Narrative:

This morning I took a friend on a sightseeing tour of our area in my club's archer. It included a flight along the lake michigan shoreline from warren dunes state park to approximately five miles south of south haven, mi, a total distance of 35 NM. This is a common practice and done by hundreds of planes every year, I myself have done it thirty to forty times in the twenty-two yrs I have been flying in this area. Unfortunately, the bridgman, michigan nuclear power plant is located on the shoreline. I unknowingly and unwittingly, was unaware there was a three-mile restr zone around the plant, as a result of the terrorist attacks in sept. When I landed at my home base in elkhart, in, I was advised by one of the controllers of my infraction. I was also told that two F16S were assigned to fly above me until satisfied I was not a threat, I did not see them. I was also advised that I should have contacted FSS for NOTAMS that would have told me this area is off limits. I am completely aware that ignorance of the law is not excuse, however, I do have two comments regarding my infraction. There has been no formal notification from the FAA regarding specific restrs, nor have the newspapers provided any information. It would never occur to me (or anyone I have talked to) to call FSS for a brief local sightseeing flight. Finally, I accept responsibility as PIC for not considering the restrs now in place, because of the wtc/pentagon disaster, however, I feel it would not have been inappropriate for the south bend controller to mention it to me. As I passed through their airspace, with their approval, I notified them not once, but twice of my intentions and nothing was said to me. The elkhart controller told me it was not their responsibility, it is the PIC's responsibility. Under normal circumstances, and/or the pressure of a heavy workload, this reason would be acceptable, but these are no longer normal times, their workload is considerably lighter and a little courtesy and consideration would have prevented this situation completely.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 PLT TOOK A 35 NM SIGHTSEEING FLT, ALONG THE LAKE MICHIGAN SHORE LINE, PASSING IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT.

Narrative: THIS MORNING I TOOK A FRIEND ON A SIGHTSEEING TOUR OF OUR AREA IN MY CLUB'S ARCHER. IT INCLUDED A FLT ALONG THE LAKE MICHIGAN SHORELINE FROM WARREN DUNES STATE PARK TO APPROX FIVE MILES S OF SOUTH HAVEN, MI, A TOTAL DISTANCE OF 35 NM. THIS IS A COMMON PRACTICE AND DONE BY HUNDREDS OF PLANES EVERY YEAR, I MYSELF HAVE DONE IT THIRTY TO FORTY TIMES IN THE TWENTY-TWO YRS I HAVE BEEN FLYING IN THIS AREA. UNFORTUNATELY, THE BRIDGMAN, MICHIGAN NUCLEAR PWR PLANT IS LOCATED ON THE SHORELINE. I UNKNOWINGLY AND UNWITTINGLY, WAS UNAWARE THERE WAS A THREE-MILE RESTR ZONE AROUND THE PLANT, AS A RESULT OF THE TERRORIST ATTACKS IN SEPT. WHEN I LANDED AT MY HOME BASE IN ELKHART, IN, I WAS ADVISED BY ONE OF THE CTLRS OF MY INFRACTION. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT TWO F16S WERE ASSIGNED TO FLY ABOVE ME UNTIL SATISFIED I WAS NOT A THREAT, I DID NOT SEE THEM. I WAS ALSO ADVISED THAT I SHOULD HAVE CONTACTED FSS FOR NOTAMS THAT WOULD HAVE TOLD ME THIS AREA IS OFF LIMITS. I AM COMPLETELY AWARE THAT IGNORANCE OF THE LAW IS NOT EXCUSE, HOWEVER, I DO HAVE TWO COMMENTS REGARDING MY INFRACTION. THERE HAS BEEN NO FORMAL NOTIFICATION FROM THE FAA REGARDING SPECIFIC RESTRS, NOR HAVE THE NEWSPAPERS PROVIDED ANY INFO. IT WOULD NEVER OCCUR TO ME (OR ANYONE I HAVE TALKED TO) TO CALL FSS FOR A BRIEF LOCAL SIGHTSEEING FLT. FINALLY, I ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY AS PIC FOR NOT CONSIDERING THE RESTRS NOW IN PLACE, BECAUSE OF THE WTC/PENTAGON DISASTER, HOWEVER, I FEEL IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN INAPPROPRIATE FOR THE S BEND CTLR TO MENTION IT TO ME. AS I PASSED THROUGH THEIR AIRSPACE, WITH THEIR APPROVAL, I NOTIFIED THEM NOT ONCE, BUT TWICE OF MY INTENTIONS AND NOTHING WAS SAID TO ME. THE ELKHART CTLR TOLD ME IT WAS NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY, IT IS THE PIC'S RESPONSIBILITY. UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, AND/OR THE PRESSURE OF A HEAVY WORKLOAD, THIS REASON WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE, BUT THESE ARE NO LONGER NORMAL TIMES, THEIR WORKLOAD IS CONSIDERABLY LIGHTER AND A LITTLE COURTESY AND CONSIDERATION WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS SIT COMPLETELY.

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.