Narrative:

On the morning of dec/sat/02, I planned to make a VFR trip from pecan plantation, tx (0tx1) to crp in my homebuilt aircraft (rv-6A) to visit my brother. The trip did not go exactly as planned, because I found myself accidentally entering the tfr around P49. How could this happen to me? I am an experienced pilot with over 26 yrs of both military and civilian flying. I fly heavy jets for a major airline and know what I'm doing. I knew the tfr was active, and I had it marked on my ch-23 WAC chart. The WX was clear-in-a-million, and I had my favorite copilot (wife) with me, whom I had just recently started teaching the basics about flying and cross country work. As usual, I called flight service to get a WX brief, and was informed that the tfr around P49 was in effect. As I pulled out my dfw sectional/ch-23 WAC and drew my line from my departure point to my destination, I realized my route would take me pretty much right over a ranch. I, therefore, decided to make a waypoint just east of tstc waco airport (cnw), which would just hug the eastern edge of the tfr. I could then go direct to my destination from that point and stay clear of the tfr and also ensure myself of staying clear of the restr area (R-6302A) around kileen. Piece of cake! Just prior to takeoff, I entered direct to the 3 letter identifier (cnw) of tstc waco airport in the GPS knowing good and well that it was just inside the boundaries of the tfr. My plan was to simply fly east of my depicted course line on my GPS and thereby avoid the tfr. This was probably one of my first mistakes. We all know it is easier to enter a 3 letter identify than it is to actually plug in a radial/DME off of a 3 letter identify. Well, I took the easy way, which I'm sure may have contributed to me getting closer to the tfr than I wanted. I think pilots have a natural tendency to fly the course displayed in front of them and naturally fight the urge to offset themselves. At the time though, I did not think it to be an issue, because the WX was great and I would be visually keeping myself clear. Passing through approximately 5000 ft MSL, I selected frequency 121.5 in my communication radio for the purpose of quizzing my wife. Our last cross country a month earlier, I had explained the importance of her remembering this frequency in case something ever happened to me (health wise) while we were flying. I had explained that it was for emergencys only, and the folks on that frequency would help her find the nearest airport and talk her through her landing. Well, shortly after selecting frequency 121.5, we heard a transmission on guard to our surprise. I instantly raised my hand to signal my wife for silence, as I'm sure we all do with a passenger aboard. Hearing the last part of the transmission pertaining to an aircraft approaching the P49 tfr, I instantly bragged to my wife on my superior insight in tuning guard up, because we would very shortly be approaching the tfr. I explained to her that until I got around to calling approach control for flight following, this was the smart frequency to monitor. I know, not a clue! About 5 seconds later, I immediately got a clue when I heard the next transmission in its entirety. 'Aircraft northwest of waco and 15 southwest of cleburne, tx, you are approaching tfr/P49, make immediate left turn to the east and contact waco approach on such and such frequency.' about a million things went through my head in about half a second. The first thing being, could they possibly be talking to me? Was I further south than I thought I was? As I was immediately tuning in the approach control frequency, which I had just heard on the radio, my heartbeat began to race to record highs. I delayed the immediate left turn to the east, which I knew would keep me from entering the tfr if I was, in fact, the aircraft the guard was speaking to. Mistake #2! Had I made the immediate left turn, I probably would have never entered the tfr. The turn would have cost me nothing, so why didn't I make it? For one, I was still on my dfw sectional and north of lake whitney. There is no depiction at all of the tfr on the dfw sectional unlike the one depicted on the san antonio sectional in white. I thought I was fine. Besides, guard surely was not speaking to us. Upon immediately calling approach control and being idented on radar, I was given a turn to the left and advised that I had just entered the tfr. Also, I was told to check my 6 as an F16 was rapidly approaching from my 6. I was given vectors to my new destination, waco regional airport (act), with explicit instructions to phone approach control upon block in. The local police were there to greet me as we entered the FBO. The officers were kind enough to not handcuff me, but ordered me to go nowhere until the secret service arrived. What a way to impress your spouse. There are a number of things that I believe contributed to this happening: my departure airport was on the southern portion of the dfw sectional just north of the tfr. The tfr is not depicted anywhere at all on the dfw sectional. I really thought that if I were still on the dfw sectional, I would be clear. This is not the case by about 3 mi. I had planned to go to my ch-23 WAC chart just north of lake whitney, which is where we picked up the guard transmission. My ch-23 WAC chart had the huge 60 diameter circle drawn on it. I use WAC charts most of the time on cross country flts, because of the high speed of the rv-6A aircraft. Upon landing at waco regional airport (act) I discovered in the FBO that the san antonio sectional clearly depicts in white the tfr around P49. This sure would have been nice to see on the bottom of my dfw sectional as well as on my ch-23 WAC chart. I should not have planned a leg to just hug the edge of airspace I should not be in. If flying in the vicinity of a tfr again, I will make certain to be in contact with approach control to ensure I'm well clear, especially around P49. Be more aggressive with position awareness. Error on the conservative, better safe than sorry. If using the GPS for backup navigation, program where you actually want to go, don't be lazy. Our VFR privileges are too valuable to be lazy. For the private pilots that read my narrative, don't make the same mistakes I made. The jury is still out on what repercussions will be taken because of my actions, but I'm sure it's not going to be good.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EXPERIMENTAL ACFT PLT ENTERED P49 AND WAS INTERCEPTED BY A MIL F16.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING OF DEC/SAT/02, I PLANNED TO MAKE A VFR TRIP FROM PECAN PLANTATION, TX (0TX1) TO CRP IN MY HOMEBUILT ACFT (RV-6A) TO VISIT MY BROTHER. THE TRIP DID NOT GO EXACTLY AS PLANNED, BECAUSE I FOUND MYSELF ACCIDENTALLY ENTERING THE TFR AROUND P49. HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN TO ME? I AM AN EXPERIENCED PLT WITH OVER 26 YRS OF BOTH MIL AND CIVILIAN FLYING. I FLY HVY JETS FOR A MAJOR AIRLINE AND KNOW WHAT I'M DOING. I KNEW THE TFR WAS ACTIVE, AND I HAD IT MARKED ON MY CH-23 WAC CHART. THE WX WAS CLEAR-IN-A-MILLION, AND I HAD MY FAVORITE COPLT (WIFE) WITH ME, WHOM I HAD JUST RECENTLY STARTED TEACHING THE BASICS ABOUT FLYING AND XCOUNTRY WORK. AS USUAL, I CALLED FLT SVC TO GET A WX BRIEF, AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE TFR AROUND P49 WAS IN EFFECT. AS I PULLED OUT MY DFW SECTIONAL/CH-23 WAC AND DREW MY LINE FROM MY DEP POINT TO MY DEST, I REALIZED MY RTE WOULD TAKE ME PRETTY MUCH RIGHT OVER A RANCH. I, THEREFORE, DECIDED TO MAKE A WAYPOINT JUST E OF TSTC WACO ARPT (CNW), WHICH WOULD JUST HUG THE EASTERN EDGE OF THE TFR. I COULD THEN GO DIRECT TO MY DEST FROM THAT POINT AND STAY CLEAR OF THE TFR AND ALSO ENSURE MYSELF OF STAYING CLEAR OF THE RESTR AREA (R-6302A) AROUND KILEEN. PIECE OF CAKE! JUST PRIOR TO TKOF, I ENTERED DIRECT TO THE 3 LETTER IDENTIFIER (CNW) OF TSTC WACO ARPT IN THE GPS KNOWING GOOD AND WELL THAT IT WAS JUST INSIDE THE BOUNDARIES OF THE TFR. MY PLAN WAS TO SIMPLY FLY E OF MY DEPICTED COURSE LINE ON MY GPS AND THEREBY AVOID THE TFR. THIS WAS PROBABLY ONE OF MY FIRST MISTAKES. WE ALL KNOW IT IS EASIER TO ENTER A 3 LETTER IDENT THAN IT IS TO ACTUALLY PLUG IN A RADIAL/DME OFF OF A 3 LETTER IDENT. WELL, I TOOK THE EASY WAY, WHICH I'M SURE MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO ME GETTING CLOSER TO THE TFR THAN I WANTED. I THINK PLTS HAVE A NATURAL TENDENCY TO FLY THE COURSE DISPLAYED IN FRONT OF THEM AND NATURALLY FIGHT THE URGE TO OFFSET THEMSELVES. AT THE TIME THOUGH, I DID NOT THINK IT TO BE AN ISSUE, BECAUSE THE WX WAS GREAT AND I WOULD BE VISUALLY KEEPING MYSELF CLR. PASSING THROUGH APPROX 5000 FT MSL, I SELECTED FREQ 121.5 IN MY COM RADIO FOR THE PURPOSE OF QUIZZING MY WIFE. OUR LAST XCOUNTRY A MONTH EARLIER, I HAD EXPLAINED THE IMPORTANCE OF HER REMEMBERING THIS FREQ IN CASE SOMETHING EVER HAPPENED TO ME (HEALTH WISE) WHILE WE WERE FLYING. I HAD EXPLAINED THAT IT WAS FOR EMERS ONLY, AND THE FOLKS ON THAT FREQ WOULD HELP HER FIND THE NEAREST ARPT AND TALK HER THROUGH HER LNDG. WELL, SHORTLY AFTER SELECTING FREQ 121.5, WE HEARD A XMISSION ON GUARD TO OUR SURPRISE. I INSTANTLY RAISED MY HAND TO SIGNAL MY WIFE FOR SILENCE, AS I'M SURE WE ALL DO WITH A PAX ABOARD. HEARING THE LAST PART OF THE XMISSION PERTAINING TO AN ACFT APCHING THE P49 TFR, I INSTANTLY BRAGGED TO MY WIFE ON MY SUPERIOR INSIGHT IN TUNING GUARD UP, BECAUSE WE WOULD VERY SHORTLY BE APCHING THE TFR. I EXPLAINED TO HER THAT UNTIL I GOT AROUND TO CALLING APCH CTL FOR FLT FOLLOWING, THIS WAS THE SMART FREQ TO MONITOR. I KNOW, NOT A CLUE! ABOUT 5 SECONDS LATER, I IMMEDIATELY GOT A CLUE WHEN I HEARD THE NEXT XMISSION IN ITS ENTIRETY. 'ACFT NW OF WACO AND 15 SW OF CLEBURNE, TX, YOU ARE APCHING TFR/P49, MAKE IMMEDIATE L TURN TO THE E AND CONTACT WACO APCH ON SUCH AND SUCH FREQ.' ABOUT A MILLION THINGS WENT THROUGH MY HEAD IN ABOUT HALF A SECOND. THE FIRST THING BEING, COULD THEY POSSIBLY BE TALKING TO ME? WAS I FURTHER SOUTH THAN I THOUGHT I WAS? AS I WAS IMMEDIATELY TUNING IN THE APCH CTL FREQ, WHICH I HAD JUST HEARD ON THE RADIO, MY HEARTBEAT BEGAN TO RACE TO RECORD HIGHS. I DELAYED THE IMMEDIATE L TURN TO THE EAST, WHICH I KNEW WOULD KEEP ME FROM ENTERING THE TFR IF I WAS, IN FACT, THE ACFT THE GUARD WAS SPEAKING TO. MISTAKE #2! HAD I MADE THE IMMEDIATE L TURN, I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE NEVER ENTERED THE TFR. THE TURN WOULD HAVE COST ME NOTHING, SO WHY DIDN'T I MAKE IT? FOR ONE, I WAS STILL ON MY DFW SECTIONAL AND N OF LAKE WHITNEY. THERE IS NO DEPICTION AT ALL OF THE TFR ON THE DFW SECTIONAL UNLIKE THE ONE DEPICTED ON THE SAN ANTONIO SECTIONAL IN WHITE. I THOUGHT I WAS FINE. BESIDES, GUARD SURELY WAS NOT SPEAKING TO US. UPON IMMEDIATELY CALLING APCH CTL AND BEING IDENTED ON RADAR, I WAS GIVEN A TURN TO THE L AND ADVISED THAT I HAD JUST ENTERED THE TFR. ALSO, I WAS TOLD TO CHK MY 6 AS AN F16 WAS RAPIDLY APCHING FROM MY 6. I WAS GIVEN VECTORS TO MY NEW DEST, WACO REGIONAL ARPT (ACT), WITH EXPLICIT INSTRUCTIONS TO PHONE APCH CTL UPON BLOCK IN. THE LCL POLICE WERE THERE TO GREET ME AS WE ENTERED THE FBO. THE OFFICERS WERE KIND ENOUGH TO NOT HANDCUFF ME, BUT ORDERED ME TO GO NOWHERE UNTIL THE SECRET SVC ARRIVED. WHAT A WAY TO IMPRESS YOUR SPOUSE. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT I BELIEVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS HAPPENING: MY DEP ARPT WAS ON THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE DFW SECTIONAL JUST N OF THE TFR. THE TFR IS NOT DEPICTED ANYWHERE AT ALL ON THE DFW SECTIONAL. I REALLY THOUGHT THAT IF I WERE STILL ON THE DFW SECTIONAL, I WOULD BE CLEAR. THIS IS NOT THE CASE BY ABOUT 3 MI. I HAD PLANNED TO GO TO MY CH-23 WAC CHART JUST N OF LAKE WHITNEY, WHICH IS WHERE WE PICKED UP THE GUARD XMISSION. MY CH-23 WAC CHART HAD THE HUGE 60 DIAMETER CIRCLE DRAWN ON IT. I USE WAC CHARTS MOST OF THE TIME ON XCOUNTRY FLTS, BECAUSE OF THE HIGH SPD OF THE RV-6A ACFT. UPON LNDG AT WACO REGIONAL ARPT (ACT) I DISCOVERED IN THE FBO THAT THE SAN ANTONIO SECTIONAL CLRLY DEPICTS IN WHITE THE TFR AROUND P49. THIS SURE WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO SEE ON THE BOTTOM OF MY DFW SECTIONAL AS WELL AS ON MY CH-23 WAC CHART. I SHOULD NOT HAVE PLANNED A LEG TO JUST HUG THE EDGE OF AIRSPACE I SHOULD NOT BE IN. IF FLYING IN THE VICINITY OF A TFR AGAIN, I WILL MAKE CERTAIN TO BE IN CONTACT WITH APCH CTL TO ENSURE I'M WELL CLR, ESPECIALLY AROUND P49. BE MORE AGGRESSIVE WITH POS AWARENESS. ERROR ON THE CONSERVATIVE, BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY. IF USING THE GPS FOR BACKUP NAV, PROGRAM WHERE YOU ACTUALLY WANT TO GO, DON'T BE LAZY. OUR VFR PRIVILEGES ARE TOO VALUABLE TO BE LAZY. FOR THE PVT PLTS THAT READ MY NARRATIVE, DON'T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES I MADE. THE JURY IS STILL OUT ON WHAT REPERCUSSIONS WILL BE TAKEN BECAUSE OF MY ACTIONS, BUT I'M SURE IT'S NOT GOING TO BE GOOD.

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.