Narrative:

The flight from cambridge, md, to selfridge, mi, ng base was planned to be direct tol with a turn to the north to reach selfridge using the VFR GPS installed in the aircraft. As right seater, my jobs included coordinating radio communications and navigation. All went well until we were approaching toledo, talking to tol approach (I think). We were approximately 40-50 mi east of tol when the PIC decided to detour direct to selfridge. We had been discussing the possibility of doing this as we had been suffering strong headwinds throughout the flight. Now, with the WX clear (scattered 4500 ft, 10+ mi) it seemed like a good idea. As instructed, I asked tol if we could go direct selfridge and was given the ok. The PIC, upon hearing this transmission, turned north to what, by dead reckoning, would be an approximately course to selfridge. Meanwhile, I was re-establishing a new waypoint and otherwise working with the GPS (panel mounted non moving map) and the sectional charts. It took me a couple of mins to get everything sorted out and when I did, I discovered we had clipped the edge of a restr area. At the time we were receiving flight following. At no time before, during, or after this airspace violation did any controller say anything referencing the restr area, and I have no idea whether it was 'hot' or not. The fact remains that we did not have a specific clearance to enter. At this point, I assume it was cold, but in the part of the country I normally fly in (northeast) it is common practice to notify the aircraft of the status of restr airspace, hot, cold, or otherwise. In retrospect, I was somewhat unfamiliar with the operation of this particular GPS model, and as such, was slow at completing the required tasks. Also, in as much as it had been a non complicated flight (good WX, and we had been following one course for over 3 yrs), I was rather complacent about following along and keeping track of our exact position. Further, the change in flight plan should have taken into account the time necessary for me to make the changes. All in all, lack of adequate planning.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NORTH AMERICAN B25 CLIPPED THE CORNER OF RESTR AIRSPACE R5502 WHILE FLYING A DIRECT CROSS TO TOLEDO, OH.

Narrative: THE FLT FROM CAMBRIDGE, MD, TO SELFRIDGE, MI, NG BASE WAS PLANNED TO BE DIRECT TOL WITH A TURN TO THE N TO REACH SELFRIDGE USING THE VFR GPS INSTALLED IN THE ACFT. AS R SEATER, MY JOBS INCLUDED COORDINATING RADIO COMS AND NAV. ALL WENT WELL UNTIL WE WERE APCHING TOLEDO, TALKING TO TOL APCH (I THINK). WE WERE APPROX 40-50 MI E OF TOL WHEN THE PIC DECIDED TO DETOUR DIRECT TO SELFRIDGE. WE HAD BEEN DISCUSSING THE POSSIBILITY OF DOING THIS AS WE HAD BEEN SUFFERING STRONG HEADWINDS THROUGHOUT THE FLT. NOW, WITH THE WX CLR (SCATTERED 4500 FT, 10+ MI) IT SEEMED LIKE A GOOD IDEA. AS INSTRUCTED, I ASKED TOL IF WE COULD GO DIRECT SELFRIDGE AND WAS GIVEN THE OK. THE PIC, UPON HEARING THIS XMISSION, TURNED N TO WHAT, BY DEAD RECKONING, WOULD BE AN APPROX COURSE TO SELFRIDGE. MEANWHILE, I WAS RE-ESTABLISHING A NEW WAYPOINT AND OTHERWISE WORKING WITH THE GPS (PANEL MOUNTED NON MOVING MAP) AND THE SECTIONAL CHARTS. IT TOOK ME A COUPLE OF MINS TO GET EVERYTHING SORTED OUT AND WHEN I DID, I DISCOVERED WE HAD CLIPPED THE EDGE OF A RESTR AREA. AT THE TIME WE WERE RECEIVING FLT FOLLOWING. AT NO TIME BEFORE, DURING, OR AFTER THIS AIRSPACE VIOLATION DID ANY CTLR SAY ANYTHING REFING THE RESTR AREA, AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHETHER IT WAS 'HOT' OR NOT. THE FACT REMAINS THAT WE DID NOT HAVE A SPECIFIC CLRNC TO ENTER. AT THIS POINT, I ASSUME IT WAS COLD, BUT IN THE PART OF THE COUNTRY I NORMALLY FLY IN (NE) IT IS COMMON PRACTICE TO NOTIFY THE ACFT OF THE STATUS OF RESTR AIRSPACE, HOT, COLD, OR OTHERWISE. IN RETROSPECT, I WAS SOMEWHAT UNFAMILIAR WITH THE OP OF THIS PARTICULAR GPS MODEL, AND AS SUCH, WAS SLOW AT COMPLETING THE REQUIRED TASKS. ALSO, IN AS MUCH AS IT HAD BEEN A NON COMPLICATED FLT (GOOD WX, AND WE HAD BEEN FOLLOWING ONE COURSE FOR OVER 3 YRS), I WAS RATHER COMPLACENT ABOUT FOLLOWING ALONG AND KEEPING TRACK OF OUR EXACT POS. FURTHER, THE CHANGE IN FLT PLAN SHOULD HAVE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT THE TIME NECESSARY FOR ME TO MAKE THE CHANGES. ALL IN ALL, LACK OF ADEQUATE PLANNING.

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.