Narrative:

I decided to take a friend (also a private pilot) for a local cross country and I picked ZZZ airport as the destination because I was there once before. I called the local FSS at approximately XA00 local time for a standard briefing. I took note of the NOTAM that communicated a temporary restr of the airspace included in a 10 mi radius around the power plant. I spoke with a briefer who gave me a full standard briefing, repeating the content of the NOTAM and location of the power plant. He also added that ZZZ1 airport was closed due to its location within 10 mi of the power plant. I mistakenly interpreted ZZZ airport to be ZZZ2 airport, and not ZZZ airport commonly referred to as ZZZ3 airport and looked for any sort of identification of the power plant in the area on my sectional chart. All I could find were multiple height obstruction symbols. I circled a group of obstructions located 5 mi west of ZZZ1 airport. At this point I re-plotted my route of flight in order to be more than 10 mi away of what I thought to be the power plant. At approximately XE15, I called the FSS for an abbreviated briefing. Again the WX looked good and the power plant was identified in its location. After the briefing I filed my flight plan as VFR cross country from ZZZ4 to ZZZ2 off the shoreline. Before taking off, I set the second radio on the emergency frequency 121.5 and repeatedly tested the second radio. After taking off from ZZZ4 I announced to the tower my intentions to proceed northbound off the shoreline at or below 1000 ft MSL. I then communicated without disruption to ZZZ5 tower, ZZZ6 tower, and ZZZ7 approach. ZZZ7 assigned a squawk and altitude of 'at or below 500 ft MSL. When I left ZZZ7 class C airspace, I was told by ZZZ7 ATC to resume VFR navigation. While northbound on my planned route I kept monitoring 121.5 on COM2 and dialed in my first radio the frequency of ZZZ2 tower. In good faith, I cannot recall any warning received at any time that my intended route was taking me towards a restr area. When I reached what I consider to be a landmark (that in fact was the power plant) I called ZZZ2 tower informing them of my position (15 mi southeast of airport) and requesting permission to proceed inbound for full stop. ZZZ2 tower informed me that they had me on the radar and that I was inside a restr area. They cleared me to proceed inbound. Once landed, I was instructed by tower to call a phone number that tower gave to me. Once at the ramp, a sheriff was waiting for us. The FAA official prompted me to contact a number in ZZZ8, which I did after calling my flight school to let them know about the situation. I inquired with the official in ZZZ8, whether I was permitted to fly the airplane back to ZZZ4 and was given a phone number in ZZZ9 in order to receive some sort of waiver. I called the ZZZ9 office and I reach a recorded message informing me that I should facsimile a written request to receive a waiver. At this point I decided not to fly the airplane back to ZZZ4 and I called my flight school requesting to send two pilots in another plane to get us all back home. While waiting for the pilots to arrive, we were questioned by two fbi agents. Around XL00 my passenger and myself were flown to ZZZ4 by the two instructors sent by the flight training school. First of all, I would like to say that I believe that this situation could have been avoided by me requesting flight following with vectoring around the restr area to the final destination. Without waiving my responsibility for the incident, I would like to share some considerations. I believe that more precise information about the actual position of the power plant (coordinates, distance, on a VOR radial etc) in the NOTAM would have helped me locating the restr area. The lack of precise identification marks on the sectional chart makes it difficult for somebody not familiar with the area to positively locate the power plant.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT ENTERED TFR AREA AROUND A PWR PLANT.

Narrative: I DECIDED TO TAKE A FRIEND (ALSO A PVT PLT) FOR A LOCAL CROSS COUNTRY AND I PICKED ZZZ ARPT AS THE DEST BECAUSE I WAS THERE ONCE BEFORE. I CALLED THE LOCAL FSS AT APPROX XA00 LOCAL TIME FOR A STANDARD BRIEFING. I TOOK NOTE OF THE NOTAM THAT COMMUNICATED A TEMPORARY RESTR OF THE AIRSPACE INCLUDED IN A 10 MI RADIUS AROUND THE PWR PLANT. I SPOKE WITH A BRIEFER WHO GAVE ME A FULL STANDARD BRIEFING, REPEATING THE CONTENT OF THE NOTAM AND LOCATION OF THE PWR PLANT. HE ALSO ADDED THAT ZZZ1 ARPT WAS CLOSED DUE TO ITS LOCATION WITHIN 10 MI OF THE PWR PLANT. I MISTAKENLY INTERPRETED ZZZ ARPT TO BE ZZZ2 ARPT, AND NOT ZZZ ARPT COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS ZZZ3 ARPT AND LOOKED FOR ANY SORT OF IDENTIFICATION OF THE PWR PLANT IN THE AREA ON MY SECTIONAL CHART. ALL I COULD FIND WERE MULTIPLE HEIGHT OBSTRUCTION SYMBOLS. I CIRCLED A GROUP OF OBSTRUCTIONS LOCATED 5 MI W OF ZZZ1 ARPT. AT THIS POINT I RE-PLOTTED MY RTE OF FLT IN ORDER TO BE MORE THAN 10 MI AWAY OF WHAT I THOUGHT TO BE THE PWR PLANT. AT APPROX XE15, I CALLED THE FSS FOR AN ABBREVIATED BRIEFING. AGAIN THE WX LOOKED GOOD AND THE PWR PLANT WAS IDENTIFIED IN ITS LOCATION. AFTER THE BRIEFING I FILED MY FLT PLAN AS VFR CROSS COUNTRY FROM ZZZ4 TO ZZZ2 OFF THE SHORELINE. BEFORE TAKING OFF, I SET THE SECOND RADIO ON THE EMERGENCY FREQ 121.5 AND REPEATEDLY TESTED THE SECOND RADIO. AFTER TAKING OFF FROM ZZZ4 I ANNOUNCED TO THE TWR MY INTENTIONS TO PROCEED NBOUND OFF THE SHORELINE AT OR BELOW 1000 FT MSL. I THEN COMMUNICATED WITHOUT DISRUPTION TO ZZZ5 TWR, ZZZ6 TWR, AND ZZZ7 APCH. ZZZ7 ASSIGNED A SQUAWK AND ALTITUDE OF 'AT OR BELOW 500 FT MSL. WHEN I LEFT ZZZ7 CLASS C AIRSPACE, I WAS TOLD BY ZZZ7 ATC TO RESUME VFR NAVIGATION. WHILE NBOUND ON MY PLANNED RTE I KEPT MONITORING 121.5 ON COM2 AND DIALED IN MY FIRST RADIO THE FREQ OF ZZZ2 TWR. IN GOOD FAITH, I CANNOT RECALL ANY WARNING RECEIVED AT ANY TIME THAT MY INTENDED RTE WAS TAKING ME TOWARDS A RESTR AREA. WHEN I REACHED WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE A LANDMARK (THAT IN FACT WAS THE PWR PLANT) I CALLED ZZZ2 TWR INFORMING THEM OF MY POS (15 MI SE OF ARPT) AND REQUESTING PERMISSION TO PROCEED INBOUND FOR FULL STOP. ZZZ2 TWR INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAD ME ON THE RADAR AND THAT I WAS INSIDE A RESTR AREA. THEY CLRED ME TO PROCEED INBOUND. ONCE LANDED, I WAS INSTRUCTED BY TWR TO CALL A PHONE NUMBER THAT TWR GAVE TO ME. ONCE AT THE RAMP, A SHERIFF WAS WAITING FOR US. THE FAA OFFICIAL PROMPTED ME TO CONTACT A NUMBER IN ZZZ8, WHICH I DID AFTER CALLING MY FLT SCHOOL TO LET THEM KNOW ABOUT THE SIT. I INQUIRED WITH THE OFFICIAL IN ZZZ8, WHETHER I WAS PERMITTED TO FLY THE AIRPLANE BACK TO ZZZ4 AND WAS GIVEN A PHONE NUMBER IN ZZZ9 IN ORDER TO RECEIVE SOME SORT OF WAIVER. I CALLED THE ZZZ9 OFFICE AND I REACH A RECORDED MESSAGE INFORMING ME THAT I SHOULD FAX A WRITTEN REQUEST TO RECEIVE A WAIVER. AT THIS POINT I DECIDED NOT TO FLY THE AIRPLANE BACK TO ZZZ4 AND I CALLED MY FLT SCHOOL REQUESTING TO SEND TWO PLTS IN ANOTHER PLANE TO GET US ALL BACK HOME. WHILE WAITING FOR THE PLTS TO ARRIVE, WE WERE QUESTIONED BY TWO FBI AGENTS. AROUND XL00 MY PAX AND MYSELF WERE FLOWN TO ZZZ4 BY THE TWO INSTRUCTORS SENT BY THE FLT TRAINING SCHOOL. FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT I BELIEVE THAT THIS SIT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY ME REQUESTING FLT FOLLOWING WITH VECTORING AROUND THE RESTR AREA TO THE FINAL DEST. WITHOUT WAIVING MY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE INCIDENT, I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE SOME CONSIDERATIONS. I BELIEVE THAT MORE PRECISE INFO ABOUT THE ACTUAL POS OF THE PWR PLANT (COORDINATES, DISTANCE, ON A VOR RADIAL ETC) IN THE NOTAM WOULD HAVE HELPED ME LOCATING THE RESTR AREA. THE LACK OF PRECISE IDENTIFICATION MARKS ON THE SECTIONAL CHART MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR SOMEBODY NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA TO POSITIVELY LOCATE THE PWR PLANT.

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.