A C310 pilot flying VFR across lake michigan may have violated restr area R6903 in the process.

Attributes
ACN	520577
Time
Date	200108
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	special use airspace : r6903.restricted
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl single value : 6500
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 310/T310C
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	520577
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flying from frankfort, mi, to arrival on a very good day I elected to proceed VFR no flight plan in order to visit 1 or 2 points of special interest during the trip. Using LORAN, I proceeded directly to my first point of interest, flying diagonally across lake michigan. Approaching the wisconsin shoreline, I looked at an L12 chart and noticed the proximity of restr area R6903 to my route of flight. I may have flown through one corner of it. Most of my flying is cross country, and most of it is for fairly long distances -- 500 mi or more. As a matter of personal practice these trips are all made IFR regardless of WX. A VFR trip such as this one is a rare occurrence for me. Needless to say, while on an IFR flight plan ATC worries about such things as restr areas. I simply didn't do my homework on this one. I guess the moral of the story is that no matter how simple the flight, if one is flying through basically unfamiliar territory one ought to study the charts before rather than during the flight!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C310 PLT FLYING VFR ACROSS LAKE MICHIGAN MAY HAVE VIOLATED RESTR AREA R6903 IN THE PROCESS.

Narrative: FLYING FROM FRANKFORT, MI, TO ARR ON A VERY GOOD DAY I ELECTED TO PROCEED VFR NO FLT PLAN IN ORDER TO VISIT 1 OR 2 POINTS OF SPECIAL INTEREST DURING THE TRIP. USING LORAN, I PROCEEDED DIRECTLY TO MY FIRST POINT OF INTEREST, FLYING DIAGONALLY ACROSS LAKE MICHIGAN. APCHING THE WISCONSIN SHORELINE, I LOOKED AT AN L12 CHART AND NOTICED THE PROX OF RESTR AREA R6903 TO MY RTE OF FLT. I MAY HAVE FLOWN THROUGH ONE CORNER OF IT. MOST OF MY FLYING IS XCOUNTRY, AND MOST OF IT IS FOR FAIRLY LONG DISTANCES -- 500 MI OR MORE. AS A MATTER OF PERSONAL PRACTICE THESE TRIPS ARE ALL MADE IFR REGARDLESS OF WX. A VFR TRIP SUCH AS THIS ONE IS A RARE OCCURRENCE FOR ME. NEEDLESS TO SAY, WHILE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN ATC WORRIES ABOUT SUCH THINGS AS RESTR AREAS. I SIMPLY DIDN'T DO MY HOMEWORK ON THIS ONE. I GUESS THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS THAT NO MATTER HOW SIMPLE THE FLT, IF ONE IS FLYING THROUGH BASICALLY UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY ONE OUGHT TO STUDY THE CHARTS BEFORE RATHER THAN DURING THE FLT!

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.