Narrative:

As I proceeded the tops of two nuclear power towers that came into view. I immediately banked to the right and flew until I was sure that I was clear of the avoidance limit, and then once again established a direct heading to jwn. Closer examination of my sectional revealed the notation for the plant. I had missed it because it was not on the line drawn for my original intended route. I had carefully examined that line for restricted areas, but had not taken into account the diversion for benning MOA. I was on a course several miles away from the line on my map. I am not sure that I actually invaded the restr space, but it was close enough to scare me and for me to deem it necessary to fill our this report. Because of the location of the tower in a narrow valley and because of my low altitude, if I had not been looking straight ahead and spotted the cooling towers as soon as they were visible I could easily had flown very close to those towers. In retrospect I could have avoided this situation and any combination of the following. I could have chosen a higher altitude from which the cooling towers would have been spotted from a greater distance. I should have kept constant awareness of my exact position and not allowed myself to be distracted by equipment problems. It is interesting that I had recently read and had been reminded by my flight service briefer of the new rules and penalties for loitering in the vicinity of nuclear facilities. It is inexcusable to take off believing that no such facility could possibly be on my route. From now on I will ask the briefer and more carefully search the map. It would also be helpful to have these facilities identified in red or by a conspicuous bright symbol on the map.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MX7 PLT MAY HAVE FLOWN INTO A TFR AREA AROUND A NUCLEAR PWR PLANT.

Narrative: AS I PROCEEDED THE TOPS OF TWO NUCLEAR PWR TWRS THAT CAME INTO VIEW. I IMMEDIATELY BANKED TO THE R AND FLEW UNTIL I WAS SURE THAT I WAS CLR OF THE AVOIDANCE LIMIT, AND THEN ONCE AGAIN ESTABLISHED A DIRECT HEADING TO JWN. CLOSER EXAMINATION OF MY SECTIONAL REVEALED THE NOTATION FOR THE PLANT. I HAD MISSED IT BECAUSE IT WAS NOT ON THE LINE DRAWN FOR MY ORIGINAL INTENDED RTE. I HAD CAREFULLY EXAMINED THAT LINE FOR RESTRICTED AREAS, BUT HAD NOT TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT THE DIVERSION FOR BENNING MOA. I WAS ON A COURSE SEVERAL MILES AWAY FROM THE LINE ON MY MAP. I AM NOT SURE THAT I ACTUALLY INVADED THE RESTR SPACE, BUT IT WAS CLOSE ENOUGH TO SCARE ME AND FOR ME TO DEEM IT NECESSARY TO FILL OUR THIS RPT. BECAUSE OF THE LOCATION OF THE TWR IN A NARROW VALLEY AND BECAUSE OF MY LOW ALT, IF I HAD NOT BEEN LOOKING STRAIGHT AHEAD AND SPOTTED THE COOLING TWRS AS SOON AS THEY WERE VISIBLE I COULD EASILY HAD FLOWN VERY CLOSE TO THOSE TWRS. IN RETROSPECT I COULD HAVE AVOIDED THIS SIT AND ANY COMBINATION OF THE FOLLOWING. I COULD HAVE CHOSEN A HIGHER ALT FROM WHICH THE COOLING TWRS WOULD HAVE BEEN SPOTTED FROM A GREATER DISTANCE. I SHOULD HAVE KEPT CONSTANT AWARENESS OF MY EXACT POS AND NOT ALLOWED MYSELF TO BE DISTRACTED BY EQUIPMENT PROBS. IT IS INTERESTING THAT I HAD RECENTLY READ AND HAD BEEN REMINDED BY MY FLT SERVICE BRIEFER OF THE NEW RULES AND PENALTIES FOR LOITERING IN THE VICINITY OF NUCLEAR FACILITIES. IT IS INEXCUSABLE TO TAKE OFF BELIEVING THAT NO SUCH FACILITY COULD POSSIBLY BE ON MY RTE. FROM NOW ON I WILL ASK THE BRIEFER AND MORE CAREFULLY SEARCH THE MAP. IT WOULD ALSO BE HELPFUL TO HAVE THESE FACILITIES IDENTIFIED IN RED OR BY A CONSPICUOUS BRIGHT SYMBOL ON THE MAP.

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.