Narrative:

I was on a VFR pleasure flight several hundred miles from my home base, paralleling a major interstate with a destination of YYY, airport. I had received a weather briefing from FSS and obtained NOTAMS involving several tfr (temporary flight restr) areas near my destination. I had studied my VFR sectional charts in advance, planning to contact ATC for VFR flight following before nearing these areas to ensure that I remained clear, as I was unfamiliar with this area. When I contacted ATC with my position (over YYY airport at 2700 ft) and request for VFR flight following, ATC informed me that I was currently in a tfr area. I had seen that restr area on the chart and had made sure to avoid it, my flight path kept me more than 3 NM from the restr area. However, I was not aware that this restr area had apparently been temporarily extended to an area beyond the charted boundary. ATC recommended flying directly to the ZZZ VOR. I complied with that, and as I neared the ZZZ VOR, the controller informed me that I could resume navigation to the north. The remainder of the flight was uneventful, and I received VFR flight following service for the duration. Looking back, I wish I had contacted ATC to request flight following earlier. I had thought that by contacting ATC more than 13 NM from what I thought was the nearest tfr, I was way ahead of the game. I never imagined that an already-existing restr area had been extended. Nor did I receive any information to that effect in my weather briefing. In the future, during times of tense national security and tfrs, I will make sure to either fly on an IFR flight plan or with VFR flight following service whenever I am in an unfamiliar area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 PLT VIOLATED THE RESTR AIRSPACE INVOLVING A CERTAIN AREA.

Narrative: I WAS ON A VFR PLEASURE FLT SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES FROM MY HOME BASE, PARALLELING A MAJOR INTERSTATE WITH A DEST OF YYY, ARPT. I HAD RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING FROM FSS AND OBTAINED NOTAMS INVOLVING SEVERAL TFR (TEMPORARY FLT RESTR) AREAS NEAR MY DEST. I HAD STUDIED MY VFR SECTIONAL CHARTS IN ADVANCE, PLANNING TO CONTACT ATC FOR VFR FLT FOLLOWING BEFORE NEARING THESE AREAS TO ENSURE THAT I REMAINED CLR, AS I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THIS AREA. WHEN I CONTACTED ATC WITH MY POSITION (OVER YYY ARPT AT 2700 FT) AND REQUEST FOR VFR FLT FOLLOWING, ATC INFORMED ME THAT I WAS CURRENTLY IN A TFR AREA. I HAD SEEN THAT RESTR AREA ON THE CHART AND HAD MADE SURE TO AVOID IT, MY FLT PATH KEPT ME MORE THAN 3 NM FROM THE RESTR AREA. HOWEVER, I WAS NOT AWARE THAT THIS RESTR AREA HAD APPARENTLY BEEN TEMPORARILY EXTENDED TO AN AREA BEYOND THE CHARTED BOUNDARY. ATC RECOMMENDED FLYING DIRECTLY TO THE ZZZ VOR. I COMPLIED WITH THAT, AND AS I NEARED THE ZZZ VOR, THE CTLR INFORMED ME THAT I COULD RESUME NAVIGATION TO THE N. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL, AND I RECEIVED VFR FLT FOLLOWING SERVICE FOR THE DURATION. LOOKING BACK, I WISH I HAD CONTACTED ATC TO REQUEST FLT FOLLOWING EARLIER. I HAD THOUGHT THAT BY CONTACTING ATC MORE THAN 13 NM FROM WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE NEAREST TFR, I WAS WAY AHEAD OF THE GAME. I NEVER IMAGINED THAT AN ALREADY-EXISTING RESTR AREA HAD BEEN EXTENDED. NOR DID I RECEIVE ANY INFO TO THAT EFFECT IN MY WEATHER BRIEFING. IN THE FUTURE, DURING TIMES OF TENSE NATIONAL SECURITY AND TFRS, I WILL MAKE SURE TO EITHER FLY ON AN IFR FLT PLAN OR WITH VFR FLT FOLLOWING SERVICE WHENEVER I AM IN AN UNFAMILIAR AREA.

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.