Narrative:

Following the terrorist attacks on the world trade center and pentagon. I frequently checked for NOTAMS affecting airport or airspace restrictions at various times all day. Numerous airport closings in the nyc area and airspace restrictions in nyc and near a crash site in PA were noted, and a number of NOTAMS closed air carrier airports in upstate ny. No 'D' or fdc NOTAMS affecting airspace in general were contained in any of the duat standard and area briefings. Following one last check of NOTAMS, I took a student on a night orientation flight, and while on base leg was buzzed by a jet which appeared to be an F16. Shortly after landing, I was met by two sheriff deputies, who said that according to their information, all airspace was closed. I again checked NOTAMS, and found nothing to substantiate this. Since it is self-evident that most duat users are contemplating flight, it appears an oversight not to include notice of any such restriction in the NOTAMS section of duat briefings, and better yet, to place it in a prominent place -- one more likely to be immediately noticed. Not including it at all is a major omission. Publication of NOTAMS that contain local information relating to a major event while omitting much more general and restricting information adds to the conclusion there is no general and restrictive information. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter alleged the following. He obtained a 'standard' duats briefing via home computer. The NOTAMS provided in his 'standard' briefing were 'D' (distance) NOTAMS and fdc (flight data center) NOTAMS, neither of which included NOTAMS advising the closure of the national airspace system. The reporter stated that the 'D' NOTAMS provide NOTAMS affecting the to/from airport information and NOTAMS along the planned route of flight. The fdc NOTAMS alert the pilot to temporary flight restrs (tfr) associated with his route of flight. Neither 'D' or 'fdc' alerted pilots to a national airspace system closure. By 9/thu/01, there were phrases that alerted pilots about national tfr's. The reporter advised that only 'non associated' NOTAMS had the national airspace restr. 'Non associated' NOTAMS are usually administrative in nature -- such as those associated with cuba and iran. He did not want to watch tv or listen to the radio at the airport, so was not aware of the national airspace restrs. He was aware of a problem when he encountered the F16 and the notification by the sheriff after landing.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE CONDUCTING A LOCAL NIGHT FLT, AD INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT WERE 'BUZZED' BY AN F16 MIL FIGHTER. UPON LNDG, THE ACFT WAS MET BY THE COUNTY SHERIFF ADVISING THAT THE AIRSPACE WAS 'CLOSED.'

Narrative: FOLLOWING THE TERRORIST ATTACKS ON THE WORLD TRADE CENTER AND PENTAGON. I FREQUENTLY CHKED FOR NOTAMS AFFECTING ARPT OR AIRSPACE RESTRICTIONS AT VARIOUS TIMES ALL DAY. NUMEROUS ARPT CLOSINGS IN THE NYC AREA AND AIRSPACE RESTRICTIONS IN NYC AND NEAR A CRASH SITE IN PA WERE NOTED, AND A NUMBER OF NOTAMS CLOSED AIR CARRIER ARPTS IN UPSTATE NY. NO 'D' OR FDC NOTAMS AFFECTING AIRSPACE IN GENERAL WERE CONTAINED IN ANY OF THE DUAT STANDARD AND AREA BRIEFINGS. FOLLOWING ONE LAST CHECK OF NOTAMS, I TOOK A STUDENT ON A NIGHT ORIENTATION FLT, AND WHILE ON BASE LEG WAS BUZZED BY A JET WHICH APPEARED TO BE AN F16. SHORTLY AFTER LNDG, I WAS MET BY TWO SHERIFF DEPUTIES, WHO SAID THAT ACCORDING TO THEIR INFO, ALL AIRSPACE WAS CLOSED. I AGAIN CHKED NOTAMS, AND FOUND NOTHING TO SUBSTANTIATE THIS. SINCE IT IS SELF-EVIDENT THAT MOST DUAT USERS ARE CONTEMPLATING FLT, IT APPEARS AN OVERSIGHT NOT TO INCLUDE NOTICE OF ANY SUCH RESTRICTION IN THE NOTAMS SECTION OF DUAT BRIEFINGS, AND BETTER YET, TO PLACE IT IN A PROMINENT PLACE -- ONE MORE LIKELY TO BE IMMEDIATELY NOTICED. NOT INCLUDING IT AT ALL IS A MAJOR OMISSION. PUBLICATION OF NOTAMS THAT CONTAIN LOCAL INFO RELATING TO A MAJOR EVENT WHILE OMITTING MUCH MORE GENERAL AND RESTRICTING INFO ADDS TO THE CONCLUSION THERE IS NO GENERAL AND RESTRICTIVE INFO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ALLEGED THE FOLLOWING. HE OBTAINED A 'STANDARD' DUATS BRIEFING VIA HOME COMPUTER. THE NOTAMS PROVIDED IN HIS 'STANDARD' BRIEFING WERE 'D' (DISTANCE) NOTAMS AND FDC (FLT DATA CENTER) NOTAMS, NEITHER OF WHICH INCLUDED NOTAMS ADVISING THE CLOSURE OF THE NATIONAL AIRSPACE SYSTEM. THE RPTR STATED THAT THE 'D' NOTAMS PROVIDE NOTAMS AFFECTING THE TO/FROM ARPT INFO AND NOTAMS ALONG THE PLANNED RTE OF FLT. THE FDC NOTAMS ALERT THE PLT TO TEMPORARY FLT RESTRS (TFR) ASSOCIATED WITH HIS RTE OF FLT. NEITHER 'D' OR 'FDC' ALERTED PLTS TO A NATIONAL AIRSPACE SYSTEM CLOSURE. BY 9/THU/01, THERE WERE PHRASES THAT ALERTED PLTS ABOUT NATIONAL TFR'S. THE RPTR ADVISED THAT ONLY 'NON ASSOCIATED' NOTAMS HAD THE NATIONAL AIRSPACE RESTR. 'NON ASSOCIATED' NOTAMS ARE USUALLY ADMINISTRATIVE IN NATURE -- SUCH AS THOSE ASSOCIATED WITH CUBA AND IRAN. HE DID NOT WANT TO WATCH TV OR LISTEN TO THE RADIO AT THE ARPT, SO WAS NOT AWARE OF THE NATIONAL AIRSPACE RESTRS. HE WAS AWARE OF A PROBLEM WHEN HE ENCOUNTERED THE F16 AND THE NOTIFICATION BY THE SHERIFF AFTER LNDG.

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.