Narrative:

On 11/thu/01 I flew VFR from ZZZ to XXX on a cloudless day. Prior to the flight I visited the aviation web site to get information about tfr areas, a site I had been monitoring in anticipation of the above flight. Prior to 11/thu/01, the site had information about the new tfrs around power plant reactor sites and this information included VFR chart depictions for use in pilot orientation. On the day of my flight the web site had no information that I could find that would restrict my flight to XXX and there was no mention of an enlargement of the xzz restr area. I obtained a computer flight briefing just prior to my flight and noted no new NOTAMS along my route of flight. Enroute, I used my GPS with current data card for navigation staying outside the depicted class B airspace and the depicted xzz prohibitive airspace. On landing at ZZZ I was told to contact YYY center and at that time I learned that xzz had been enlarged from 5 NM radius to 8 NM radius and that I had flown 7 NM for military base. I was later interviewed by the secret service who determined that I had no evil intentions. I later repeated a standard computer WX briefing for a flight from ZZZ to XXX in search of this NOTAM and several computer screens down the list of NOTAMS the enlargement of the xzz area is mentioned. The aviation site does not have NOTAM mentioned. I clearly did not carefully read all of the NOTAMS listed in my computer WX briefing at this time of heightened terrorist alertness. I was in a hurry. It is obvious that each pilot will have to be very careful about reading the current, as well as past, NOTAMS not relying on current charts, current data cards in GPS units, and current aviation web pages for help in this matter. The NOTAMS are presented in chronological order, not geographically arranged, which would help aid the pilot in concentrating his attention. Perhaps each flight should, once again, begin with a call to an FSS briefer. The aviation web pages had been very useful in their plain language interpretations and graphic presentations of rapidly changing restrictions, but, as illustrated in this case, they do not relieve the pilot from reading and interpreting the official NOTAMS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PLT VIOLATED A TFR INVOLVING AN AREA NEAR THE GOVERNMENT BUILDING.

Narrative: ON 11/THU/01 I FLEW VFR FROM ZZZ TO XXX ON A CLOUDLESS DAY. PRIOR TO THE FLT I VISITED THE AVIATION WEB SITE TO GET INFO ABOUT TFR AREAS, A SITE I HAD BEEN MONITORING IN ANTICIPATION OF THE ABOVE FLT. PRIOR TO 11/THU/01, THE SITE HAD INFO ABOUT THE NEW TFRS AROUND PWR PLANT REACTOR SITES AND THIS INFO INCLUDED VFR CHART DEPICTIONS FOR USE IN PLT ORIENTATION. ON THE DAY OF MY FLT THE WEB SITE HAD NO INFO THAT I COULD FIND THAT WOULD RESTRICT MY FLT TO XXX AND THERE WAS NO MENTION OF AN ENLARGEMENT OF THE XZZ RESTR AREA. I OBTAINED A COMPUTER FLT BRIEFING JUST PRIOR TO MY FLT AND NOTED NO NEW NOTAMS ALONG MY ROUTE OF FLT. ENROUTE, I USED MY GPS WITH CURRENT DATA CARD FOR NAVIGATION STAYING OUTSIDE THE DEPICTED CLASS B AIRSPACE AND THE DEPICTED XZZ PROHIBITIVE AIRSPACE. ON LNDG AT ZZZ I WAS TOLD TO CONTACT YYY CENTER AND AT THAT TIME I LEARNED THAT XZZ HAD BEEN ENLARGED FROM 5 NM RADIUS TO 8 NM RADIUS AND THAT I HAD FLOWN 7 NM FOR MIL BASE. I WAS LATER INTERVIEWED BY THE SECRET SERVICE WHO DETERMINED THAT I HAD NO EVIL INTENTIONS. I LATER REPEATED A STANDARD COMPUTER WX BRIEFING FOR A FLT FROM ZZZ TO XXX IN SEARCH OF THIS NOTAM AND SEVERAL COMPUTER SCREENS DOWN THE LIST OF NOTAMS THE ENLARGEMENT OF THE XZZ AREA IS MENTIONED. THE AVIATION SITE DOES NOT HAVE NOTAM MENTIONED. I CLEARLY DID NOT CAREFULLY READ ALL OF THE NOTAMS LISTED IN MY COMPUTER WX BRIEFING AT THIS TIME OF HEIGHTENED TERRORIST ALERTNESS. I WAS IN A HURRY. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT EACH PLT WILL HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT READING THE CURRENT, AS WELL AS PAST, NOTAMS NOT RELYING ON CURRENT CHARTS, CURRENT DATA CARDS IN GPS UNITS, AND CURRENT AVIATION WEB PAGES FOR HELP IN THIS MATTER. THE NOTAMS ARE PRESENTED IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER, NOT GEOGRAPHICALLY ARRANGED, WHICH WOULD HELP AID THE PLT IN CONCENTRATING HIS ATTENTION. PERHAPS EACH FLT SHOULD, ONCE AGAIN, BEGIN WITH A CALL TO AN FSS BRIEFER. THE AVIATION WEB PAGES HAD BEEN VERY USEFUL IN THEIR PLAIN LANGUAGE INTERPRETATIONS AND GRAPHIC PRESENTATIONS OF RAPIDLY CHANGING RESTRICTIONS, BUT, AS ILLUSTRATED IN THIS CASE, THEY DO NOT RELIEVE THE PLT FROM READING AND INTERPRETING THE OFFICIAL NOTAMS.

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.