Narrative:

I conducted a VFR flight in VMC during a period when the FAA had a restr in effect prohibiting VFR flight. On saturday morning 9/sat/01, I decided to take a local VFR flight from frederick municipal airport in frederick, md. I had seen several news accouncements on a national news station and local tv stations that the 'FAA has released GA', 'FAA opens skies to GA,' and 'FAA say GA can fly.' all of the information in the media and in the newspapers on saturday morning indicated that GA operations had been fully restored by the FAA and there was no mention of any restrs. At this point in time there was no question in my mind that this flight was legal and safe. I checked the WX via the internet, ceiling was unlimited, visibility was greater than 20 miles, a perfect VFR day. I did not obtain an FSS weather briefing and did not review the fdc NOTAMS since it was a local flight. Following a normal preflight I obtained the local AWOS information which also contains the recorded local NOTAMS. This recording contained the expected local NOTAMS regarding hangar construction and related taxiway restrs, but had no information regarding the GA VFR restr. I departed frederick eastbound toward carol county airport in westminster, md, climbing to 3500 ft. I spent some time checking the RNAV system with a couple of ground chkpoints. Since the WX was almost perfect VFR I decided to fly to reading, PA, and get some lunch. I took some time to plan the route and open the proper navigation charts for the reading destination. I then tried to get the ATIS information at reading. ATIS at reading provided the normal expected information and it also broadcast the message 'notice: GA operations by IFR flight plan only.' it was at this moment that I realized there was a VFR restr in effect and that I was in violation of that restr. At this point I needed to get to a close airport and land as soon as possible. I turned 180 degrees and headed wbound for the carol county airport. A few minutes after making the turn toward carol county airport I was intercepted by two fighters (F16S I think). I tried to contact them using the air-to-air frequency 122.75 with no success. I tried listening on 121.5, but only momentarily before going back to 122.75. I could not communication my apologies or my intent to the fighter pilots. In a few mins I began my decent for landing at carol county airport, the fighters circled until I was on the ground, and then departed the area. On the ground at carol county airport, I waited for the maryland state police to arrive while taking some ribbing by the locals. The state police questioned me at length, checking my driver license, pilot's license, aircraft registration and cross checking my ssn. The state police indicated that the FAA will mostly likely contact me and they also told me that all part 91 aircraft were grounded. After approximately an hour, the state police said that I was free to go.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE24 PLT FLEW WHEN US AIRSPACE WAS CLOSED TO VFR FLT.

Narrative: I CONDUCTED A VFR FLT IN VMC DURING A PERIOD WHEN THE FAA HAD A RESTR IN EFFECT PROHIBITING VFR FLT. ON SATURDAY MORNING 9/SAT/01, I DECIDED TO TAKE A LOCAL VFR FLT FROM FREDERICK MUNICIPAL ARPT IN FREDERICK, MD. I HAD SEEN SEVERAL NEWS ACCOUNCEMENTS ON A NATIONAL NEWS STATION AND LOCAL TV STATIONS THAT THE 'FAA HAS RELEASED GA', 'FAA OPENS SKIES TO GA,' AND 'FAA SAY GA CAN FLY.' ALL OF THE INFO IN THE MEDIA AND IN THE NEWSPAPERS ON SATURDAY MORNING INDICATED THAT GA OPS HAD BEEN FULLY RESTORED BY THE FAA AND THERE WAS NO MENTION OF ANY RESTRS. AT THIS POINT IN TIME THERE WAS NO QUESTION IN MY MIND THAT THIS FLT WAS LEGAL AND SAFE. I CHKED THE WX VIA THE INTERNET, CEILING WAS UNLIMITED, VISIBILITY WAS GREATER THAN 20 MILES, A PERFECT VFR DAY. I DID NOT OBTAIN AN FSS WEATHER BRIEFING AND DID NOT REVIEW THE FDC NOTAMS SINCE IT WAS A LOCAL FLT. FOLLOWING A NORMAL PREFLT I OBTAINED THE LOCAL AWOS INFO WHICH ALSO CONTAINS THE RECORDED LOCAL NOTAMS. THIS RECORDING CONTAINED THE EXPECTED LOCAL NOTAMS REGARDING HANGAR CONSTRUCTION AND RELATED TXWY RESTRS, BUT HAD NO INFO REGARDING THE GA VFR RESTR. I DEPARTED FREDERICK EBOUND TOWARD CAROL COUNTY ARPT IN WESTMINSTER, MD, CLBING TO 3500 FT. I SPENT SOME TIME CHKING THE RNAV SYSTEM WITH A COUPLE OF GND CHKPOINTS. SINCE THE WX WAS ALMOST PERFECT VFR I DECIDED TO FLY TO READING, PA, AND GET SOME LUNCH. I TOOK SOME TIME TO PLAN THE ROUTE AND OPEN THE PROPER NAV CHARTS FOR THE READING DEST. I THEN TRIED TO GET THE ATIS INFO AT READING. ATIS AT READING PROVIDED THE NORMAL EXPECTED INFO AND IT ALSO BROADCAST THE MESSAGE 'NOTICE: GA OPS BY IFR FLT PLAN ONLY.' IT WAS AT THIS MOMENT THAT I REALIZED THERE WAS A VFR RESTR IN EFFECT AND THAT I WAS IN VIOLATION OF THAT RESTR. AT THIS POINT I NEEDED TO GET TO A CLOSE ARPT AND LAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I TURNED 180 DEGS AND HEADED WBOUND FOR THE CAROL COUNTY ARPT. A FEW MINUTES AFTER MAKING THE TURN TOWARD CAROL COUNTY ARPT I WAS INTERCEPTED BY TWO FIGHTERS (F16S I THINK). I TRIED TO CONTACT THEM USING THE AIR-TO-AIR FREQ 122.75 WITH NO SUCCESS. I TRIED LISTENING ON 121.5, BUT ONLY MOMENTARILY BEFORE GOING BACK TO 122.75. I COULD NOT COM MY APOLOGIES OR MY INTENT TO THE FIGHTER PLTS. IN A FEW MINS I BEGAN MY DECENT FOR LNDG AT CAROL COUNTY ARPT, THE FIGHTERS CIRCLED UNTIL I WAS ON THE GND, AND THEN DEPARTED THE AREA. ON THE GND AT CAROL COUNTY ARPT, I WAITED FOR THE MARYLAND STATE POLICE TO ARRIVE WHILE TAKING SOME RIBBING BY THE LOCALS. THE STATE POLICE QUESTIONED ME AT LENGTH, CHKING MY DRIVER LICENSE, PLT'S LICENSE, ACFT REGISTRATION AND CROSS CHKING MY SSN. THE STATE POLICE INDICATED THAT THE FAA WILL MOSTLY LIKELY CONTACT ME AND THEY ALSO TOLD ME THAT ALL PART 91 ACFT WERE GNDED. AFTER APPROX AN HOUR, THE STATE POLICE SAID THAT I WAS FREE TO GO.

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.