Narrative:

We departed boise, identification, on an IFR flight plan to salmon, identification, 138 NM northeast. En route, I received the WX from smn AWOS and received an airport advisory from the salmon unicom. ZLC had cleared us to descend to 12000 ft, at which time we reported smn in sight and were cleared for a visual approach. We canceled our IFR flight plan and broadcast on CTAF our intentions to land on runway 35 at smn. As we approached on a left base leg, we realized we were too high and then broadcasted our intentions to enter a left downwind for runway 17. At about this same time, I noticed that there were several fires burning on the mountain-tops southeast of the airport and I could also see that a single engine aircraft was flying near the fires well below us. When we were on left base leg for runway 17, an aircraft came on the frequency and said that we had violated a tfr. After we landed, a government truck came over to us and showed us the tfr coordinates and said they were posted at the FBO at salmon. The captain explained that he had just spoken with flight service immediately before our departure from boise and the briefer never mentioned the tfr in this briefing or the earlier one when he filed his flight plans. He also said that ZLC had not said anything, even though they had cleared us for an approach into salmon. The unicom operator also did not advise us of any unusual activities at the airport. Having not talked to flight service myself, I cannot say for sure what they briefed the captain on, but had he been briefed on the tfr, he surely would have mentioned it to me -- either before or after the incident. There must be a more positive way to disseminate the information about a tfr. We did all of the following and still had no clue it existed: 1) full briefing from FSS and filed IFR flight plan. 2) reconnected FSS just prior to departure. 3) called salmon airport less than 1 hour before arrival. 4) received an approach clearance from ARTCC into salmon airport. 5) contacted unicom as far out as possible for an advisory. 6) broadcast our intentions on CTAF, which at some point, was monitored by fire suppression aircraft. When we departed salmon, we took off to the north, avoiding the tfr.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN UNAUTH ENTRY INTO A TFR SET UP AROUND A FOREST FIRE LOCATION DUE TO LACK OF INFO BEING AVAILABLE FROM MANY SOURCES.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED BOISE, ID, ON AN IFR FLT PLAN TO SALMON, ID, 138 NM NE. ENRTE, I RECEIVED THE WX FROM SMN AWOS AND RECEIVED AN ARPT ADVISORY FROM THE SALMON UNICOM. ZLC HAD CLRED US TO DSND TO 12000 FT, AT WHICH TIME WE RPTED SMN IN SIGHT AND WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH. WE CANCELED OUR IFR FLT PLAN AND BROADCAST ON CTAF OUR INTENTIONS TO LAND ON RWY 35 AT SMN. AS WE APCHED ON A L BASE LEG, WE REALIZED WE WERE TOO HIGH AND THEN BROADCASTED OUR INTENTIONS TO ENTER A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 17. AT ABOUT THIS SAME TIME, I NOTICED THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL FIRES BURNING ON THE MOUNTAIN-TOPS SE OF THE ARPT AND I COULD ALSO SEE THAT A SINGLE ENG ACFT WAS FLYING NEAR THE FIRES WELL BELOW US. WHEN WE WERE ON L BASE LEG FOR RWY 17, AN ACFT CAME ON THE FREQ AND SAID THAT WE HAD VIOLATED A TFR. AFTER WE LANDED, A GOV TRUCK CAME OVER TO US AND SHOWED US THE TFR COORDINATES AND SAID THEY WERE POSTED AT THE FBO AT SALMON. THE CAPT EXPLAINED THAT HE HAD JUST SPOKEN WITH FLT SVC IMMEDIATELY BEFORE OUR DEP FROM BOISE AND THE BRIEFER NEVER MENTIONED THE TFR IN THIS BRIEFING OR THE EARLIER ONE WHEN HE FILED HIS FLT PLANS. HE ALSO SAID THAT ZLC HAD NOT SAID ANYTHING, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD CLRED US FOR AN APCH INTO SALMON. THE UNICOM OPERATOR ALSO DID NOT ADVISE US OF ANY UNUSUAL ACTIVITIES AT THE ARPT. HAVING NOT TALKED TO FLT SVC MYSELF, I CANNOT SAY FOR SURE WHAT THEY BRIEFED THE CAPT ON, BUT HAD HE BEEN BRIEFED ON THE TFR, HE SURELY WOULD HAVE MENTIONED IT TO ME -- EITHER BEFORE OR AFTER THE INCIDENT. THERE MUST BE A MORE POSITIVE WAY TO DISSEMINATE THE INFO ABOUT A TFR. WE DID ALL OF THE FOLLOWING AND STILL HAD NO CLUE IT EXISTED: 1) FULL BRIEFING FROM FSS AND FILED IFR FLT PLAN. 2) RECONNECTED FSS JUST PRIOR TO DEP. 3) CALLED SALMON ARPT LESS THAN 1 HR BEFORE ARR. 4) RECEIVED AN APCH CLRNC FROM ARTCC INTO SALMON ARPT. 5) CONTACTED UNICOM AS FAR OUT AS POSSIBLE FOR AN ADVISORY. 6) BROADCAST OUR INTENTIONS ON CTAF, WHICH AT SOME POINT, WAS MONITORED BY FIRE SUPPRESSION ACFT. WHEN WE DEPARTED SALMON, WE TOOK OFF TO THE N, AVOIDING THE TFR.

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.