Narrative:

Took off at XA00L to check a fuel tank feed problem. Mechanic had worked on aircraft. Squawk XXXX and leveled off at 2200 MSL. Plan was to fly for 20 to 30 mins. Tuned in XXX frequency (126.2) to monitor. Heard a military air flight attempting to call XXX operations for winds. After no contact I told him I was at 5 miles southwest of XXX at 2200 ft and the winds at my field were favoring runway 15. News of the commercial aircraft shutdown indicated that they would be down until XA00 on the 9/wed/01. On the way to work I heard on the news that the commercial air fleet could fly at their discretion. Nowhere had I heard that all civil aircraft were grounded. I was unable to check NOTAMS at the airport as the phone was inoperative. While monitoring XXX field, they told me to land at ZZZ and contact them. On landing, I borrowed a phone and called the number provided. It was approach. I explained what I was doing and why. They asked for all my particulars. I explained that if I was attempting anything wrong, I would not have squawked or talked to anyone. Perhaps better checking would have been more prudent (in light of the national tragedy). However, I was unaware that I was acting contrary to any rules or regulations, that were currently in effect. Bottom line, don't depend on the news for anything doing with aviation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT ON LCL MAINT TEST IS ADVISED TO LAND AND CALL ZZZ APCH BY MIL COM OPERATOR AT XXX.

Narrative: TOOK OFF AT XA00L TO CHK A FUEL TANK FEED PROB. MECHANIC HAD WORKED ON ACFT. SQUAWK XXXX AND LEVELED OFF AT 2200 MSL. PLAN WAS TO FLY FOR 20 TO 30 MINS. TUNED IN XXX FREQ (126.2) TO MONITOR. HEARD A MIL AIR FLT ATTEMPTING TO CALL XXX OPS FOR WINDS. AFTER NO CONTACT I TOLD HIM I WAS AT 5 MILES SW OF XXX AT 2200 FT AND THE WINDS AT MY FIELD WERE FAVORING RWY 15. NEWS OF THE COMMERCIAL ACFT SHUTDOWN INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD BE DOWN UNTIL XA00 ON THE 9/WED/01. ON THE WAY TO WORK I HEARD ON THE NEWS THAT THE COMMERCIAL AIR FLEET COULD FLY AT THEIR DISCRETION. NOWHERE HAD I HEARD THAT ALL CIVIL ACFT WERE GROUNDED. I WAS UNABLE TO CHECK NOTAMS AT THE ARPT AS THE PHONE WAS INOP. WHILE MONITORING XXX FIELD, THEY TOLD ME TO LAND AT ZZZ AND CONTACT THEM. ON LNDG, I BORROWED A PHONE AND CALLED THE NUMBER PROVIDED. IT WAS APCH. I EXPLAINED WHAT I WAS DOING AND WHY. THEY ASKED FOR ALL MY PARTICULARS. I EXPLAINED THAT IF I WAS ATTEMPTING ANYTHING WRONG, I WOULD NOT HAVE SQUAWKED Or TALKED TO ANYONE. PERHAPS BETTER CHECKING WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE PRUDENT (IN LIGHT OF THE NATIONAL TRAGEDY). HOWEVER, I WAS UNAWARE THAT I WAS ACTING CONTRARY TO ANY RULES OR REGULATIONS, THAT WERE CURRENTLY IN EFFECT. BOTTOM LINE, DON'T DEPEND ON THE NEWS FOR ANYTHING DOING WITH AVIATION.

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.