Narrative:

I departed rapid city regional (rap) in rapid city, south dakota at approximately XA45 am on an IFR flight to palwaukee, il (pwk). As part of my preflight, I called flight service to obtain WX, file an IFR flight plan and also studied the appropriate WAC chart. Prior to picking up my IFR clearance, I had requested advisories and asked the tower controller whether there were any flight restrs around mount rushmore. My intent was to fly around mount rushmore VFR, for the purpose of viewing the monument from the air. After making the request with the tower, I was advised that they could not provide advisory services, that there weren't any flight restrs in place and that I should climb to 7000 ft. I was then cleared for takeoff, making a left turnout and headed toward the monument, climbing to the advised altitude. When climbing in route, I again asked the tower for advisories and was told that they could not provide the service unless I climbed to 9300 ft. I approached the monument at a distance of approximately 1/2 mi to allow my passenger to view the monument. I then turned left and circled the monument to allow myself a view. At that point, I initiated my climb to 11000 ft and picked up my IFR clearance. The controller issued me my clearance, I reset my altimeter and then climbed en route to 11000 ft. While en route, my passenger and I were discussing the flight around mount rushmore, we viewed a sectional of the area and then realized that the area around the monument was classified as a wilderness area. I then realized that I could have possibly entered the protected airspace during maneuvering around the monument. In hindsight, I believe that a few things could have been done to prevent this possible airspace violation. First, the controller should have been more informative as to the airspace surrounding the monument. Second, he should have been able to hand me off as I had requested to ellsworth, who could have been provided advisories for me, which would have positively kept me out of the protected airspace. After speaking to the tower later in the day by phone, they confirmed that the controller should have been able to provide the handoff service and that 'he was just being lazy.' third, I should have reviewed the appropriate sectional chart in addition to the WAC chart. I would have then been aware of the wilderness area. If these actions had taken place, this possible incident would not have occurred. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: pilot advises that he was at the assigned altitude of 7700 ft over the charted wilderness area. He also states that he thought the altitude restr might be higher than 2000 ft over a wilderness area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA32 PLT SUSPECTS POSSIBLE INCURSION INTO NATIONAL PARK WILDERNESS AREA AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I DEPARTED RAPID CITY REGIONAL (RAP) IN RAPID CITY, S DAKOTA AT APPROX XA45 AM ON AN IFR FLT TO PALWAUKEE, IL (PWK). AS PART OF MY PREFLT, I CALLED FLT SVC TO OBTAIN WX, FILE AN IFR FLT PLAN AND ALSO STUDIED THE APPROPRIATE WAC CHART. PRIOR TO PICKING UP MY IFR CLRNC, I HAD REQUESTED ADVISORIES AND ASKED THE TWR CTLR WHETHER THERE WERE ANY FLT RESTRS AROUND MOUNT RUSHMORE. MY INTENT WAS TO FLY AROUND MOUNT RUSHMORE VFR, FOR THE PURPOSE OF VIEWING THE MONUMENT FROM THE AIR. AFTER MAKING THE REQUEST WITH THE TWR, I WAS ADVISED THAT THEY COULD NOT PROVIDE ADVISORY SVCS, THAT THERE WEREN'T ANY FLT RESTRS IN PLACE AND THAT I SHOULD CLB TO 7000 FT. I WAS THEN CLRED FOR TKOF, MAKING A L TURNOUT AND HEADED TOWARD THE MONUMENT, CLBING TO THE ADVISED ALT. WHEN CLBING IN RTE, I AGAIN ASKED THE TWR FOR ADVISORIES AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT PROVIDE THE SVC UNLESS I CLBED TO 9300 FT. I APCHED THE MONUMENT AT A DISTANCE OF APPROX 1/2 MI TO ALLOW MY PAX TO VIEW THE MONUMENT. I THEN TURNED L AND CIRCLED THE MONUMENT TO ALLOW MYSELF A VIEW. AT THAT POINT, I INITIATED MY CLB TO 11000 FT AND PICKED UP MY IFR CLRNC. THE CTLR ISSUED ME MY CLRNC, I RESET MY ALTIMETER AND THEN CLBED ENRTE TO 11000 FT. WHILE ENRTE, MY PAX AND I WERE DISCUSSING THE FLT AROUND MOUNT RUSHMORE, WE VIEWED A SECTIONAL OF THE AREA AND THEN REALIZED THAT THE AREA AROUND THE MONUMENT WAS CLASSIFIED AS A WILDERNESS AREA. I THEN REALIZED THAT I COULD HAVE POSSIBLY ENTERED THE PROTECTED AIRSPACE DURING MANEUVERING AROUND THE MONUMENT. IN HINDSIGHT, I BELIEVE THAT A FEW THINGS COULD HAVE BEEN DONE TO PREVENT THIS POSSIBLE AIRSPACE VIOLATION. FIRST, THE CTLR SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE INFORMATIVE AS TO THE AIRSPACE SURROUNDING THE MONUMENT. SECOND, HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HAND ME OFF AS I HAD REQUESTED TO ELLSWORTH, WHO COULD HAVE BEEN PROVIDED ADVISORIES FOR ME, WHICH WOULD HAVE POSITIVELY KEPT ME OUT OF THE PROTECTED AIRSPACE. AFTER SPEAKING TO THE TWR LATER IN THE DAY BY PHONE, THEY CONFIRMED THAT THE CTLR SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE THE HDOF SVC AND THAT 'HE WAS JUST BEING LAZY.' THIRD, I SHOULD HAVE REVIEWED THE APPROPRIATE SECTIONAL CHART IN ADDITION TO THE WAC CHART. I WOULD HAVE THEN BEEN AWARE OF THE WILDERNESS AREA. IF THESE ACTIONS HAD TAKEN PLACE, THIS POSSIBLE INCIDENT WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: PLT ADVISES THAT HE WAS AT THE ASSIGNED ALT OF 7700 FT OVER THE CHARTED WILDERNESS AREA. HE ALSO STATES THAT HE THOUGHT THE ALT RESTR MIGHT BE HIGHER THAN 2000 FT OVER A WILDERNESS 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.