Narrative:

The flight was conducting training for a private pilot rating. Flight was conducted under VFR without a flight plan in established local practice area. Prior to the flight, checked local NOTAMS, obtained local ATIS (vrb) and called for a standard WX brief. Internet connection has been down for over 2 weeks and school has been downloading and posting textual WX and NOTAMS. There were no NOTAMS posed this day. While conducting training for ground reference maneuvers in the practice area at 800 ft, I inadvertently overflew an accident site at approximately 850 ft MSL. As soon as I recognized that I was over what I recognized as the accident site (approximately 5 seconds), I immediately departed the area back to the north. I completed approximately 20 mins more of training en route back to vero beach. While landing I thought I had overflown the accident site. I was not aware that a temporary restr area was in effect for a 5 NM radius of the vrb 208 degree radial, 19.45 DME fix. When I was in the traffic pattern at vrb, a sheriff's department helicopter contacted the tower to inquire if cherokee had returned. The tower stated that we were in the traffic pattern. The helicopter pilot stated that they were en route to vrb and needed to speak with us upon landing. Upon meeting with the pilot from the sheriff's department I was informed that I had indeed overflown the crash site and that there was a NOTAM out detailing the temporary flight restr. I explained that I had checked the available sources and that I was not aware of the NOTAM although I did take action to leave the area over the crash site when I recognized that I was over it. The helicopter pilot seemed satisfied that it was not an intentional violation, that I was not 'sight-seeing' or being nosy and that I would do my best to alert the other students and instructors of the flight restr area. Contributing factors: the accident site is in the middle of a busy practice area that is common to flight schools. Vrb airport tower made no mention of the tfr even though the restr area is defined off of the vero beach VOR. St petersburg FSS did not give notice of the restr NOTAM during verbal WX briefs. Flight school had no information posted alerting of the tfr in the practice area. There was very little news coverage of the ongoing investigation which may have alerted pilots to the NOTAM.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 TRAINING FLT OVERFLIES A RESTR AREA CRASH SITE NEAR VRB, FL.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS CONDUCTING TRAINING FOR A PVT PLT RATING. FLT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER VFR WITHOUT A FLT PLAN IN ESTABLISHED LCL PRACTICE AREA. PRIOR TO THE FLT, CHKED LCL NOTAMS, OBTAINED LCL ATIS (VRB) AND CALLED FOR A STANDARD WX BRIEF. INTERNET CONNECTION HAS BEEN DOWN FOR OVER 2 WKS AND SCHOOL HAS BEEN DOWNLOADING AND POSTING TEXTUAL WX AND NOTAMS. THERE WERE NO NOTAMS POSED THIS DAY. WHILE CONDUCTING TRAINING FOR GND REF MANEUVERS IN THE PRACTICE AREA AT 800 FT, I INADVERTENTLY OVERFLEW AN ACCIDENT SITE AT APPROX 850 FT MSL. AS SOON AS I RECOGNIZED THAT I WAS OVER WHAT I RECOGNIZED AS THE ACCIDENT SITE (APPROX 5 SECONDS), I IMMEDIATELY DEPARTED THE AREA BACK TO THE N. I COMPLETED APPROX 20 MINS MORE OF TRAINING ENRTE BACK TO VERO BEACH. WHILE LNDG I THOUGHT I HAD OVERFLOWN THE ACCIDENT SITE. I WAS NOT AWARE THAT A TEMPORARY RESTR AREA WAS IN EFFECT FOR A 5 NM RADIUS OF THE VRB 208 DEG RADIAL, 19.45 DME FIX. WHEN I WAS IN THE TFC PATTERN AT VRB, A SHERIFF'S DEPT HELI CONTACTED THE TWR TO INQUIRE IF CHEROKEE HAD RETURNED. THE TWR STATED THAT WE WERE IN THE TFC PATTERN. THE HELI PLT STATED THAT THEY WERE ENRTE TO VRB AND NEEDED TO SPEAK WITH US UPON LNDG. UPON MEETING WITH THE PLT FROM THE SHERIFF'S DEPT I WAS INFORMED THAT I HAD INDEED OVERFLOWN THE CRASH SITE AND THAT THERE WAS A NOTAM OUT DETAILING THE TEMPORARY FLT RESTR. I EXPLAINED THAT I HAD CHKED THE AVAILABLE SOURCES AND THAT I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE NOTAM ALTHOUGH I DID TAKE ACTION TO LEAVE THE AREA OVER THE CRASH SITE WHEN I RECOGNIZED THAT I WAS OVER IT. THE HELI PLT SEEMED SATISFIED THAT IT WAS NOT AN INTENTIONAL VIOLATION, THAT I WAS NOT 'SIGHT-SEEING' OR BEING NOSY AND THAT I WOULD DO MY BEST TO ALERT THE OTHER STUDENTS AND INSTRUCTORS OF THE FLT RESTR AREA. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: THE ACCIDENT SITE IS IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY PRACTICE AREA THAT IS COMMON TO FLT SCHOOLS. VRB ARPT TWR MADE NO MENTION OF THE TFR EVEN THOUGH THE RESTR AREA IS DEFINED OFF OF THE VERO BEACH VOR. ST PETERSBURG FSS DID NOT GIVE NOTICE OF THE RESTR NOTAM DURING VERBAL WX BRIEFS. FLT SCHOOL HAD NO INFO POSTED ALERTING OF THE TFR IN THE PRACTICE AREA. THERE WAS VERY LITTLE NEWS COVERAGE OF THE ONGOING INVESTIGATION WHICH MAY HAVE ALERTED PLTS TO THE NOTAM.

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.