Narrative:

On 9/tue/01, the national airspace was closed via fdc NOTAM. On 9/thu/01, there were reports on cnn and all of the local network television outlets that airspace would be reopened that day. Some time during to the morning on 9/thu/01, I obtained a standard area briefing for a 50 NM radius of ZZZ via duats, via internet, specifically requested fdc NOTAMS. The NOTAM closing the national airspace, which had appeared on a similar briefing the day before, was no longer there. There was no mention of restrictions on flight in the national airspace in any of the other NOTAMS. At approximately XA00, I departed from XXX and proceeded nne to practice flight maneuvers over an area known as WWW. Because the ceiling and visibility were virtually unlimited, and I was not planning on traveling further than 25 miles from XXX, I did not obtain another flight briefing before departure. As is my usual practice, I monitored approach control, and about 15 miles nne of XXX, while over WWW, approach asked the 'VFR aircraft over WWW' to respond. I responded to that call, and was told to return to the airport I had departed from and to notify approach via telephone when I was on the ground. I returned to XXX and contacted the FSS, asking them to relay to approach that I was on the ground. When I told them that the NOTAM closing the national airspace had not been presented in my duats briefing earlier in the day, they suggested that I 'contact my duats provider.' we have all been encouraged to use duats as much as possible, and I have received all of my WX briefings and filed all of my flight plans using that system for some time now. However, it would appear that, under some circumstances at least, we cannot rely on that system to provide timely and accurate NOTAMS. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter alleges that initial duats briefing did not have an airspace restr NOTAM in his request for an area briefing. The comment from FSS to 'contact my duats provider' was not helpful, since when you access the internet, the provider does not allow the pilot to access information that he could not 'click on.' the reporter stated that he checked for area briefing and fdc NOTAMS. The reporter alleges that it is not uncommon for a pilot to get 10 to 15 teletype format page printouts of NOTAMS that are well outside the briefing area. The reporter alleges that the first two items are always airspace restrs on cuba and iran. Since his incident, other pilots have stated to him that the national airspace restr NOTAM was, at some time during the day, removed from the duats briefing, and at some time later in the day, replaced.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT DEPS LCL ARPT TO CONDUCT TRAINING MANEUVERS, IS ALERTED BY SAT APCH CTL TO RETURN AND LAND. COORD THROUGH THE FSS TO APCH, THE PLT WAS ADVISED OF THE AIRSPACE RESTR.

Narrative: ON 9/TUE/01, THE NATIONAL AIRSPACE WAS CLOSED VIA FDC NOTAM. ON 9/THU/01, THERE WERE RPTS ON CNN AND ALL OF THE LOCAL NETWORK TELEVISION OUTLETS THAT AIRSPACE WOULD BE REOPENED THAT DAY. SOME TIME DURING TO THE MORNING ON 9/THU/01, I OBTAINED A STANDARD AREA BRIEFING FOR A 50 NM RADIUS OF ZZZ VIA DUATS, VIA INTERNET, SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED FDC NOTAMS. THE NOTAM CLOSING THE NATIONAL AIRSPACE, WHICH HAD APPEARED ON A SIMILAR BRIEFING THE DAY BEFORE, WAS NO LONGER THERE. THERE WAS NO MENTION OF RESTRICTIONS ON FLT IN THE NATIONAL AIRSPACE IN ANY OF THE OTHER NOTAMS. AT APPROX XA00, I DEPARTED FROM XXX AND PROCEEDED NNE TO PRACTICE FLT MANEUVERS OVER AN AREA KNOWN AS WWW. BECAUSE THE CEILING AND VISIBILITY WERE VIRTUALLY UNLIMITED, AND I WAS NOT PLANNING ON TRAVELING FURTHER THAN 25 MILES FROM XXX, I DID NOT OBTAIN ANOTHER FLT BRIEFING BEFORE DEP. AS IS MY USUAL PRACTICE, I MONITORED APCH CTL, AND ABOUT 15 MILES NNE OF XXX, WHILE OVER WWW, APCH ASKED THE 'VFR ACFT OVER WWW' TO RESPOND. I RESPONDED TO THAT CALL, AND WAS TOLD TO RETURN TO THE ARPT I HAD DEPARTED FROM AND TO NOTIFY APCH VIA TELEPHONE WHEN I WAS ON THE GND. I RETURNED TO XXX AND CONTACTED THE FSS, ASKING THEM TO RELAY TO APCH THAT I WAS ON THE GND. WHEN I TOLD THEM THAT THE NOTAM CLOSING THE NATIONAL AIRSPACE HAD NOT BEEN PRESENTED IN MY DUATS BRIEFING EARLIER IN THE DAY, THEY SUGGESTED THAT I 'CONTACT MY DUATS PROVIDER.' WE HAVE ALL BEEN ENCOURAGED TO USE DUATS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, AND I HAVE RECEIVED ALL OF MY WX BRIEFINGS AND FILED ALL OF MY FLT PLANS USING THAT SYSTEM FOR SOME TIME NOW. HOWEVER, IT WOULD APPEAR THAT, UNDER SOME CIRCUMSTANCES AT LEAST, WE CANNOT RELY ON THAT SYSTEM TO PROVIDE TIMELY AND ACCURATE NOTAMS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ALLEGES THAT INITIAL DUATS BRIEFING DID NOT HAVE AN AIRSPACE RESTR NOTAM IN HIS REQUEST FOR AN AREA BRIEFING. THE COMMENT FROM FSS TO 'CONTACT MY DUATS PROVIDER' WAS NOT HELPFUL, SINCE WHEN YOU ACCESS THE INTERNET, THE PROVIDER DOES NOT ALLOW THE PLT TO ACCESS INFO THAT HE COULD NOT 'CLICK ON.' THE RPTR STATED THAT HE CHKED FOR AREA BRIEFING AND FDC NOTAMS. THE RPTR ALLEGES THAT IT IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR A PLT TO GET 10 TO 15 TELETYPE FORMAT PAGE PRINTOUTS OF NOTAMS THAT ARE WELL OUTSIDE THE BRIEFING AREA. THE RPTR ALLEGES THAT THE FIRST TWO ITEMS ARE ALWAYS AIRSPACE RESTRS ON CUBA AND IRAN. SINCE HIS INCIDENT, OTHER PLTS HAVE STATED TO HIM THAT THE NATIONAL AIRSPACE RESTR NOTAM WAS, AT SOME TIME DURING THE DAY, REMOVED FROM THE DUATS BRIEFING, AND AT SOME TIME LATER IN THE DAY, REPLACED.

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.