Narrative:

I was aware of the 3000-4000 ft altitude block for the lohoma corridor. But entered the alert area before reaching 3000 ft. I felt I was far enough away from vance AFB that I had sufficient time to continue climbing before encountering vance's traffic. I failed to consider the military traffic utilizing enid/woodring civilian field. Once I spotted rather close, ie, approximately 1 mi, I concentrated on see and avoid and did not pay adequate attention to my altitude. Had I flown a wider pattern when departing enid to give me more time to reach 3000 ft before turing west and entering the alert area, any conflict would have been avoided. I departed wdg at approximately XA25 from runway 17. Tower suggested a 'left departure' and I made left turns to depart the traffic area. I made my initial radio call to vance departure when directly north of wdg along the highway that establishes the lahoma corridor through the vance AFB alert area. I was still climbing and passing 2400 ft MSL when I entered A-562A and made another call to vance approach. Vance responded and asked my -position. I responded '1 mi west of enid proceeding along the lahoma corridor.' I failed to give my altitude which was 2500 ft MSL and climbing, vance did not ask for my altitude. About that time I spotted a T37 flying south to north in front of me and I lowered my nose to keep him in sight. I noticed several other T37's at my 1-3 O'clock position as I was traveling west. When I was directly north of vance AFB, approximately 1 1/2 mins after vance approach first made contact with me, they gave me a transponder code and asked my altitude. While scanning for additional traffic after spotting the 3 T37's I had inadvertently descended to approximately 2150 ft MSL. I answered vance's request for my altitude with '2000 ft.' they informed me the lahoma corridor runs from 3000-4000 ft MSL and suggested an altitude of 3500 ft MSL. I began a climb and shortly thereafter vance approach asked for me to expedite my climb to avoid a T38 pattern in front of me. I complied and expedited my climb to 3500 ft MSL. While no FARS were violated, my failure to climb to between 3000-4000 ft prior to entering the alert area and my failure to indicate my altitude when contacting vance approach along with vance's failure to confirm my altitude on their initial call to me set the stage for a disruption of the traffic flow at vance AFB.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT TWIN PLT ENTERED AN ACTIVE HIGH INTENSITY MIL TRAINING AREA WHICH CAUSED DISRUPTION TO THE TFC PATTERN IN MIL CLASS D AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I WAS AWARE OF THE 3000-4000 FT ALT BLOCK FOR THE LOHOMA CORRIDOR. BUT ENTERED THE ALERT AREA BEFORE REACHING 3000 FT. I FELT I WAS FAR ENOUGH AWAY FROM VANCE AFB THAT I HAD SUFFICIENT TIME TO CONTINUE CLBING BEFORE ENCOUNTERING VANCE'S TFC. I FAILED TO CONSIDER THE MIL TFC UTILIZING ENID/WOODRING CIVILIAN FIELD. ONCE I SPOTTED RATHER CLOSE, IE, APPROX 1 MI, I CONCENTRATED ON SEE AND AVOID AND DID NOT PAY ADEQUATE ATTN TO MY ALT. HAD I FLOWN A WIDER PATTERN WHEN DEPARTING ENID TO GIVE ME MORE TIME TO REACH 3000 FT BEFORE TURING W AND ENTERING THE ALERT AREA, ANY CONFLICT WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. I DEPARTED WDG AT APPROX XA25 FROM RWY 17. TWR SUGGESTED A 'L DEP' AND I MADE L TURNS TO DEPART THE TFC AREA. I MADE MY INITIAL RADIO CALL TO VANCE DEP WHEN DIRECTLY N OF WDG ALONG THE HWY THAT ESTABLISHES THE LAHOMA CORRIDOR THROUGH THE VANCE AFB ALERT AREA. I WAS STILL CLBING AND PASSING 2400 FT MSL WHEN I ENTERED A-562A AND MADE ANOTHER CALL TO VANCE APCH. VANCE RESPONDED AND ASKED MY -POS. I RESPONDED '1 MI W OF ENID PROCEEDING ALONG THE LAHOMA CORRIDOR.' I FAILED TO GIVE MY ALT WHICH WAS 2500 FT MSL AND CLBING, VANCE DID NOT ASK FOR MY ALT. ABOUT THAT TIME I SPOTTED A T37 FLYING S TO N IN FRONT OF ME AND I LOWERED MY NOSE TO KEEP HIM IN SIGHT. I NOTICED SEVERAL OTHER T37'S AT MY 1-3 O'CLOCK POS AS I WAS TRAVELING W. WHEN I WAS DIRECTLY N OF VANCE AFB, APPROX 1 1/2 MINS AFTER VANCE APCH FIRST MADE CONTACT WITH ME, THEY GAVE ME A XPONDER CODE AND ASKED MY ALT. WHILE SCANNING FOR ADDITIONAL TFC AFTER SPOTTING THE 3 T37'S I HAD INADVERTENTLY DSNDED TO APPROX 2150 FT MSL. I ANSWERED VANCE'S REQUEST FOR MY ALT WITH '2000 FT.' THEY INFORMED ME THE LAHOMA CORRIDOR RUNS FROM 3000-4000 FT MSL AND SUGGESTED AN ALT OF 3500 FT MSL. I BEGAN A CLB AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER VANCE APCH ASKED FOR ME TO EXPEDITE MY CLB TO AVOID A T38 PATTERN IN FRONT OF ME. I COMPLIED AND EXPEDITED MY CLB TO 3500 FT MSL. WHILE NO FARS WERE VIOLATED, MY FAILURE TO CLB TO BTWN 3000-4000 FT PRIOR TO ENTERING THE ALERT AREA AND MY FAILURE TO INDICATE MY ALT WHEN CONTACTING VANCE APCH ALONG WITH VANCE'S FAILURE TO CONFIRM MY ALT ON THEIR INITIAL CALL TO ME SET THE STAGE FOR A DISRUPTION OF THE TFC FLOW AT VANCE AFB.

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.