Narrative:

Sum: VFR, arb to dpa, jun/sat/03, departed XG25Z for a 111 min flight, I contacted kalamazoo approach and was informed that a jxn NOTAM was violated earlier in the day. I was given a phone number to call when I landed. Upon further investigation, it was determined that I entered an active tfr area around the michigan spdway near brooklyn, mi while en route at cruise. Chain of events: I utilized on-line system to begin flight planning the following cross country route arb lfd gij gyy dpa (with diversion around chicago class B if clearance could not be obtained) including adds and awc standard brief, reviewed NOTAMS on-line for departure and arrival airports. Approximately XC00 EST jun/sat/03, I called lansing FSS for an outlook briefing. I provided the briefer with a flight plan arb to dpa via gyy departing approximately XG00Z jun/sat/03, for a 2 hour duration. I asked to go over all dpa NOTAMS. I was not provided any information on tfr's along my route. Jun/sat/03, I reviewed all on-line WX information and departure/arrival NOTAMS using the previously mentioned on-line sources. At approximately XA30 EST I called lansing FSS to file a flight plan and obtain a standard WX brief as follows: karb-lfd-gij-kgyy-kdpa, C172/G, 115 KTS, XF30 proposed departure, 4500 ft cruising altitude, 2 hours 15 mins en route, 5 hours 13 mins fuel, 2 on board. WX was forecasted to be scattered 4000 ft AGL and above en route, winds 3000 ft 360 degrees/8 KTS, 6000 ft 300 degrees/13 KTS to south bend, in, then clear and 3000 ft 030 degrees/18 KTS, 6000 ft 020 degrees/18 KTS thereafter. The briefer confirmed the WX I had previously reviewed on-line. I had received ATIS information, which is a general description of the existence of tfr's, but not their location or activation. At the end I asked the briefer for any NOTAMS. The briefer told me no NOTAMS. I recorded the same on my flight plan. Actual departure occurred at XG20Z, initial method of navigation was tracking the lfd VOR on the 082 degree radial, and GPS. Upon climb and reaching 3500 ft MSL I determined I could not reach my planned 4500 ft altitude and maintain VFR separation from clouds. Because of my course I descended to a more appropriate VFR altitude of 2500 ft. At approximately XC35 EST I entered the tfr around the michigan spdway. Upon further investigation and talking to the kankakee FSS, I was told that a tfr exists and was active for jun/sat/03 and jun/sun/03 with a 5 NM radius from the spdway, avoidance was recommended below 1500 ft and restr airspace was established at 3000 ft and below. During this period, I completed my climb and cruise checklists and opened my flight plan with lansing FSS. As soon as my radio enabled me, I contacted kalamazoo approach to request flight following. I was informed of a NOTAM violation at that point, but I did not know what NOTAM was violated until later that day. Conclusion: my filed flight plan took me within 4.5 NM of the michigan spdway. Although my filed plan altitude would not have put me inside the restr area of the tfr, I was depending on the briefer to alert me to any active tfr's along my planned route as well as any pertinent en route NOTAMS that may affect my flight. On my return leg jun/sun/03, the kankakee briefer did not inform me of the tfr either. At the conclusion of that briefing, I specifically requested information on any active tfr's along my route. After I made the specific request I was told about the michigan spdway tfr. I hope FSS's will begin to more actively provide tfr information to pilots, especially tfr's that become activated, and do so without the need for a specific request from the pilot. I can think of occasions when I will not have access to on-line information, and the briefer will be my only source of information.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT ENTERED A TFR.

Narrative: SUM: VFR, ARB TO DPA, JUN/SAT/03, DEPARTED XG25Z FOR A 111 MIN FLT, I CONTACTED KALAMAZOO APCH AND WAS INFORMED THAT A JXN NOTAM WAS VIOLATED EARLIER IN THE DAY. I WAS GIVEN A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL WHEN I LANDED. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT I ENTERED AN ACTIVE TFR AREA AROUND THE MICHIGAN SPDWAY NEAR BROOKLYN, MI WHILE ENRTE AT CRUISE. CHAIN OF EVENTS: I UTILIZED ON-LINE SYS TO BEGIN FLT PLANNING THE FOLLOWING XCOUNTRY RTE ARB LFD GIJ GYY DPA (WITH DIVERSION AROUND CHICAGO CLASS B IF CLRNC COULD NOT BE OBTAINED) INCLUDING ADDS AND AWC STANDARD BRIEF, REVIEWED NOTAMS ON-LINE FOR DEP AND ARR ARPTS. APPROX XC00 EST JUN/SAT/03, I CALLED LANSING FSS FOR AN OUTLOOK BRIEFING. I PROVIDED THE BRIEFER WITH A FLT PLAN ARB TO DPA VIA GYY DEPARTING APPROX XG00Z JUN/SAT/03, FOR A 2 HR DURATION. I ASKED TO GO OVER ALL DPA NOTAMS. I WAS NOT PROVIDED ANY INFO ON TFR'S ALONG MY RTE. JUN/SAT/03, I REVIEWED ALL ON-LINE WX INFO AND DEP/ARR NOTAMS USING THE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED ON-LINE SOURCES. AT APPROX XA30 EST I CALLED LANSING FSS TO FILE A FLT PLAN AND OBTAIN A STANDARD WX BRIEF AS FOLLOWS: KARB-LFD-GIJ-KGYY-KDPA, C172/G, 115 KTS, XF30 PROPOSED DEP, 4500 FT CRUISING ALT, 2 HRS 15 MINS ENRTE, 5 HRS 13 MINS FUEL, 2 ON BOARD. WX WAS FORECASTED TO BE SCATTERED 4000 FT AGL AND ABOVE ENRTE, WINDS 3000 FT 360 DEGS/8 KTS, 6000 FT 300 DEGS/13 KTS TO SOUTH BEND, IN, THEN CLR AND 3000 FT 030 DEGS/18 KTS, 6000 FT 020 DEGS/18 KTS THEREAFTER. THE BRIEFER CONFIRMED THE WX I HAD PREVIOUSLY REVIEWED ON-LINE. I HAD RECEIVED ATIS INFO, WHICH IS A GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE EXISTENCE OF TFR'S, BUT NOT THEIR LOCATION OR ACTIVATION. AT THE END I ASKED THE BRIEFER FOR ANY NOTAMS. THE BRIEFER TOLD ME NO NOTAMS. I RECORDED THE SAME ON MY FLT PLAN. ACTUAL DEP OCCURRED AT XG20Z, INITIAL METHOD OF NAV WAS TRACKING THE LFD VOR ON THE 082 DEG RADIAL, AND GPS. UPON CLB AND REACHING 3500 FT MSL I DETERMINED I COULD NOT REACH MY PLANNED 4500 FT ALT AND MAINTAIN VFR SEPARATION FROM CLOUDS. BECAUSE OF MY COURSE I DSNDED TO A MORE APPROPRIATE VFR ALT OF 2500 FT. AT APPROX XC35 EST I ENTERED THE TFR AROUND THE MICHIGAN SPDWAY. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION AND TALKING TO THE KANKAKEE FSS, I WAS TOLD THAT A TFR EXISTS AND WAS ACTIVE FOR JUN/SAT/03 AND JUN/SUN/03 WITH A 5 NM RADIUS FROM THE SPDWAY, AVOIDANCE WAS RECOMMENDED BELOW 1500 FT AND RESTR AIRSPACE WAS ESTABLISHED AT 3000 FT AND BELOW. DURING THIS PERIOD, I COMPLETED MY CLB AND CRUISE CHKLISTS AND OPENED MY FLT PLAN WITH LANSING FSS. AS SOON AS MY RADIO ENABLED ME, I CONTACTED KALAMAZOO APCH TO REQUEST FLT FOLLOWING. I WAS INFORMED OF A NOTAM VIOLATION AT THAT POINT, BUT I DID NOT KNOW WHAT NOTAM WAS VIOLATED UNTIL LATER THAT DAY. CONCLUSION: MY FILED FLT PLAN TOOK ME WITHIN 4.5 NM OF THE MICHIGAN SPDWAY. ALTHOUGH MY FILED PLAN ALT WOULD NOT HAVE PUT ME INSIDE THE RESTR AREA OF THE TFR, I WAS DEPENDING ON THE BRIEFER TO ALERT ME TO ANY ACTIVE TFR'S ALONG MY PLANNED RTE AS WELL AS ANY PERTINENT ENRTE NOTAMS THAT MAY AFFECT MY FLT. ON MY RETURN LEG JUN/SUN/03, THE KANKAKEE BRIEFER DID NOT INFORM ME OF THE TFR EITHER. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THAT BRIEFING, I SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED INFO ON ANY ACTIVE TFR'S ALONG MY RTE. AFTER I MADE THE SPECIFIC REQUEST I WAS TOLD ABOUT THE MICHIGAN SPDWAY TFR. I HOPE FSS'S WILL BEGIN TO MORE ACTIVELY PROVIDE TFR INFO TO PLTS, ESPECIALLY TFR'S THAT BECOME ACTIVATED, AND DO SO WITHOUT THE NEED FOR A SPECIFIC REQUEST FROM THE PLT. I CAN THINK OF OCCASIONS WHEN I WILL NOT HAVE ACCESS TO ON-LINE INFO, AND THE BRIEFER WILL BE MY ONLY SOURCE OF INFO.

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.