Narrative:

I took off from la crosse, wi, at XG30 on jun/thu/03 heading in the direction of cambridge (mn) for a 3.5 hour mission, then back to winona (ona). The WX was VMC, perfect blue sky and very good visibility. Prior to this flight, on this day I had checked the WX and flight information 3 times as follows: 1) at XA35 for an earlier part 135 flight from msp to ona. 2) at XD35 for a part 91 flight from ona to lse. 3) at XG00 I checked again looking only for cloud coverage. Because I was concerned about a special event going on in lse, I needed to get specific reports and checked all NOTAMS. For lse all NOTAMS were on the first page and very descriptive. For msp one of the NOTAMS was as follows: 'msp 06/078 msp see fdc 3/4756 ZMP 91.141 wef 0306191655-0306191945.' I looked under the flight data center page for a description of the above mentioned fdc but found nothing. My destination on both flts was not msp or around, so I didn't do further research. When I checked the WX as mentioned in (1) and (2) at msp and ona, I used the system called 'meteorologix.' this system is newly installed in minnesota (2 months). I consider myself familiar with it because I use it every morning. At about 5 mi wnw of lake elmo airport (21D) an F16 aircraft initiated a right turn just in front of me. First I thought the pilot was just avoiding me. I realized on a second passage that I was being intercepted for an unknown reason. I started to turn eastbound then I followed him on his third passage and acknowledged by rocking my wings. Immediately I tried to contact him on 121.5 MHZ at least 5 times. I received no answer. Lake elmo airport was in front of me therefore I decided to land there. To my surprise, people on the ground informed me about the existence of the tfr for the government official. I went to confirm this on the FBO computer WX system (which was similar to the one I had used earlier) by looking to the exact text of the NOTAM. Like earlier I found the same NOTAMS for msp including 'msp 06/078 msp see fdc 3/4756 ZMP 91.141 wef 0306191655-0306191945,' went again through the list of fdc NOTAMS and again found nothing. The msp approach controller called me to ask for my name and call sign which I gave voluntarily. I asked one of the pilots present at the time of landing to witness my search for a description of the fdc NOTAM 3/4756 on the FBO computerize WX system: we could not find anything. The time was XJ25 and the fdc NOTAM 3/4756 was still in effect but not published on this system. We printed all that was available to us. In view of the fact that my intention was only to transit underneath class B airspace, I did not think at the time that it was necessary to search for more information regarding this flight. Most of the fdc NOTAM are by nature more relevant to procedure change or facilities outages, etc. I was not familiar with crash fire rescue equipment 14 91.141. With hindsight, I would have contacted FSS princeton or green bay for further information. I would like to stress that the administrator and or the company contracted to disseminate information critical to flight operations failed to discharge this responsibility: no description of the fdc 3/4756 was to be found in the meteorologix system. Conclusion: whilst not attempting to absolve myself of the responsibility of contacting FSS for additional information, had the meteorologix system, which I used as a legal source to obtain flight information, provided me all the information I needed, I would have avoided the situation of flying into the tfr altogether.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT ENTERED A GOV OFFICIAL TFR AND WAS INTERCEPTED BY A MIL F16.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF FROM LA CROSSE, WI, AT XG30 ON JUN/THU/03 HEADING IN THE DIRECTION OF CAMBRIDGE (MN) FOR A 3.5 HR MISSION, THEN BACK TO WINONA (ONA). THE WX WAS VMC, PERFECT BLUE SKY AND VERY GOOD VISIBILITY. PRIOR TO THIS FLT, ON THIS DAY I HAD CHKED THE WX AND FLT INFO 3 TIMES AS FOLLOWS: 1) AT XA35 FOR AN EARLIER PART 135 FLT FROM MSP TO ONA. 2) AT XD35 FOR A PART 91 FLT FROM ONA TO LSE. 3) AT XG00 I CHKED AGAIN LOOKING ONLY FOR CLOUD COVERAGE. BECAUSE I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT A SPECIAL EVENT GOING ON IN LSE, I NEEDED TO GET SPECIFIC RPTS AND CHKED ALL NOTAMS. FOR LSE ALL NOTAMS WERE ON THE FIRST PAGE AND VERY DESCRIPTIVE. FOR MSP ONE OF THE NOTAMS WAS AS FOLLOWS: 'MSP 06/078 MSP SEE FDC 3/4756 ZMP 91.141 WEF 0306191655-0306191945.' I LOOKED UNDER THE FLT DATA CTR PAGE FOR A DESCRIPTION OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED FDC BUT FOUND NOTHING. MY DEST ON BOTH FLTS WAS NOT MSP OR AROUND, SO I DIDN'T DO FURTHER RESEARCH. WHEN I CHKED THE WX AS MENTIONED IN (1) AND (2) AT MSP AND ONA, I USED THE SYS CALLED 'METEOROLOGIX.' THIS SYS IS NEWLY INSTALLED IN MINNESOTA (2 MONTHS). I CONSIDER MYSELF FAMILIAR WITH IT BECAUSE I USE IT EVERY MORNING. AT ABOUT 5 MI WNW OF LAKE ELMO ARPT (21D) AN F16 ACFT INITIATED A R TURN JUST IN FRONT OF ME. FIRST I THOUGHT THE PLT WAS JUST AVOIDING ME. I REALIZED ON A SECOND PASSAGE THAT I WAS BEING INTERCEPTED FOR AN UNKNOWN REASON. I STARTED TO TURN EBOUND THEN I FOLLOWED HIM ON HIS THIRD PASSAGE AND ACKNOWLEDGED BY ROCKING MY WINGS. IMMEDIATELY I TRIED TO CONTACT HIM ON 121.5 MHZ AT LEAST 5 TIMES. I RECEIVED NO ANSWER. LAKE ELMO ARPT WAS IN FRONT OF ME THEREFORE I DECIDED TO LAND THERE. TO MY SURPRISE, PEOPLE ON THE GND INFORMED ME ABOUT THE EXISTENCE OF THE TFR FOR THE GOV OFFICIAL. I WENT TO CONFIRM THIS ON THE FBO COMPUTER WX SYS (WHICH WAS SIMILAR TO THE ONE I HAD USED EARLIER) BY LOOKING TO THE EXACT TEXT OF THE NOTAM. LIKE EARLIER I FOUND THE SAME NOTAMS FOR MSP INCLUDING 'MSP 06/078 MSP SEE FDC 3/4756 ZMP 91.141 WEF 0306191655-0306191945,' WENT AGAIN THROUGH THE LIST OF FDC NOTAMS AND AGAIN FOUND NOTHING. THE MSP APCH CTLR CALLED ME TO ASK FOR MY NAME AND CALL SIGN WHICH I GAVE VOLUNTARILY. I ASKED ONE OF THE PLTS PRESENT AT THE TIME OF LNDG TO WITNESS MY SEARCH FOR A DESCRIPTION OF THE FDC NOTAM 3/4756 ON THE FBO COMPUTERIZE WX SYS: WE COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING. THE TIME WAS XJ25 AND THE FDC NOTAM 3/4756 WAS STILL IN EFFECT BUT NOT PUBLISHED ON THIS SYS. WE PRINTED ALL THAT WAS AVAILABLE TO US. IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT MY INTENTION WAS ONLY TO TRANSIT UNDERNEATH CLASS B AIRSPACE, I DID NOT THINK AT THE TIME THAT IT WAS NECESSARY TO SEARCH FOR MORE INFO REGARDING THIS FLT. MOST OF THE FDC NOTAM ARE BY NATURE MORE RELEVANT TO PROC CHANGE OR FACILITIES OUTAGES, ETC. I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH CFR 14 91.141. WITH HINDSIGHT, I WOULD HAVE CONTACTED FSS PRINCETON OR GREEN BAY FOR FURTHER INFO. I WOULD LIKE TO STRESS THAT THE ADMINISTRATOR AND OR THE COMPANY CONTRACTED TO DISSEMINATE INFO CRITICAL TO FLT OPS FAILED TO DISCHARGE THIS RESPONSIBILITY: NO DESCRIPTION OF THE FDC 3/4756 WAS TO BE FOUND IN THE METEOROLOGIX SYS. CONCLUSION: WHILST NOT ATTEMPTING TO ABSOLVE MYSELF OF THE RESPONSIBILITY OF CONTACTING FSS FOR ADDITIONAL INFO, HAD THE METEOROLOGIX SYS, WHICH I USED AS A LEGAL SOURCE TO OBTAIN FLT INFO, PROVIDED ME ALL THE INFO I NEEDED, I WOULD HAVE AVOIDED THE SIT OF FLYING INTO THE TFR ALTOGETHER.

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.