Narrative:

Called XXX flight service on 11/fri/01 to get information on tfr areas and WX briefing. Was told about tfr areas, but in the northern pat of the state, but in vague terms such as 36 mi southwest of YYY and 237 mi southwest of BBB. Specific locations were not given. Told to call 118.0 to get information when in area. On 11/sun/01, got WX briefing at wxmation. Was VFR to ZZZ. Got flight following to ZZZ1. Told ZZZ we were direct ZZZ2 then direct ZZZ3 to avoid class C airspace, thinking we were far enough away from AAA. No mention was made by ZZZ that there was restr airspace there. They released us at ZZZ1, and did not provide a frequency to get further flight following. We continued VFR to about 10 mi from ZZZ2 tuned ATIS to find out that ZZZ2 and AAA were under tfr. We immediately turned around and backtracked for 5 mi and then turned south. We contacted ZZZ4 center on 118.0 to ask for flight following. They gave us a squawk but did not confirm radar contact for approximately 5 min. We were then told to contact another ZZZ4 center sector frequency and were told we had invaded a tfr area. We were vectored our of the area and given flight following back to ZZZ3 where we landed uneventfully. I contacted the ZZZ4 controller who told me I had invaded a tfr area and she said she had filled out a pilot deviation report. But she agreed that the information provided by the XXX FSS has been sketchy. She suggested I call to complain about the language of the NOTAMS. I feel if more specific information was given such as 20 mi circumference from xyz would be much easier to locate and avoid. I realize the FSS doesn't want to pinpoint the plants, but if we are to avoid them VFR, we need to know precisely where they are. Otherwise, specify no VFR flight without flight following. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter's concern is with an FSS briefing that alerts the pilot to avoid a tfr southwest of airport 'X,' and can't be more specific than that.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CENTER COUNSELS GA PLT ABOUT PENETRATING TFR. PLT'S BRIEFING BY XXX FSS ISSUED GENERAL LOCATIONS ONLY.

Narrative: CALLED XXX FLT SERVICE ON 11/FRI/01 TO GET INFO ON TFR AREAS AND WX BRIEFING. WAS TOLD ABOUT TFR AREAS, BUT IN THE NORTHERN PAT OF THE STATE, BUT IN VAGUE TERMS SUCH AS 36 MI SW OF YYY AND 237 MI SW OF BBB. SPECIFIC LOCATIONS WERE NOT GIVEN. TOLD TO CALL 118.0 TO GET INFO WHEN IN AREA. ON 11/SUN/01, GOT WX BRIEFING AT WXMATION. WAS VFR TO ZZZ. GOT FLT FOLLOWING TO ZZZ1. TOLD ZZZ WE WERE DIRECT ZZZ2 THEN DIRECT ZZZ3 TO AVOID CLASS C AIRSPACE, THINKING WE WERE FAR ENOUGH AWAY FROM AAA. NO MENTION WAS MADE BY ZZZ THAT THERE WAS RESTR AIRSPACE THERE. THEY RELEASED US AT ZZZ1, AND DID NOT PROVIDE A FREQ TO GET FURTHER FLT FOLLOWING. WE CONTINUED VFR TO ABOUT 10 MI FROM ZZZ2 TUNED ATIS TO FIND OUT THAT ZZZ2 AND AAA WERE UNDER TFR. WE IMMEDIATELY TURNED AROUND AND BACKTRACKED FOR 5 MI AND THEN TURNED S. WE CONTACTED ZZZ4 CENTER ON 118.0 TO ASK FOR FLT FOLLOWING. THEY GAVE US A SQUAWK BUT DID NOT CONFIRM RADAR CONTACT FOR APPROX 5 MIN. WE WERE THEN TOLD TO CONTACT ANOTHER ZZZ4 CTR SECTOR FREQ AND WERE TOLD WE HAD INVADED A TFR AREA. WE WERE VECTORED OUR OF THE AREA AND GIVEN FLT FOLLOWING BACK TO ZZZ3 WHERE WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. I CONTACTED THE ZZZ4 CTLR WHO TOLD ME I HAD INVADED A TFR AREA AND SHE SAID SHE HAD FILLED OUT A PLT DEVIATION RPT. BUT SHE AGREED THAT THE INFO PROVIDED BY THE XXX FSS HAS BEEN SKETCHY. SHE SUGGESTED I CALL TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE LANGUAGE OF THE NOTAMS. I FEEL IF MORE SPECIFIC INFO WAS GIVEN SUCH AS 20 MI CIRCUMFERENCE FROM XYZ WOULD BE MUCH EASIER TO LOCATE AND AVOID. I REALIZE THE FSS DOESN'T WANT TO PINPOINT THE PLANTS, BUT IF WE ARE TO AVOID THEM VFR, WE NEED TO KNOW PRECISELY WHERE THEY ARE. OTHERWISE, SPECIFY NO VFR FLT WITHOUT FLT FOLLOWING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR'S CONCERN IS WITH AN FSS BRIEFING THAT ALERTS THE PLT TO AVOID A TFR SW OF ARPT 'X,' AND CAN'T BE MORE SPECIFIC THAN THAT.

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.