Narrative:

Cause of problem -- lack of knowledge of pertinent NOTAMS by this pilot. Confusing changes in NOTAMS governing this emergency situation. Suggested solution -- require ATIS to announce all NOTAMS that affect flight in the airport area/airspace. Ask flight service to announce NOTAMS of general nature. At the initial prompt by the phone system. Contact FBO's of all airports to require them to post dated NOTAMS (all of a general nature) prominently. Make announcements of NOTAMS in the tv and radio media. Lowell, mi, (24C) on 9/sun/01 at XA00 local time. End discussion with local pilot and spouse while preflting aircraft. Those individuals had not flown, but wished me a good and safe flight. XA00 + go to pilot's lounge to check the board for notices. Notice to pilots on board, no flts in us airspace. Used radio to check grr ATIS. Normal ATIS no mention of flight restrs. Called flight service, remained hold for a briefer for several mins. Gave up and left, assumed notice was old and obsolete. XA10 started aircraft, completed ground run up check, checked ATIS (still current). Departed 24C to the north via runway 30. Cleared murray lake, climbed to 6500 ft turned east, then south. Descended north of greenville, (6d6), entered pattern and announced/landed runway 28. ATIS grr frequency 127.1 was in my #2 communication radio until I entered pattern at 6d6. I checked the #2 radio by monitoring ATIS at that point, still current. #1 radio had been tuned to 123.0 and constantly monitored there to that point. No calls received although at least one other airport call heard on that frequency. 123.0 placed in #2 radio, #1 communication radio set to 122.8 to make calls at greenville. I taxied back on taxiway, reentered runway 28 and departed. After climbing out on heading 280, I turned to heading 210 and announced leaving the pattern at greenville to the south. Grand rapids tower called me on 122.8, requested I contact them on grr approach frequency. On grr approach frequency they informed me that I was in violation of the ban on VFR pleasure flts. They instructed me to land at lowell when I informed them it was close. They contacted me again to ask my name. They contacted me again to request I contact grr tower on the land line and gave me the number. I landed at lowell, taxied to hangar and put aircraft away. I walked toward the pilot's lounge to phone the grr tower. Met lowell police officer on the way. Kent county officer arrived shortly thereafter. Contacted the grr tower. Returned home and contacted (FAA). They informed me that my '2 flts' had violated NOTAM. He requested that I return to the airport and post a note of NOTAM, its general prohibition of VFR flts, and the time and date. I did that. After returning home, I checked grr ATIS on land line. A new message was there, with the VFR prohibition announcement.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT FLEW WHEN US AIRSPACE WAS CLOSED TO VFR FLT.

Narrative: CAUSE OF PROB -- LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OF PERTINENT NOTAMS BY THIS PLT. CONFUSING CHANGES IN NOTAMS GOVERNING THIS EMER SIT. SUGGESTED SOLUTION -- REQUIRE ATIS TO ANNOUNCE ALL NOTAMS THAT AFFECT FLT IN THE ARPT AREA/AIRSPACE. ASK FLT SERVICE TO ANNOUNCE NOTAMS OF GENERAL NATURE. AT THE INITIAL PROMPT BY THE PHONE SYSTEM. CONTACT FBO'S OF ALL ARPTS TO REQUIRE THEM TO POST DATED NOTAMS (ALL OF A GENERAL NATURE) PROMINENTLY. MAKE ANNOUNCEMENTS OF NOTAMS IN THE TV AND RADIO MEDIA. LOWELL, MI, (24C) ON 9/SUN/01 AT XA00 LOCAL TIME. END DISCUSSION WITH LOCAL PLT AND SPOUSE WHILE PREFLTING ACFT. THOSE INDIVIDUALS HAD NOT FLOWN, BUT WISHED ME A GOOD AND SAFE FLT. XA00 + GO TO PLT'S LOUNGE TO CHK THE BOARD FOR NOTICES. NOTICE TO PLTS ON BOARD, NO FLTS IN US AIRSPACE. USED RADIO TO CHK GRR ATIS. NORMAL ATIS NO MENTION OF FLT RESTRS. CALLED FLT SERVICE, REMAINED HOLD FOR A BRIEFER FOR SEVERAL MINS. GAVE UP AND LEFT, ASSUMED NOTICE WAS OLD AND OBSOLETE. XA10 STARTED ACFT, COMPLETED GND RUN UP CHK, CHKED ATIS (STILL CURRENT). DEPARTED 24C TO THE N VIA RWY 30. CLRED MURRAY LAKE, CLIMBED TO 6500 FT TURNED E, THEN S. DESCENDED N OF GREENVILLE, (6D6), ENTERED PATTERN AND ANNOUNCED/LANDED RWY 28. ATIS GRR FREQ 127.1 WAS IN MY #2 COM RADIO UNTIL I ENTERED PATTERN AT 6D6. I CHKED THE #2 RADIO BY MONITORING ATIS AT THAT POINT, STILL CURRENT. #1 RADIO HAD BEEN TUNED TO 123.0 AND CONSTANTLY MONITORED THERE TO THAT POINT. NO CALLS RECEIVED ALTHOUGH AT LEAST ONE OTHER ARPT CALL HEARD ON THAT FREQ. 123.0 PLACED IN #2 RADIO, #1 COM RADIO SET TO 122.8 TO MAKE CALLS AT GREENVILLE. I TAXIED BACK ON TXWY, REENTERED RWY 28 AND DEPARTED. AFTER CLIMBING OUT ON HEADING 280, I TURNED TO HEADING 210 AND ANNOUNCED LEAVING THE PATTERN AT GREENVILLE TO THE S. GRAND RAPIDS TWR CALLED ME ON 122.8, REQUESTED I CONTACT THEM ON GRR APCH FREQ. ON GRR APCH FREQ THEY INFORMED ME THAT I WAS IN VIOLATION OF THE BAN ON VFR PLEASURE FLTS. THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO LAND AT LOWELL WHEN I INFORMED THEM IT WAS CLOSE. THEY CONTACTED ME AGAIN TO ASK MY NAME. THEY CONTACTED ME AGAIN TO REQUEST I CONTACT GRR TWR ON THE LAND LINE AND GAVE ME THE NUMBER. I LANDED AT LOWELL, TAXIED TO HANGAR AND PUT ACFT AWAY. I WALKED TOWARD THE PLT'S LOUNGE TO PHONE THE GRR TWR. MET LOWELL POLICE OFFICER ON THE WAY. KENT COUNTY OFFICER ARRIVED SHORTLY THEREAFTER. CONTACTED THE GRR TWR. RETURNED HOME AND CONTACTED (FAA). THEY INFORMED ME THAT MY '2 FLTS' HAD VIOLATED NOTAM. HE REQUESTED THAT I RETURN TO THE ARPT AND POST A NOTE OF NOTAM, ITS GENERAL PROHIBITION OF VFR FLTS, AND THE TIME AND DATE. I DID THAT. AFTER RETURNING HOME, I CHKED GRR ATIS ON LAND LINE. A NEW MESSAGE WAS THERE, WITH THE VFR PROHIBITION ANNOUNCEMENT.

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.