Narrative:

While en route from tucson, az, to sandwich, il, I inadvertently ran into a restr airspace. Flying from early that morning from wichita area to clayton, NM, then back on course to our day's destination towards des moines, il. We had been on flight following previously from the appropriate ATC's and approach control frequencys for most of the day. We decided to get lower and started thinking of viable landing spot for a stretch break. In part, we decided to descend when we saw a large body of water just east of the R-3601A, and just ahead of us near salinas (sln). As we were coming down in altitude, I also decided to 'zoom' the GPS as to get a better feel for the local area and more detail of the immediate area. We overflew the beach area which, looking back at the sand, it took us a little more east than our original path would have taken us. I was VFR and was using the color map on my garmin 430. I started talking with my non-pilot friend and my attention got diverted when he spotted some wildlife from a distance northeast of our position. Due to this and flying much closer to the ground than normal, I was paying less attention to the GPS. When I did look at the GPS, I was looking at the high detail display mode, which I believe contributed to not seeing the restr area as well, opposed to seeing the cleaned up more aviation-oriented display. I didn't know I blew through the military restr area until I saw the military vehicles on the ground. I then looked at the GPS and did not immediately see the restr area until I zoomed out. It was at that moment when I realized what had happened. I am sorry as I can be and disappointed with myself with the fact that I drifted into a restr area (the first time ever for me). I called the salinas tower and confessed as I headed towards hgy to the north of the airspace and to the north of the salinas airspace. To prevent this sort of thing in the future from happening, I learned that I need to unclutter my GPS screen except for brief moments as needed to see details for flight information. I should not 'zoom in' until such time as I need to enter an airport area for landing. I should make notes when using the GPS of where my route of flight becomes close to various different airspaces. In short, be aware of the big picture.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT ENTERED A MIL RESTR AREA AND WAS FLYING BELOW 500 FT.

Narrative: WHILE ENRTE FROM TUCSON, AZ, TO SANDWICH, IL, I INADVERTENTLY RAN INTO A RESTR AIRSPACE. FLYING FROM EARLY THAT MORNING FROM WICHITA AREA TO CLAYTON, NM, THEN BACK ON COURSE TO OUR DAY'S DEST TOWARDS DES MOINES, IL. WE HAD BEEN ON FLT FOLLOWING PREVIOUSLY FROM THE APPROPRIATE ATC'S AND APCH CTL FREQS FOR MOST OF THE DAY. WE DECIDED TO GET LOWER AND STARTED THINKING OF VIABLE LNDG SPOT FOR A STRETCH BREAK. IN PART, WE DECIDED TO DSND WHEN WE SAW A LARGE BODY OF WATER JUST E OF THE R-3601A, AND JUST AHEAD OF US NEAR SALINAS (SLN). AS WE WERE COMING DOWN IN ALT, I ALSO DECIDED TO 'ZOOM' THE GPS AS TO GET A BETTER FEEL FOR THE LCL AREA AND MORE DETAIL OF THE IMMEDIATE AREA. WE OVERFLEW THE BEACH AREA WHICH, LOOKING BACK AT THE SAND, IT TOOK US A LITTLE MORE E THAN OUR ORIGINAL PATH WOULD HAVE TAKEN US. I WAS VFR AND WAS USING THE COLOR MAP ON MY GARMIN 430. I STARTED TALKING WITH MY NON-PLT FRIEND AND MY ATTN GOT DIVERTED WHEN HE SPOTTED SOME WILDLIFE FROM A DISTANCE NE OF OUR POS. DUE TO THIS AND FLYING MUCH CLOSER TO THE GND THAN NORMAL, I WAS PAYING LESS ATTN TO THE GPS. WHEN I DID LOOK AT THE GPS, I WAS LOOKING AT THE HIGH DETAIL DISPLAY MODE, WHICH I BELIEVE CONTRIBUTED TO NOT SEEING THE RESTR AREA AS WELL, OPPOSED TO SEEING THE CLEANED UP MORE AVIATION-ORIENTED DISPLAY. I DIDN'T KNOW I BLEW THROUGH THE MIL RESTR AREA UNTIL I SAW THE MIL VEHICLES ON THE GND. I THEN LOOKED AT THE GPS AND DID NOT IMMEDIATELY SEE THE RESTR AREA UNTIL I ZOOMED OUT. IT WAS AT THAT MOMENT WHEN I REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I AM SORRY AS I CAN BE AND DISAPPOINTED WITH MYSELF WITH THE FACT THAT I DRIFTED INTO A RESTR AREA (THE FIRST TIME EVER FOR ME). I CALLED THE SALINAS TWR AND CONFESSED AS I HEADED TOWARDS HGY TO THE N OF THE AIRSPACE AND TO THE N OF THE SALINAS AIRSPACE. TO PREVENT THIS SORT OF THING IN THE FUTURE FROM HAPPENING, I LEARNED THAT I NEED TO UNCLUTTER MY GPS SCREEN EXCEPT FOR BRIEF MOMENTS AS NEEDED TO SEE DETAILS FOR FLT INFO. I SHOULD NOT 'ZOOM IN' UNTIL SUCH TIME AS I NEED TO ENTER AN ARPT AREA FOR LNDG. I SHOULD MAKE NOTES WHEN USING THE GPS OF WHERE MY RTE OF FLT BECOMES CLOSE TO VARIOUS DIFFERENT AIRSPACES. IN SHORT, BE AWARE OF THE BIG PICTURE.

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.