Narrative:

Did a self WX brief on my computer on 10/wed/01. Departed to ZZZ. Called ZZZ1 approach when air borne in class B airspace and asked for 4500 ft VFR to ZZZ. Was heading northwest when ZZZ1 called and said I was leaving their airspace, to squawk 1200 and for further advisories to call ZZZ2 approach. I did monitor ZZZ2 and ZZZ1 center, but made no contact. I flew between ZZZ3 and ZZZ4 airspace and south of the restr area. As I approach ZZZ5, I began to monitor ZZZ6 approach. As I was passing ZZZ5 I was listening to a conversation between a bonanza pilot and ZZZ6 approach. From what I gathered the bonanza departed ZZZ6 and was asking to fly south to try to get a tail number of an airplane that had penetrated a restr area around a plant. In listening to their conversation, the controller was directing the bonanza directly toward the wanted aircraft. He told the bonanza pilot that the aircraft was at 12 O'clock and 1 mile and at 4500 ft. Because I was at 4500 ft, I started looking in the direction of ZZZ6 and to my left, passing directly in front of me, was a bonanza at my altitude. I immediately climbed to avoid a collision with the bonanza. The ZZZ6 controller told the bonanza pilot that he had just past the wanted aircraft and did he get the tail number. The bonanza pilot says no and that he never saw me. He was then instructed to turn around and try to catch me, but was told not to bother, that I was 40 knots faster and 'thanks for trying.' right after we came close to colliding, I began to call ZZZ6 approach, realizing I was the aircraft they were looking for. I called at least 4 times on navigation 1 with no reply. I then switched to navigation 2 and on the second or 3RD try, the controller responded with 'stand by.' it seemed he was so engrossed in getting my tail number that he was disregarding every one else. After waiting 5 mins for a callback, I contacted ZZZ approach and proceeded in to land. Once on the ground, I was instructed to call the tower. They explained to me what I had done and took my phone number. I then received a phone call from a sgt X explaining to me what I had done and that I should look up the NOTAMS on the web. I also called ZZZ3 radar and talked to the supervisor and explained to him that I was not aware of the tfr about 10 miles from plants due to the fact that it had been issued at ZZZ. Regardless, he said he had no choice, but to write me up. 'This was not an intentional infraction.' I then tried to call ZZZ6 approach, but got no answer. For my return flight, I filed an IFR flight plan through ZZZ6 flight service, and after getting briefed, I asked the specialist if there were any NOTAMS. His response, I should have them all by know. I told him I thought I did until my flight from ZZZ1 to ZZZ and got advised that I had penetrated a restr area around power plant. He said, 'oh yeah, that is a new one that had just come out the night before.' on my return flight when talking to ZZZ6 approach, I asked the controller to have his supervisor call me. I was then handed off to ZZZ3 approach. Right after contacting ZZZ3 approach I overheard a conversation between another pilot and ZZZ3 approach thanking them for letting his friend off because he didn't know the seriousness of the situation. I keyed my microphone and said they didn't let me off. He then said thanks again and changed frequency. I did correct my call sign for the ZZZ3 controllers a couple of times. When I returned home, I did call ZZZ3 radar and asked for the supervisor. He was not working so I talk to another supervisor. I asked why the other pilot was let go and her response was he only penetrated the restr airspace a little bit and if I had further questions I would have to call in the morning. To correct the problem from now on, I will call flight service for all NOTAMS and do most of my flts IFR. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter's concern is that the destination airport supervisor stated to him that it was only a problem with the approach control two facs south and not his. The pilot questions how new tfrs are distributed to the flying public, their timeliness, and how the FAA was enforcing action 'as each flight.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA PLT IS CHALLENGED ON RETURN FLT BY AN INTERMEDIATE APCH CTL FAC FOR TFR VIOLATION. PLT OVERHEARS ANOTHER PLT BEING WARNED WITHOUT VIOLATION BECAUSE HE PENETRATED THE TFR ONLY 'A LITTLE BIT.'

Narrative: DID A SELF WX BRIEF ON MY COMPUTER ON 10/WED/01. DEPARTED TO ZZZ. CALLED ZZZ1 APCH WHEN AIR BORNE IN CLASS B AIRSPACE AND ASKED FOR 4500 FT VFR TO ZZZ. WAS HEADING NW WHEN ZZZ1 CALLED AND SAID I WAS LEAVING THEIR AIRSPACE, TO SQUAWK 1200 AND FOR FURTHER ADVISORIES TO CALL ZZZ2 APCH. I DID MONITOR ZZZ2 AND ZZZ1 CENTER, BUT MADE NO CONTACT. I FLEW BETWEEN ZZZ3 AND ZZZ4 AIRSPACE AND S OF THE RESTR AREA. AS I APCH ZZZ5, I BEGAN TO MONITOR ZZZ6 APCH. AS I WAS PASSING ZZZ5 I WAS LISTENING TO A CONVERSATION BETWEEN A BONANZA PLT AND ZZZ6 APCH. FROM WHAT I GATHERED THE BONANZA DEPARTED ZZZ6 AND WAS ASKING TO FLY S TO TRY TO GET A TAIL NUMBER OF AN AIRPLANE THAT HAD PENETRATED A RESTR AREA AROUND A PLANT. IN LISTENING TO THEIR CONVERSATION, THE CTLR WAS DIRECTING THE BONANZA DIRECTLY TOWARD THE WANTED ACFT. HE TOLD THE BONANZA PLT THAT THE ACFT WAS AT 12 O'CLOCK AND 1 MILE AND AT 4500 FT. BECAUSE I WAS AT 4500 FT, I STARTED LOOKING IN THE DIRECTION OF ZZZ6 AND TO MY L, PASSING DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME, WAS A BONANZA AT MY ALTITUDE. I IMMEDIATELY CLIMBED TO AVOID A COLLISION WITH THE BONANZA. THE ZZZ6 CTLR TOLD THE BONANZA PLT THAT HE HAD JUST PAST THE WANTED ACFT AND DID HE GET THE TAIL NUMBER. THE BONANZA PLT SAYS NO AND THAT HE NEVER SAW ME. HE WAS THEN INSTRUCTED TO TURN AROUND AND TRY TO CATCH ME, BUT WAS TOLD NOT TO BOTHER, THAT I WAS 40 KNOTS FASTER AND 'THANKS FOR TRYING.' RIGHT AFTER WE CAME CLOSE TO COLLIDING, I BEGAN TO CALL ZZZ6 APCH, REALIZING I WAS THE ACFT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR. I CALLED AT LEAST 4 TIMES ON NAV 1 WITH NO REPLY. I THEN SWITCHED TO NAV 2 AND ON THE SECOND OR 3RD TRY, THE CTLR RESPONDED WITH 'STAND BY.' IT SEEMED HE WAS SO ENGROSSED IN GETTING MY TAIL NUMBER THAT HE WAS DISREGARDING EVERY ONE ELSE. AFTER WAITING 5 MINS FOR A CALLBACK, I CONTACTED ZZZ APCH AND PROCEEDED IN TO LAND. ONCE ON THE GND, I WAS INSTRUCTED TO CALL THE TWR. THEY EXPLAINED TO ME WHAT I HAD DONE AND TOOK MY PHONE NUMBER. I THEN RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM A SGT X EXPLAINING TO ME WHAT I HAD DONE AND THAT I SHOULD LOOK UP THE NOTAMS ON THE WEB. I ALSO CALLED ZZZ3 RADAR AND TALKED TO THE SUPVR AND EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE TFR ABOUT 10 MILES FROM PLANTS DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT HAD BEEN ISSUED AT ZZZ. REGARDLESS, HE SAID HE HAD NO CHOICE, BUT TO WRITE ME UP. 'THIS WAS NOT AN INTENTIONAL INFRACTION.' I THEN TRIED TO CALL ZZZ6 APCH, BUT GOT NO ANSWER. FOR MY RETURN FLT, I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN THROUGH ZZZ6 FLT SVC, AND AFTER GETTING BRIEFED, I ASKED THE SPECIALIST IF THERE WERE ANY NOTAMS. HIS RESPONSE, I SHOULD HAVE THEM ALL BY KNOW. I TOLD HIM I THOUGHT I DID UNTIL MY FLT FROM ZZZ1 TO ZZZ AND GOT ADVISED THAT I HAD PENETRATED A RESTR AREA AROUND PWR PLANT. HE SAID, 'OH YEAH, THAT IS A NEW ONE THAT HAD JUST COME OUT THE NIGHT BEFORE.' ON MY RETURN FLT WHEN TALKING TO ZZZ6 APCH, I ASKED THE CTLR TO HAVE HIS SUPVR CALL ME. I WAS THEN HANDED OFF TO ZZZ3 APCH. RIGHT AFTER CONTACTING ZZZ3 APCH I OVERHEARD A CONVERSATION BETWEEN ANOTHER PLT AND ZZZ3 APCH THANKING THEM FOR LETTING HIS FRIEND OFF BECAUSE HE DIDN'T KNOW THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE SIT. I KEYED MY MIKE AND SAID THEY DIDN'T LET ME OFF. HE THEN SAID THANKS AGAIN AND CHANGED FREQ. I DID CORRECT MY CALL SIGN FOR THE ZZZ3 CTLRS A COUPLE OF TIMES. WHEN I RETURNED HOME, I DID CALL ZZZ3 RADAR AND ASKED FOR THE SUPVR. HE WAS NOT WORKING SO I TALK TO ANOTHER SUPVR. I ASKED WHY THE OTHER PLT WAS LET GO AND HER RESPONSE WAS HE ONLY PENETRATED THE RESTR AIRSPACE A LITTLE BIT AND IF I HAD FURTHER QUESTIONS I WOULD HAVE TO CALL IN THE MORNING. TO CORRECT THE PROB FROM NOW ON, I WILL CALL FLT SVC FOR ALL NOTAMS AND DO MOST OF MY FLTS IFR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR'S CONCERN IS THAT THE DEST ARPT SUPVR STATED TO HIM THAT IT WAS ONLY A PROB WITH THE APCH CTL TWO FACS S AND NOT HIS. THE PLT QUESTIONS HOW NEW TFRS ARE DISTRIBUTED TO THE FLYING PUBLIC, THEIR TIMELINESS, AND HOW THE FAA WAS ENFORCING ACTION 'AS EACH FLT.'

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.