Narrative:

In order to make it more understandable, I will list the events in chronological order along with my comments and observations. All times are CDT on 10/sat/01. Approximately XA30 I received a standard pilot briefing regarding my planned round trip flight of that day from ZZZ where I am based to xyz and back. I paid particular attention to the forecast weather for the entire day (anticipating a return trip) and the NOTAMS for my departure and arrival airport. I also noted the fdc NOTAMS which were listed to see if there were any new ones that might affect my flight. XXX in YYY appeared to be the closest and obviously did not affect these flts. Approximately XB00 departed ZZZ VFR and flew direct to xyz at 4500 ft, arriving at xyz at approximately XB30. Approximately XL45 arrived at xyz (by car) accompanied by my wife and proceeded through the terminal/FBO and proceeded directly to my aircraft, loaded it and performed a preflight inspection. Weather conditions were extreme VFR (as was forecast) and there was a light wind from the south favoring runway 17. Prior to taxi I monitored the xyz AWOS and as I taxied out I monitored unicom. I announced my position prior to crossing an intersecting runway on taxiway a. After run-up at the end of the runway I once again made a call on unicom that I was taking runway 17 for departure. Approximately XM00 we took off from xyz and being aware of the tfr regarding college football stadiums, I immediately turned east to remain at least 3 mi north of the abc campus. As we climbed out, I visually identified the stadium which I believed to be about 5 mi south of our location and continued the climb to 5500 ft for a flight direct to ZZZ. Approximately XM30 landed at ZZZ and was advised by tower to call an 800 number and ask to speak with a supervisor at ZZZ center. Approximately XM50 called the 800 number and spoke to the person who answered and was advised that I had a possible pilot deviation. This person asked for my name (pilot number?), address and telephone number, which I provided. I advised this person that I was aware of the tfr and believed that I remained clear of controlled airspace (if it was actually controlled at that time) and that I was unaware that xyz had been closed to VFR traffic. He advised that the NOTAM had been posted at XK00 CDT. Now for my comments: first, I always, always strive to be a safe and legal pilot. I was very aware of the tfr regarding college football stadiums. However, fdc states 'events' and I knew game time was XN00 and I was roughly one hour until game time. The NOTAM cites 3000 ft and 3 mi, but it does not say from when until when. As I noted, I could see the stadium and at least the south stands did not have many people in them yet. Anyway, this is a moot issue, as I believed that I was more than 3 mi away. Which brings me to my next point: the stadium (or the abc campus for that matter) is not depicted on sectional maps or any other pilot reference source that I am aware of. How, other than by visual estimation, can it be determined if the airport and/or the aircraft are within 3NM of an 'event.' ATC had precise radar and I am sure there is a track of my flight. Even with GPS on board, I had to rely on my visual estimation to remain clear, which I believed that I did. I received a full briefing for my flts of that day, but there was not a mention of an airport closure for that day. Clearly I could have received a more current briefing, but considering the circumstances that did not seem necessary. I am not passing any blame that is mine, but the NOTAM for an airport closure for a scheduled event could have appeared day's earlier. I walked through the airport and passed a number of locations where a short notice NOTAM could have been posted (2 sets of glass doors), listened to AWOS (??? Modifiable for NOTAM?), and transmitted on a monitored unicom, all of which could have been utilized to notify all airmen that there was an airport closure. We are all in this together. While if fully agree that as pilot in command, I am responsible for compliances to the FARS, it is very difficult when the system (ie, late posting of NOTAMS, no waypoint depictions, vague tfr hours, etc) are promoting violations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AERO COMMANDER 112 PLT UNKNOWINGLY TOOK OFF FROM AN UNCONTROLLED ARPT CLOSED TO VFR OPS AND ENTERED RESTR AIRSPACE SURROUNDING A SPORTS STADIUM.

Narrative: IN ORDER TO MAKE IT MORE UNDERSTANDABLE, I WILL LIST THE EVENTS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER ALONG WITH MY COMMENTS AND OBSERVATIONS. ALL TIMES ARE CDT ON 10/SAT/01. APPROX XA30 I RECEIVED A STANDARD PLT BRIEFING REGARDING MY PLANNED ROUND TRIP FLT OF THAT DAY FROM ZZZ WHERE I AM BASED TO XYZ AND BACK. I PAID PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE FORECAST WEATHER FOR THE ENTIRE DAY (ANTICIPATING A RETURN TRIP) AND THE NOTAMS FOR MY DEP AND ARRIVAL ARPT. I ALSO NOTED THE FDC NOTAMS WHICH WERE LISTED TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY NEW ONES THAT MIGHT AFFECT MY FLT. XXX IN YYY APPEARED TO BE THE CLOSEST AND OBVIOUSLY DID NOT AFFECT THESE FLTS. APPROX XB00 DEPARTED ZZZ VFR AND FLEW DIRECT TO XYZ AT 4500 FT, ARRIVING AT XYZ AT APPROX XB30. APPROX XL45 ARRIVED AT XYZ (BY CAR) ACCOMPANIED BY MY WIFE AND PROCEEDED THROUGH THE TERMINAL/FBO AND PROCEEDED DIRECTLY TO MY AIRCRAFT, LOADED IT AND PERFORMED A PREFLT INSPECTION. WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE EXTREME VFR (AS WAS FORECAST) AND THERE WAS A LIGHT WIND FROM THE S FAVORING RWY 17. PRIOR TO TAXI I MONITORED THE XYZ AWOS AND AS I TAXIED OUT I MONITORED UNICOM. I ANNOUNCED MY POSITION PRIOR TO CROSSING AN INTERSECTING RWY ON TXWY A. AFTER RUN-UP AT THE END OF THE RWY I ONCE AGAIN MADE A CALL ON UNICOM THAT I WAS TAKING RWY 17 FOR DEP. APPROX XM00 WE TOOK OFF FROM XYZ AND BEING AWARE OF THE TFR REGARDING COLLEGE FOOTBALL STADIUMS, I IMMEDIATELY TURNED E TO REMAIN AT LEAST 3 MI N OF THE ABC CAMPUS. AS WE CLIMBED OUT, I VISUALLY IDENTIFIED THE STADIUM WHICH I BELIEVED TO BE ABOUT 5 MI S OF OUR LOCATION AND CONTINUED THE CLIMB TO 5500 FT FOR A FLT DIRECT TO ZZZ. APPROX XM30 LANDED AT ZZZ AND WAS ADVISED BY TWR TO CALL AN 800 NUMBER AND ASK TO SPEAK WITH A SUPVR AT ZZZ CENTER. APPROX XM50 CALLED THE 800 NUMBER AND SPOKE TO THE PERSON WHO ANSWERED AND WAS ADVISED THAT I HAD A POSSIBLE PLT DEVIATION. THIS PERSON ASKED FOR MY NAME (PLT NUMBER?), ADDRESS AND TELEPHONE NUMBER, WHICH I PROVIDED. I ADVISED THIS PERSON THAT I WAS AWARE OF THE TFR AND BELIEVED THAT I REMAINED CLR OF CONTROLLED AIRSPACE (IF IT WAS ACTUALLY CONTROLLED AT THAT TIME) AND THAT I WAS UNAWARE THAT XYZ HAD BEEN CLOSED TO VFR TFC. HE ADVISED THAT THE NOTAM HAD BEEN POSTED AT XK00 CDT. NOW FOR MY COMMENTS: FIRST, I ALWAYS, ALWAYS STRIVE TO BE A SAFE AND LEGAL PLT. I WAS VERY AWARE OF THE TFR REGARDING COLLEGE FOOTBALL STADIUMS. HOWEVER, FDC STATES 'EVENTS' AND I KNEW GAME TIME WAS XN00 AND I WAS ROUGHLY ONE HR UNTIL GAME TIME. THE NOTAM CITES 3000 FT AND 3 MI, BUT IT DOES NOT SAY FROM WHEN UNTIL WHEN. AS I NOTED, I COULD SEE THE STADIUM AND AT LEAST THE S STANDS DID NOT HAVE MANY PEOPLE IN THEM YET. ANYWAY, THIS IS A MOOT ISSUE, AS I BELIEVED THAT I WAS MORE THAN 3 MI AWAY. WHICH BRINGS ME TO MY NEXT POINT: THE STADIUM (OR THE ABC CAMPUS FOR THAT MATTER) IS NOT DEPICTED ON SECTIONAL MAPS OR ANY OTHER PLT REFERENCE SOURCE THAT I AM AWARE OF. HOW, OTHER THAN BY VISUAL ESTIMATION, CAN IT BE DETERMINED IF THE AIRPORT AND/OR THE ACFT ARE WITHIN 3NM OF AN 'EVENT.' ATC HAD PRECISE RADAR AND I AM SURE THERE IS A TRACK OF MY FLT. EVEN WITH GPS ON BOARD, I HAD TO RELY ON MY VISUAL ESTIMATION TO REMAIN CLR, WHICH I BELIEVED THAT I DID. I RECEIVED A FULL BRIEFING FOR MY FLTS OF THAT DAY, BUT THERE WAS NOT A MENTION OF AN ARPT CLOSURE FOR THAT DAY. CLEARLY I COULD HAVE RECEIVED A MORE CURRENT BRIEFING, BUT CONSIDERING THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT DID NOT SEEM NECESSARY. I AM NOT PASSING ANY BLAME THAT IS MINE, BUT THE NOTAM FOR AN ARPT CLOSURE FOR A SCHEDULED EVENT COULD HAVE APPEARED DAY'S EARLIER. I WALKED THROUGH THE ARPT AND PASSED A NUMBER OF LOCATIONS WHERE A SHORT NOTICE NOTAM COULD HAVE BEEN POSTED (2 SETS OF GLASS DOORS), LISTENED TO AWOS (??? MODIFIABLE FOR NOTAM?), AND TRANSMITTED ON A MONITORED UNICOM, ALL OF WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN UTILIZED TO NOTIFY ALL AIRMEN THAT THERE WAS AN ARPT CLOSURE. WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. WHILE IF FULLY AGREE THAT AS PLT IN COMMAND, I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR COMPLIANCES TO THE FARS, IT IS VERY DIFFICULT WHEN THE SYSTEM (IE, LATE POSTING OF NOTAMS, NO WAYPOINT DEPICTIONS, VAGUE TFR HRS, ETC) ARE PROMOTING VIOLATIONS.

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.