Narrative:

I fly for a part 135 charter operation on several of their rtes. The route was the riverton, wy, route which departed casper, wy, at XA00 and was a direct VFR flight to boulder's jefferson county airport. On aug/mon/03, at approximately XB10, I inadvertently entered a tfr. The circumstances of this transgression amount to little more than a misunderstanding between myself and the jeffco airport control tower personnel. I had the duats graphical tfr display and was aware of the horizontal limits of the tfr. Prior to entering the mode C veil, I attempted 3 times on frequency 126.5 to establish communication with ZDV for flight following. Being unable to raise denver and as I neared the 30 mi mode C veil, I contacted jeffco tower and gave my location of 25 mi northwest of the jeffco airport. At the time of initial contact with jeffco, I was still outside the 30 mi limit. I believed that the controller knew I was VFR and squawking 1200 when he told me to report again at 7 mi. I recalled jeffco at 7 mi. That's when he asked if I was squawking VFR and I replied affirmative. In retrospect, I should have double-checked that he knew I was VFR, however, the blame does fall squarely on my shoulders for not verifying with him and requesting a discrete code before entering the 30 mi limit. There were a couple of contributing factors. I was VFR at a relatively low altitude due to unfavorable winds aloft at higher altitudes. The other was listening to other VFR traffic coming out of longmont airport leading me to believe the tfr had ended prior to my arrival. In any case, that is how I ended up on the wrong side of a tfr boundary. To avoid these kind of mistakes in the future here are some things that may have helped prevent this violation: 1) a better warning on the local ATIS broadcast stating that a discrete code is necessary to land at this airport, not just 2-WAY communication. What was broadcast on the jeffco ATIS was contact flight service for further details. Flight service was extremely busy on our arrival into denver and we were unable to get their attention in a timely manner due to others on the frequency. No where in the enclosed NOTAM can I find discrete code required although I do see the statement 'except as specified below and authority/authorized by ATC.' once again given the phrase report again at 7 mi I mistook this to mean I was cleared in and the controller knew where I was. 2) a confirmation on the part of the controller when he told me to report at 7 mi. Jeffco tower is radar equipped so a single glance at his scope could also have shown him I was still squawking 1200 and prevented this. 3) of course, I could have reported I was squawking VFR also so there is plenty I did wrong. 4) the duats graphical tfr display is a great tool, but if you're not very careful, a pilot could mistake the red 10 mi ring for the no fly area, not the 30 mi limit it actually was. Perhaps another color indicating additional requirement zone?

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA31 PLT ENTERED A TFR AREA.

Narrative: I FLY FOR A PART 135 CHARTER OP ON SEVERAL OF THEIR RTES. THE RTE WAS THE RIVERTON, WY, RTE WHICH DEPARTED CASPER, WY, AT XA00 AND WAS A DIRECT VFR FLT TO BOULDER'S JEFFERSON COUNTY ARPT. ON AUG/MON/03, AT APPROX XB10, I INADVERTENTLY ENTERED A TFR. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THIS TRANSGRESSION AMOUNT TO LITTLE MORE THAN A MISUNDERSTANDING BTWN MYSELF AND THE JEFFCO ARPT CTL TWR PERSONNEL. I HAD THE DUATS GRAPHICAL TFR DISPLAY AND WAS AWARE OF THE HORIZ LIMITS OF THE TFR. PRIOR TO ENTERING THE MODE C VEIL, I ATTEMPTED 3 TIMES ON FREQ 126.5 TO ESTABLISH COM WITH ZDV FOR FLT FOLLOWING. BEING UNABLE TO RAISE DENVER AND AS I NEARED THE 30 MI MODE C VEIL, I CONTACTED JEFFCO TWR AND GAVE MY LOCATION OF 25 MI NW OF THE JEFFCO ARPT. AT THE TIME OF INITIAL CONTACT WITH JEFFCO, I WAS STILL OUTSIDE THE 30 MI LIMIT. I BELIEVED THAT THE CTLR KNEW I WAS VFR AND SQUAWKING 1200 WHEN HE TOLD ME TO RPT AGAIN AT 7 MI. I RECALLED JEFFCO AT 7 MI. THAT'S WHEN HE ASKED IF I WAS SQUAWKING VFR AND I REPLIED AFFIRMATIVE. IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD HAVE DOUBLE-CHKED THAT HE KNEW I WAS VFR, HOWEVER, THE BLAME DOES FALL SQUARELY ON MY SHOULDERS FOR NOT VERIFYING WITH HIM AND REQUESTING A DISCRETE CODE BEFORE ENTERING THE 30 MI LIMIT. THERE WERE A COUPLE OF CONTRIBUTING FACTORS. I WAS VFR AT A RELATIVELY LOW ALT DUE TO UNFAVORABLE WINDS ALOFT AT HIGHER ALTS. THE OTHER WAS LISTENING TO OTHER VFR TFC COMING OUT OF LONGMONT ARPT LEADING ME TO BELIEVE THE TFR HAD ENDED PRIOR TO MY ARR. IN ANY CASE, THAT IS HOW I ENDED UP ON THE WRONG SIDE OF A TFR BOUNDARY. TO AVOID THESE KIND OF MISTAKES IN THE FUTURE HERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT MAY HAVE HELPED PREVENT THIS VIOLATION: 1) A BETTER WARNING ON THE LCL ATIS BROADCAST STATING THAT A DISCRETE CODE IS NECESSARY TO LAND AT THIS ARPT, NOT JUST 2-WAY COM. WHAT WAS BROADCAST ON THE JEFFCO ATIS WAS CONTACT FLT SVC FOR FURTHER DETAILS. FLT SVC WAS EXTREMELY BUSY ON OUR ARR INTO DENVER AND WE WERE UNABLE TO GET THEIR ATTN IN A TIMELY MANNER DUE TO OTHERS ON THE FREQ. NO WHERE IN THE ENCLOSED NOTAM CAN I FIND DISCRETE CODE REQUIRED ALTHOUGH I DO SEE THE STATEMENT 'EXCEPT AS SPECIFIED BELOW AND AUTH BY ATC.' ONCE AGAIN GIVEN THE PHRASE RPT AGAIN AT 7 MI I MISTOOK THIS TO MEAN I WAS CLRED IN AND THE CTLR KNEW WHERE I WAS. 2) A CONFIRMATION ON THE PART OF THE CTLR WHEN HE TOLD ME TO RPT AT 7 MI. JEFFCO TWR IS RADAR EQUIPPED SO A SINGLE GLANCE AT HIS SCOPE COULD ALSO HAVE SHOWN HIM I WAS STILL SQUAWKING 1200 AND PREVENTED THIS. 3) OF COURSE, I COULD HAVE RPTED I WAS SQUAWKING VFR ALSO SO THERE IS PLENTY I DID WRONG. 4) THE DUATS GRAPHICAL TFR DISPLAY IS A GREAT TOOL, BUT IF YOU'RE NOT VERY CAREFUL, A PLT COULD MISTAKE THE RED 10 MI RING FOR THE NO FLY AREA, NOT THE 30 MI LIMIT IT ACTUALLY WAS. PERHAPS ANOTHER COLOR INDICATING ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT ZONE?

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.