Narrative:

On the evening of sep/sat/01, I conducted a flight from liberal, ks (lbl), direct to ashland, ks (K58). The flight was conducted under VFR conditions. The flight began around XA00 local time and lasted approximately 20 to 25 minutes. The flight was necessitated due to the fact that I had received word that I had a number of cattle outside my fence along a highway west of ashland. The possibility of an automatic accident with my animals was clearly on my mind. I had been in liberal for several days and had been at my hangar at liberal airport for most of the afternoon. A number of general aviation aircraft had landed and departed throughout the day. I was aware that the airline flts had been shut down temporarily but had resumed flying during the previous week. I was not aware that general aviation aircraft had been grounded whereas, I had not used my aircraft for approximately 10 days prior to this incident. When I noticed various aircraft flying, it appeared that things were somewhat back to normal after the events of the previous week. As I stated earlier, I received word that I needed to return to ashland to take care of my animals. I made the decision to fly to ashland as soon as possible in order to find the animals and return them before dark (most of my animals are dark colored or black). Locating them after dark would be very difficult. Driving back to ashland was not considered because it is approximately a 1 hour and 15 minute drive. At this point, I felt that time was important in order to find the animals along a heavily traveled highway. The flight was normal in all respects. I departed lbl direct K58 at 5500 ft MSL and descended and landed at the ashland airport. I was met by my wife at the airport whereupon we proceeded to our farm to check the cattle. We returned to our home in ashland and prepared to leave for the airport to return to liberal. As we were leaving, a clark county sheriff's deputy pulled up in front of our home. He informed me that the FAA had been on the telephone and wanted to talk to the pilot of the aircraft that landed in ashland earlier. I proceeded to the sheriff's office, at which time at approximately XC00, I received a call from a person from the FAA requesting my aircraft north number and type, my name and pilot number. He informed me that I could expect another call from the local FSDO later on. At this point, my wife and I returned to the airport and placed the aircraft in a local hangar. We then drove back to liberal later that night. Upon returning to liberal, we arrived at our home at approximately XE30, at which time, I found a message on my answering machine from a gentlemen from the FAA which was placed shortly after XC00. I promptly returned his call and related the events of the evening to him just as I have described here. He asked me if I was aware that general aviation aircraft were restricted to IFR operations only. I responded that I was not aware of this situation and this was the first that I had heard of the restr. He then informed me that I would probably be receiving a call from the local FSDO. This was a normal flight in all respects with the exception of the events preceding it during the previous week. I have made this trip hundreds of times without incident. The IFR restr would have been no problem, as I hold an ATP rating and am qualified to conduct instrument operations. There was clearly no attempt to circumvent the system or blatant disregard for the rules. This was merely a mistake brought about by unusual circumstances. At this time, I have not received a telephone call or any correspondence from the FAA concerning this matter.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE-36 PLT FLEW WHEN US AIRSPACE WAS CLOSED TO VFR FLT.

Narrative: ON THE EVENING OF SEP/SAT/01, I CONDUCTED A FLT FROM LIBERAL, KS (LBL), DIRECT TO ASHLAND, KS (K58). THE FLT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER VFR CONDITIONS. THE FLT BEGAN AROUND XA00 LOCAL TIME AND LASTED APPROX 20 TO 25 MINUTES. THE FLT WAS NECESSITATED DUE TO THE FACT THAT I HAD RECEIVED WORD THAT I HAD A NUMBER OF CATTLE OUTSIDE MY FENCE ALONG A HIGHWAY W OF ASHLAND. THE POSSIBILITY OF AN AUTO ACCIDENT WITH MY ANIMALS WAS CLEARLY ON MY MIND. I HAD BEEN IN LIBERAL FOR SEVERAL DAYS AND HAD BEEN AT MY HANGAR AT LIBERAL ARPT FOR MOST OF THE AFTERNOON. A NUMBER OF GENERAL AVIATION ACFT HAD LANDED AND DEPARTED THROUGHOUT THE DAY. I WAS AWARE THAT THE AIRLINE FLTS HAD BEEN SHUT DOWN TEMPORARILY BUT HAD RESUMED FLYING DURING THE PREVIOUS WEEK. I WAS NOT AWARE THAT GENERAL AVIATION ACFT HAD BEEN GROUNDED WHEREAS, I HAD NOT USED MY ACFT FOR APPROX 10 DAYS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. WHEN I NOTICED VARIOUS ACFT FLYING, IT APPEARED THAT THINGS WERE SOMEWHAT BACK TO NORMAL AFTER THE EVENTS OF THE PREVIOUS WEEK. AS I STATED EARLIER, I RECEIVED WORD THAT I NEEDED TO RETURN TO ASHLAND TO TAKE CARE OF MY ANIMALS. I MADE THE DECISION TO FLY TO ASHLAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE IN ORDER TO FIND THE ANIMALS AND RETURN THEM BEFORE DARK (MOST OF MY ANIMALS ARE DARK COLORED OR BLACK). LOCATING THEM AFTER DARK WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT. DRIVING BACK TO ASHLAND WAS NOT CONSIDERED BECAUSE IT IS APPROX A 1 HOUR AND 15 MINUTE DRIVE. AT THIS POINT, I FELT THAT TIME WAS IMPORTANT IN ORDER TO FIND THE ANIMALS ALONG A HEAVILY TRAVELED HIGHWAY. THE FLT WAS NORMAL IN ALL RESPECTS. I DEPARTED LBL DIRECT K58 AT 5500 FT MSL AND DESCENDED AND LANDED AT THE ASHLAND ARPT. I WAS MET BY MY WIFE AT THE ARPT WHEREUPON WE PROCEEDED TO OUR FARM TO CHECK THE CATTLE. WE RETURNED TO OUR HOME IN ASHLAND AND PREPARED TO LEAVE FOR THE ARPT TO RETURN TO LIBERAL. AS WE WERE LEAVING, A CLARK COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTY PULLED UP IN FRONT OF OUR HOME. HE INFORMED ME THAT THE FAA HAD BEEN ON THE TELEPHONE AND WANTED TO TALK TO THE PLT OF THE ACFT THAT LANDED IN ASHLAND EARLIER. I PROCEEDED TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, AT WHICH TIME AT APPROX XC00, I RECEIVED A CALL FROM A PERSON FROM THE FAA REQUESTING MY ACFT N NUMBER AND TYPE, MY NAME AND PLT NUMBER. HE INFORMED ME THAT I COULD EXPECT ANOTHER CALL FROM THE LOCAL FSDO LATER ON. AT THIS POINT, MY WIFE AND I RETURNED TO THE ARPT AND PLACED THE ACFT IN A LOCAL HANGAR. WE THEN DROVE BACK TO LIBERAL LATER THAT NIGHT. UPON RETURNING TO LIBERAL, WE ARRIVED AT OUR HOME AT APPROX XE30, AT WHICH TIME, I FOUND A MESSAGE ON MY ANSWERING MACHINE FROM A GENTLEMEN FROM THE FAA WHICH WAS PLACED SHORTLY AFTER XC00. I PROMPTLY RETURNED HIS CALL AND RELATED THE EVENTS OF THE EVENING TO HIM JUST AS I HAVE DESCRIBED HERE. HE ASKED ME IF I WAS AWARE THAT GENERAL AVIATION ACFT WERE RESTRICTED TO IFR OPS ONLY. I RESPONDED THAT I WAS NOT AWARE OF THIS SITUATION AND THIS WAS THE FIRST THAT I HAD HEARD OF THE RESTR. HE THEN INFORMED ME THAT I WOULD PROBABLY BE RECEIVING A CALL FROM THE LOCAL FSDO. THIS WAS A NORMAL FLT IN ALL RESPECTS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE EVENTS PRECEDING IT DURING THE PREVIOUS WEEK. I HAVE MADE THIS TRIP HUNDREDS OF TIMES WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE IFR RESTR WOULD HAVE BEEN NO PROB, AS I HOLD AN ATP RATING AND AM QUALIFIED TO CONDUCT INSTRUMENT OPS. THERE WAS CLEARLY NO ATTEMPT TO CIRCUMVENT THE SYSTEM OR BLATANT DISREGARD FOR THE RULES. THIS WAS MERELY A MISTAKE BROUGHT ABOUT BY UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES. AT THIS TIME, I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A TELEPHONE CALL OR ANY CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE FAA CONCERNING THIS MATTER.

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.