Narrative:

I was on a night VFR trip from allentown, PA, to richmond, va. I have a garmin GPS model 155 and was using this device for direct flight between both cities. In my preflight planning, I doublechked all sua's to be sure I would not fly through any restr airspace. It was a particularly clear night, no reported WX of any kind, so I elected to go without flight following at 10500 ft. The flight was uneventful until landing in richmond when I was asked to call the tower. I was asked to call bwi approach control, who informed me I had violated restr airspace 4001A which was active. I was instructed to call the range officer at aberdeen proving grounds who explained to me they had to stop their aerial bombing because of my aircraft intrusion into their airspace. Needless to say, this was a great inconvenience for them and a humiliating experience for myself. The next day, I went back to my chart L28/L27 to see what mistake I had made. At first I still didn't see my error and then it dawned on me. What I saw was 'unlimited to 10000 ft higher by NOTAM' when actually this was 2 lines of information 'unlimited cont XA00 - XB00' and to '10000 cont XB00 - XA00.' I simply did not read far enough to the right to see the different times for each item. I have reviewed my charting skills for sua in detail since this incident to prevent this from ever happening again! I would like to make a suggestion to prevent someone else from making this same mistake in the future. Put a line between each item. This would prevent anyone from even remotely making this mistake again. I realize that if I had been more diligent in my initial reading of the chart I would not have had this problem. However, anything that can be done to clarify charts is to everyone's benefit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF MOONEY M20K INCURS RESTR AREA OVER PPM VOR.

Narrative: I WAS ON A NIGHT VFR TRIP FROM ALLENTOWN, PA, TO RICHMOND, VA. I HAVE A GARMIN GPS MODEL 155 AND WAS USING THIS DEVICE FOR DIRECT FLT BTWN BOTH CITIES. IN MY PREFLT PLANNING, I DOUBLECHKED ALL SUA'S TO BE SURE I WOULD NOT FLY THROUGH ANY RESTR AIRSPACE. IT WAS A PARTICULARLY CLR NIGHT, NO RPTED WX OF ANY KIND, SO I ELECTED TO GO WITHOUT FLT FOLLOWING AT 10500 FT. THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL UNTIL LNDG IN RICHMOND WHEN I WAS ASKED TO CALL THE TWR. I WAS ASKED TO CALL BWI APCH CTL, WHO INFORMED ME I HAD VIOLATED RESTR AIRSPACE 4001A WHICH WAS ACTIVE. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO CALL THE RANGE OFFICER AT ABERDEEN PROVING GROUNDS WHO EXPLAINED TO ME THEY HAD TO STOP THEIR AERIAL BOMBING BECAUSE OF MY ACFT INTRUSION INTO THEIR AIRSPACE. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THIS WAS A GREAT INCONVENIENCE FOR THEM AND A HUMILIATING EXPERIENCE FOR MYSELF. THE NEXT DAY, I WENT BACK TO MY CHART L28/L27 TO SEE WHAT MISTAKE I HAD MADE. AT FIRST I STILL DIDN'T SEE MY ERROR AND THEN IT DAWNED ON ME. WHAT I SAW WAS 'UNLIMITED TO 10000 FT HIGHER BY NOTAM' WHEN ACTUALLY THIS WAS 2 LINES OF INFO 'UNLIMITED CONT XA00 - XB00' AND TO '10000 CONT XB00 - XA00.' I SIMPLY DID NOT READ FAR ENOUGH TO THE R TO SEE THE DIFFERENT TIMES FOR EACH ITEM. I HAVE REVIEWED MY CHARTING SKILLS FOR SUA IN DETAIL SINCE THIS INCIDENT TO PREVENT THIS FROM EVER HAPPENING AGAIN! I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A SUGGESTION TO PREVENT SOMEONE ELSE FROM MAKING THIS SAME MISTAKE IN THE FUTURE. PUT A LINE BTWN EACH ITEM. THIS WOULD PREVENT ANYONE FROM EVEN REMOTELY MAKING THIS MISTAKE AGAIN. I REALIZE THAT IF I HAD BEEN MORE DILIGENT IN MY INITIAL READING OF THE CHART I WOULD NOT HAVE HAD THIS PROB. HOWEVER, ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE TO CLARIFY CHARTS IS TO EVERYONE'S BENEFIT.

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.