MD900 helicopter pilot penetrates open air assembly stadium restr airspace in seattle, wa.

Attributes
ACN	592952
Time
Date	200309
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sea.airport
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl single value : 1200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	592952
Person 2
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited penetrated airspace flight crew : took evasive action
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airspace Structure ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Airspace Structure

Narrative:

Flew near a stadium while a sporting event was taking place. Reference: FDC3/1862, special notice. The mission was to take the owner of the helicopter and his guest on a sightseeing flight east of seattle from boeing field. 1 hour earlier, I had ferried the aircraft from victoria, back course. A WX briefing and a flight plan was filed with cyka, canadian FSS. Upon arrival, I was told of the sightseeing flight. While preparing the aircraft, the owner arrived. He informed me then that in addition to the mountains, he wanted to fly by downtown seattle. The flight path was changed several times because of additional requests from the owner. After leaving the downtown area and flying towards the mountains at 1200 ft MSL, I noticed a full football stadium to the left of the aircraft near the route of flight at approximately between 1 and 2 NM. I immediately turned away from the stadium thinking that it might be one covered under the blanket NOTAM concerning large sporting events. I understand that a review of all pertinent information and a WX/NOTAM briefing should be obtained prior to flight. In this case a WX briefing was received for the time both flts were to happen, but a NOTAM briefing was not. Even if I had received a briefing from seattle FSS, I might not have been informed of the game being played. Subsequently, I have called seattle FSS 3 times and have gotten 3 different briefers. Only one could tell me about the specific event happening locally and even he didn't have the exact location of the stadium or the time of the game. If one were not a sports fan, it would be very difficult to know when and where these sporting events were taking place. The briefers only have generalized information about this NOTAM. Corrective action: pilots should obtain a detailed briefing prior to each flight and briefers should be given detailed information of each event taking place during that day to disseminate.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD900 HELI PLT PENETRATES OPEN AIR ASSEMBLY STADIUM RESTR AIRSPACE IN SEATTLE, WA.

Narrative: FLEW NEAR A STADIUM WHILE A SPORTING EVENT WAS TAKING PLACE. REF: FDC3/1862, SPECIAL NOTICE. THE MISSION WAS TO TAKE THE OWNER OF THE HELI AND HIS GUEST ON A SIGHTSEEING FLT E OF SEATTLE FROM BOEING FIELD. 1 HR EARLIER, I HAD FERRIED THE ACFT FROM VICTORIA, BC. A WX BRIEFING AND A FLT PLAN WAS FILED WITH CYKA, CANADIAN FSS. UPON ARR, I WAS TOLD OF THE SIGHTSEEING FLT. WHILE PREPARING THE ACFT, THE OWNER ARRIVED. HE INFORMED ME THEN THAT IN ADDITION TO THE MOUNTAINS, HE WANTED TO FLY BY DOWNTOWN SEATTLE. THE FLT PATH WAS CHANGED SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE OF ADDITIONAL REQUESTS FROM THE OWNER. AFTER LEAVING THE DOWNTOWN AREA AND FLYING TOWARDS THE MOUNTAINS AT 1200 FT MSL, I NOTICED A FULL FOOTBALL STADIUM TO THE L OF THE ACFT NEAR THE RTE OF FLT AT APPROX BTWN 1 AND 2 NM. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED AWAY FROM THE STADIUM THINKING THAT IT MIGHT BE ONE COVERED UNDER THE BLANKET NOTAM CONCERNING LARGE SPORTING EVENTS. I UNDERSTAND THAT A REVIEW OF ALL PERTINENT INFO AND A WX/NOTAM BRIEFING SHOULD BE OBTAINED PRIOR TO FLT. IN THIS CASE A WX BRIEFING WAS RECEIVED FOR THE TIME BOTH FLTS WERE TO HAPPEN, BUT A NOTAM BRIEFING WAS NOT. EVEN IF I HAD RECEIVED A BRIEFING FROM SEATTLE FSS, I MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN INFORMED OF THE GAME BEING PLAYED. SUBSEQUENTLY, I HAVE CALLED SEATTLE FSS 3 TIMES AND HAVE GOTTEN 3 DIFFERENT BRIEFERS. ONLY ONE COULD TELL ME ABOUT THE SPECIFIC EVENT HAPPENING LOCALLY AND EVEN HE DIDN'T HAVE THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE STADIUM OR THE TIME OF THE GAME. IF ONE WERE NOT A SPORTS FAN, IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO KNOW WHEN AND WHERE THESE SPORTING EVENTS WERE TAKING PLACE. THE BRIEFERS ONLY HAVE GENERALIZED INFO ABOUT THIS NOTAM. CORRECTIVE ACTION: PLTS SHOULD OBTAIN A DETAILED BRIEFING PRIOR TO EACH FLT AND BRIEFERS SHOULD BE GIVEN DETAILED INFO OF EACH EVENT TAKING PLACE DURING THAT DAY TO DISSEMINATE.

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.