Narrative:

On aug/wed/03, at approximately XA30 CDT I was approaching waco regional airport (act) 50 NM out inbound on the 180 degree radial. I listened to ATIS and understood that flight was restr, but I misheard the distance of the restr. I had been there about a year earlier and the distance was 10 mi, so I might have assumed that the distance was still 10 mi. At 20.9 NM I radioed approach as aircraft xxxxxx on 135.2 and was acknowledged. After a short while I was then xferred to 126.12 and within a min or so the controller notified me that I had violated restr airspace. He told me to standby for a telephone number that I needed to call as soon as I landed. Shortly thereafter he gave me the phone number and I landed. I called the number and an FAA representative spoke with me. He stated if I knew about the restr area and if the WX briefer had informed me about it. I told him that I had originally gotten WX for roswell, but the briefer had still mentioned the waco restr. I told the representative that I changed my destination to waco after I got into my airplane because the vacant space in my panel reminded me that I had a communication radio being repaired in waco and I was supposed to pick it up by XB00 CDT. After being airborne, my GPS informed me that I could still reach waco by XB00 CDT, so I diverted to waco. The en route WX was clear enough that it never necessitated acquiring additional WX information. In previous contacts with any type of 'traffic controller,' if the controller could not immediately let me enter they would respond with a warning not to enter, so I asked the FAA representative why the controller did not do so in this case. He responded by saying that she did not warn me because I had already violated the space. He then said that he would be writing up a report and submitting it to the san antonio flight standards office. A secret service agent also met with me briefly for identify purposes and for a brief look inside the aircraft. He also asked if I saw the F16's and the helicopter and I said no, so maybe those aircraft failed to respond correctly. The next day I was continuing my journey to seattle and thinking about contacting pilot's association. I also could still not understand why the controller did not give me some type of warning. Then it dawned on me. The controller made a statement 2 or 3 times saying 'bellanca XXX, turn right immediately to xx heading' and I thought to myself that somebody was certainly in the wrong place, but I had no idea it was me. Apparently the controller was talking to me, but my identifier is xxxxx not xxzxx. There are many bellancas in the area, so I did not realize the error. To change to 126.12 she might have said bellanca xxxxx, but I heard xxzxx (with xx it was more obvious that she was addressing me). If I had responded to the controller I might have been spared having to respond to this problem. As I stated, I was at 20.9 NM on the 180 degree radial upon radio contact and the ranch is on the 241 degree radial at 14 NM, so I was very close to being outside the area although I have not done the math.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT ENTERED A TFR AREA, BECAUSE THE LAST TIME HE ENCOUNTERED ONE, IT EXTENDED ONLY 10 MI. THAT WAS OVER A YR AGO.

Narrative: ON AUG/WED/03, AT APPROX XA30 CDT I WAS APCHING WACO REGIONAL ARPT (ACT) 50 NM OUT INBOUND ON THE 180 DEG RADIAL. I LISTENED TO ATIS AND UNDERSTOOD THAT FLT WAS RESTR, BUT I MISHEARD THE DISTANCE OF THE RESTR. I HAD BEEN THERE ABOUT A YEAR EARLIER AND THE DISTANCE WAS 10 MI, SO I MIGHT HAVE ASSUMED THAT THE DISTANCE WAS STILL 10 MI. AT 20.9 NM I RADIOED APCH AS ACFT XXXXXX ON 135.2 AND WAS ACKNOWLEDGED. AFTER A SHORT WHILE I WAS THEN XFERRED TO 126.12 AND WITHIN A MIN OR SO THE CTLR NOTIFIED ME THAT I HAD VIOLATED RESTR AIRSPACE. HE TOLD ME TO STANDBY FOR A TELEPHONE NUMBER THAT I NEEDED TO CALL AS SOON AS I LANDED. SHORTLY THEREAFTER HE GAVE ME THE PHONE NUMBER AND I LANDED. I CALLED THE NUMBER AND AN FAA REPRESENTATIVE SPOKE WITH ME. HE STATED IF I KNEW ABOUT THE RESTR AREA AND IF THE WX BRIEFER HAD INFORMED ME ABOUT IT. I TOLD HIM THAT I HAD ORIGINALLY GOTTEN WX FOR ROSWELL, BUT THE BRIEFER HAD STILL MENTIONED THE WACO RESTR. I TOLD THE REPRESENTATIVE THAT I CHANGED MY DEST TO WACO AFTER I GOT INTO MY AIRPLANE BECAUSE THE VACANT SPACE IN MY PANEL REMINDED ME THAT I HAD A COM RADIO BEING REPAIRED IN WACO AND I WAS SUPPOSED TO PICK IT UP BY XB00 CDT. AFTER BEING AIRBORNE, MY GPS INFORMED ME THAT I COULD STILL REACH WACO BY XB00 CDT, SO I DIVERTED TO WACO. THE ENRTE WX WAS CLR ENOUGH THAT IT NEVER NECESSITATED ACQUIRING ADDITIONAL WX INFO. IN PREVIOUS CONTACTS WITH ANY TYPE OF 'TFC CTLR,' IF THE CTLR COULD NOT IMMEDIATELY LET ME ENTER THEY WOULD RESPOND WITH A WARNING NOT TO ENTER, SO I ASKED THE FAA REPRESENTATIVE WHY THE CTLR DID NOT DO SO IN THIS CASE. HE RESPONDED BY SAYING THAT SHE DID NOT WARN ME BECAUSE I HAD ALREADY VIOLATED THE SPACE. HE THEN SAID THAT HE WOULD BE WRITING UP A RPT AND SUBMITTING IT TO THE SAN ANTONIO FLT STANDARDS OFFICE. A SECRET SVC AGENT ALSO MET WITH ME BRIEFLY FOR IDENT PURPOSES AND FOR A BRIEF LOOK INSIDE THE ACFT. HE ALSO ASKED IF I SAW THE F16'S AND THE HELI AND I SAID NO, SO MAYBE THOSE ACFT FAILED TO RESPOND CORRECTLY. THE NEXT DAY I WAS CONTINUING MY JOURNEY TO SEATTLE AND THINKING ABOUT CONTACTING PLT'S ASSOCIATION. I ALSO COULD STILL NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE CTLR DID NOT GIVE ME SOME TYPE OF WARNING. THEN IT DAWNED ON ME. THE CTLR MADE A STATEMENT 2 OR 3 TIMES SAYING 'BELLANCA XXX, TURN R IMMEDIATELY TO XX HEADING' AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF THAT SOMEBODY WAS CERTAINLY IN THE WRONG PLACE, BUT I HAD NO IDEA IT WAS ME. APPARENTLY THE CTLR WAS TALKING TO ME, BUT MY IDENTIFIER IS XXXXX NOT XXZXX. THERE ARE MANY BELLANCAS IN THE AREA, SO I DID NOT REALIZE THE ERROR. TO CHANGE TO 126.12 SHE MIGHT HAVE SAID BELLANCA XXXXX, BUT I HEARD XXZXX (WITH XX IT WAS MORE OBVIOUS THAT SHE WAS ADDRESSING ME). IF I HAD RESPONDED TO THE CTLR I MIGHT HAVE BEEN SPARED HAVING TO RESPOND TO THIS PROB. AS I STATED, I WAS AT 20.9 NM ON THE 180 DEG RADIAL UPON RADIO CONTACT AND THE RANCH IS ON THE 241 DEG RADIAL AT 14 NM, SO I WAS VERY CLOSE TO BEING OUTSIDE THE AREA ALTHOUGH I HAVE NOT DONE THE MATH.

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.