUBERANCE' (A PHRASE I BELIEVE HE USED) IN QUESTION. HIS MANNER TURNED MORE POLITE AND THERE DID NOT SEEM TO BE ANY QUESTIONS HE HAD THAT WE DID NOT RESOLVE. I APOLOGIZED FOR MY UNWITTING, INADVERTENT PENETRATION OF LOS ALAMOS RESTR AIRSPACE. I ASKED IF HE REQUIRED ANY WRITTEN RESPONSE FROM ME, AND IF HE WAS GOING TO PURSUE THE MATTER BEYOND THIS CONVERSATION. HE SAID 'NO.'

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.