Narrative:

Around XA00 on 9/thu/01, I saw on the internet that the NOTAM restricting part 91 flts was to be lifted at XB00 eastern. This was on both the AOPA and eaa web sites. I also heard several news reports that flts, including GA, were starting after XB00. I then went to a flight physical (second class) at XD00 and then to mad river (I54). Typical of thursday afternoon, there was no one else there at this quiet grass strip. I then flew the champ in the vicinity of the airport from around XH30 to XI30. I remained within 5-6 NM of the airport and in class G airspace. I did mostly takeoffs and lndgs. I found out after landing that the NOTAM had been changed several times, and that the restriction on GA flying had been extended. I did not copy the original NOTAM as published in the morning. However, below is a copy of a statement on the eaa web site from thursday evening. From the eaa web site 9/thur/01: as of late thursday afternoon, general aviation flts in the continental us continue to be prohibited. That prohibition was to be lifted at XB00 on thursday morning but was continued just minutes before they were to be ended. A number of GA pilots had already commenced flts at the time and suddenly found themselves in violation of the updated NOTAM. Washington, dc, office director has been in direct contact with a person who stated that FAA in not interested in pursuing enforcement actions against any pilot who had taken off thursday morning as a result of the confusion and mixed messages from changing NOTAMS issued thursday morning.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CH7A PLT DEPARTED IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE LATEST INFORMATION RECEIVED REGARDING THE LIFTING OF PART 91 FLT RESTRICTIONS. IT WAS LEARNED LATER THAT THE RESTRICTION HAD BEEN EXTENDED, RENDERING HIM IN VIOLATION OF THE RESTRICTION.

Narrative: AROUND XA00 ON 9/THU/01, I SAW ON THE INTERNET THAT THE NOTAM RESTRICTING PART 91 FLTS WAS TO BE LIFTED AT XB00 EASTERN. THIS WAS ON BOTH THE AOPA AND EAA WEB SITES. I ALSO HEARD SEVERAL NEWS RPTS THAT FLTS, INCLUDING GA, WERE STARTING AFTER XB00. I THEN WENT TO A FLT PHYSICAL (SECOND CLASS) AT XD00 AND THEN TO MAD RIVER (I54). TYPICAL OF THURSDAY AFTERNOON, THERE WAS NO ONE ELSE THERE AT THIS QUIET GRASS STRIP. I THEN FLEW THE CHAMP IN THE VICINITY OF THE ARPT FROM AROUND XH30 TO XI30. I REMAINED WITHIN 5-6 NM OF THE ARPT AND IN CLASS G AIRSPACE. I DID MOSTLY TKOFS AND LNDGS. I FOUND OUT AFTER LNDG THAT THE NOTAM HAD BEEN CHANGED SEVERAL TIMES, AND THAT THE RESTRICTION ON GA FLYING HAD BEEN EXTENDED. I DID NOT COPY THE ORIGINAL NOTAM AS PUBLISHED IN THE MORNING. HOWEVER, BELOW IS A COPY OF A STATEMENT ON THE EAA WEB SITE FROM THURSDAY EVENING. FROM THE EAA WEB SITE 9/THUR/01: AS OF LATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON, GENERAL AVIATION FLTS IN THE CONTINENTAL US CONTINUE TO BE PROHIBITED. THAT PROHIBITION WAS TO BE LIFTED AT XB00 ON THURSDAY MORNING BUT WAS CONTINUED JUST MINUTES BEFORE THEY WERE TO BE ENDED. A NUMBER OF GA PLTS HAD ALREADY COMMENCED FLTS AT THE TIME AND SUDDENLY FOUND THEMSELVES IN VIOLATION OF THE UPDATED NOTAM. WASHINGTON, DC, OFFICE DIRECTOR HAS BEEN IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH A PERSON WHO STATED THAT FAA IN NOT INTERESTED IN PURSUING ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS AGAINST ANY PLT WHO HAD TAKEN OFF THURSDAY MORNING AS A RESULT OF THE CONFUSION AND MIXED MESSAGES FROM CHANGING NOTAMS ISSUED THURSDAY MORNING.

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.