Narrative:

This event occurred on a VFR flight crew from mlb to myam. Apparently, I flew into an airspace that was closed (W497B) due to an upcoming launch from cape canaveral. I obtained a route briefing on the morning of the flight crew. I normally use WWW.duats.communication (note the 'south'), but had recently attended sun-north-fun, and saw a demonstration of WWW.duat.communication (no 'south'), so decided to try that service. Their data presentation is different than what I was used to. I did note that the restr areas near the cape were hot, but that was well north of my route. I did not note that W-497B (which was on my route) was restr -- this may have been due to my unfamiliarity with the new duat.communication service. I filed an international flight crew plan via duats with st petersburg FSS. Departed mlb to the southeast, approximately 5 NM southeast of mlb, I called st petersburg FSS, and activated the flight crew plan. The briefer acknowledged the plan, but did not mention any airspace restrs. Next, I attempted contact with ZMA. The frequency was quite congested, and I was not initially able to get a response. I continued to attempt contact, and finally got a response (about 10 to 20 NM east of urb). I was assigned a code and identify, which I complied with. The controller did not state 'radar contact,' but the frequency was still congested. About 10 mins later, I received a call from center to 'immediately turn to the south' -- this call was made to a similar-sounding n-number, so I first tried to verify that the call was intended for me. The frequency was still congested, so it took a couple of times. The controller verified that the call was for me, and I complied. Apparently, W497B was closed due to an upcoming launch, and I was being vectored away. I was not near the cape and I was flying southeast, away from the cape. About 10 mins later, I was handed off to the next ZMA sector, which was far less frequency congested. I queried the controller as to the status of the W497B airspace, and she stated that it was 'not for VFR traffic,' but that there was some question at center, and that 'management from upstairs had come down' to talk to the controllers. From the tone of voice of the controllers, and that statement, it seemed as though there was some internal confusion. I noticed that shortly after this, center was explicitly advising other aircraft of the need to stay south of W497B and providing vectors. I had heard none of this prior to my vectors. The flight crew concluded uneventfully. Chain of events: problem arose by not discovering that W497B was hot due to launch. Contributing factors -- using the new duats (new to me) service, not using a live briefer. Now discovered: center notified me. Corrective action: exit west area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA34 PLT ENTERS AN ACTIVE WARNING AREA AFTER DEP FROM MLB.

Narrative: THIS EVENT OCCURRED ON A VFR FLT CREW FROM MLB TO MYAM. APPARENTLY, I FLEW INTO AN AIRSPACE THAT WAS CLOSED (W497B) DUE TO AN UPCOMING LAUNCH FROM CAPE CANAVERAL. I OBTAINED A RTE BRIEFING ON THE MORNING OF THE FLT CREW. I NORMALLY USE WWW.DUATS.COM (NOTE THE 'S'), BUT HAD RECENTLY ATTENDED SUN-N-FUN, AND SAW A DEMO OF WWW.DUAT.COM (NO 'S'), SO DECIDED TO TRY THAT SVC. THEIR DATA PRESENTATION IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT I WAS USED TO. I DID NOTE THAT THE RESTR AREAS NEAR THE CAPE WERE HOT, BUT THAT WAS WELL N OF MY RTE. I DID NOT NOTE THAT W-497B (WHICH WAS ON MY RTE) WAS RESTR -- THIS MAY HAVE BEEN DUE TO MY UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE NEW DUAT.COM SVC. I FILED AN INTL FLT CREW PLAN VIA DUATS WITH ST PETERSBURG FSS. DEPARTED MLB TO THE SE, APPROX 5 NM SE OF MLB, I CALLED ST PETERSBURG FSS, AND ACTIVATED THE FLT CREW PLAN. THE BRIEFER ACKNOWLEDGED THE PLAN, BUT DID NOT MENTION ANY AIRSPACE RESTRS. NEXT, I ATTEMPTED CONTACT WITH ZMA. THE FREQ WAS QUITE CONGESTED, AND I WAS NOT INITIALLY ABLE TO GET A RESPONSE. I CONTINUED TO ATTEMPT CONTACT, AND FINALLY GOT A RESPONSE (ABOUT 10 TO 20 NM E OF URB). I WAS ASSIGNED A CODE AND IDENT, WHICH I COMPLIED WITH. THE CTLR DID NOT STATE 'RADAR CONTACT,' BUT THE FREQ WAS STILL CONGESTED. ABOUT 10 MINS LATER, I RECEIVED A CALL FROM CTR TO 'IMMEDIATELY TURN TO THE S' -- THIS CALL WAS MADE TO A SIMILAR-SOUNDING N-NUMBER, SO I FIRST TRIED TO VERIFY THAT THE CALL WAS INTENDED FOR ME. THE FREQ WAS STILL CONGESTED, SO IT TOOK A COUPLE OF TIMES. THE CTLR VERIFIED THAT THE CALL WAS FOR ME, AND I COMPLIED. APPARENTLY, W497B WAS CLOSED DUE TO AN UPCOMING LAUNCH, AND I WAS BEING VECTORED AWAY. I WAS NOT NEAR THE CAPE AND I WAS FLYING SE, AWAY FROM THE CAPE. ABOUT 10 MINS LATER, I WAS HANDED OFF TO THE NEXT ZMA SECTOR, WHICH WAS FAR LESS FREQ CONGESTED. I QUERIED THE CTLR AS TO THE STATUS OF THE W497B AIRSPACE, AND SHE STATED THAT IT WAS 'NOT FOR VFR TFC,' BUT THAT THERE WAS SOME QUESTION AT CTR, AND THAT 'MGMNT FROM UPSTAIRS HAD COME DOWN' TO TALK TO THE CTLRS. FROM THE TONE OF VOICE OF THE CTLRS, AND THAT STATEMENT, IT SEEMED AS THOUGH THERE WAS SOME INTERNAL CONFUSION. I NOTICED THAT SHORTLY AFTER THIS, CTR WAS EXPLICITLY ADVISING OTHER ACFT OF THE NEED TO STAY S OF W497B AND PROVIDING VECTORS. I HAD HEARD NONE OF THIS PRIOR TO MY VECTORS. THE FLT CREW CONCLUDED UNEVENTFULLY. CHAIN OF EVENTS: PROB AROSE BY NOT DISCOVERING THAT W497B WAS HOT DUE TO LAUNCH. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS -- USING THE NEW DUATS (NEW TO ME) SVC, NOT USING A LIVE BRIEFER. NOW DISCOVERED: CTR NOTIFIED ME. CORRECTIVE ACTION: EXIT W 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.