M20P instructor and student flew over a nuclear power plant while flight training.

Attributes
ACN	526982
Time
Date	200110
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : zzz.vor
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 6500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : zzz.tracon
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	M-20 K (231)
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : private pilot : cfi pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	526982
Person 2
Function	instruction : trainee
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter other non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Departed YYY, us, airport VFR for a training flight (cfii and student pilot). Climbed VFR to clear air over an overcast layer with a few breaks. Flew north away from 'enhanced' class B airspace at 6500 ft AGL and conducted flight training (turns, climbs, stalls, slow flight, etc). We had only very limited visual contact with the ground through small breaks in the undercast. Via VOR/DME we remained approximately 55 DME nne of ZZZ in unrestricted airspace per WAC and low altitude IFR charts, and GPS data. Upon completion of our airwork we navigated back (southwest) toward ZZZ, descended through a break in the undercast and executed a practice VOR/DME approach to ZZZ to a landing. We went to the airport restaurant and ordered lunch. Two local policemen came in, asked if we were the pilots of the plane outside. We said yes. They said they were to hold us for the FAA which was enroute. They took our identification and certificates. One watched us eat, the other officer was on telephone with (?) FAA. After long telephone conversation (out of our earshot) officers returned our documents said that we would hear from FAA, because we had flown over a nuclear power plant, and they had scrambled two F16's to intercept us. Guess our 4 place 210 hp mooney was too fast for them. Anyhow, we didn't/couldn't see the ground or a power plant, none was marked on any of the current charts we had on board.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: M20P INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT FLEW OVER A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT WHILE FLT TRAINING.

Narrative: DEPARTED YYY, US, ARPT VFR FOR A TRAINING FLT (CFII AND STUDENT PLT). CLIMBED VFR TO CLEAR AIR OVER AN OVERCAST LAYER WITH A FEW BREAKS. FLEW N AWAY FROM 'ENHANCED' CLASS B AIRSPACE AT 6500 FT AGL AND CONDUCTED FLT TRAINING (TURNS, CLIMBS, STALLS, SLOW FLT, ETC). WE HAD ONLY VERY LIMITED VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE GND THROUGH SMALL BREAKS IN THE UNDERCAST. VIA VOR/DME WE REMAINED APPROX 55 DME NNE OF ZZZ IN UNRESTRICTED AIRSPACE PER WAC AND LOW ALT IFR CHARTS, AND GPS DATA. UPON COMPLETION OF OUR AIRWORK WE NAVIGATED BACK (SW) TOWARD ZZZ, DESCENDED THROUGH A BREAK IN THE UNDERCAST AND EXECUTED A PRACTICE VOR/DME APCH TO ZZZ TO A LNDG. WE WENT TO THE ARPT RESTAURANT AND ORDERED LUNCH. TWO LOCAL POLICEMEN CAME IN, ASKED IF WE WERE THE PLTS OF THE PLANE OUTSIDE. WE SAID YES. THEY SAID THEY WERE TO HOLD US FOR THE FAA WHICH WAS ENROUTE. THEY TOOK OUR ID AND CERTIFICATES. ONE WATCHED US EAT, THE OTHER OFFICER WAS ON TELEPHONE WITH (?) FAA. AFTER LONG TELEPHONE CONVERSATION (OUT OF OUR EARSHOT) OFFICERS RETURNED OUR DOCUMENTS SAID THAT WE WOULD HEAR FROM FAA, BECAUSE WE HAD FLOWN OVER A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT, AND THEY HAD SCRAMBLED TWO F16'S TO INTERCEPT US. GUESS OUR 4 PLACE 210 HP MOONEY WAS TOO FAST FOR THEM. ANYHOW, WE DIDN'T/COULDN'T SEE THE GND OR A POWER PLANT, NONE WAS MARKED ON ANY OF THE CURRENT CHARTS WE HAD ON BOARD.

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.