Narrative:

The event(south) involved the possibility of infringement in the expanded P-40 airspace surrounding camp david. The problem arose as I have had recent cause to question the course that I have taken around the airspace. I regularly obtain a flight brief prior to flying. I have been aware of the frequent NOTAMS involving the expansion of the airspace since inception. I fly the area weekly and usually file ADIZ transition, or file IFR through the class B airspace. I also fly VFR without radar coverage for local flts. I file /G and have an IFR certified approach and en route GPS. I have a current commercial database that I subscribe to and receive monthly updates. I have used the GPS for guidance assuming that the special airspace for P-40 is depicted accurately. P-40 is depicted with 2 concentric circles surrounding it. I assumed that the inner circle was 4 NM and the outer circle was 10 NM from the P-40 site. This would allow the PIC to navigation with reference to these delineations. The pilot could thus navigation around the larger circle when the expanded airspace is in effect. After contacting commercial database supplier, I discovered that the circles on the map were not 4 NM and 10 NM as I surmised, but 3 NM and 5 NM. There are no size labels on the map to indicate this. This ambiguity may mislead the user. Commercial database supplier offered no reason as to why the markings were at 3 and 5 NM as the reference made no particular sense to the present airspace situation. The commercial database supplier technical support person agreed with the potential misinterp and promised to review the issue with his department. The mistake may have allowed for encroachment in the restr airspace. As a pilot, I will question the information that I rely upon for in-flight decision making. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter and analyst discussed the issue of over reliance on electronic resources and the need to have access to official aeronautical charts to complement the database information.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF TRIN RPTS THAT REPRESENTATION OF PROHIBITED AREA P-40 IS INACCURATE ON HIS GPS DATABASE.

Narrative: THE EVENT(S) INVOLVED THE POSSIBILITY OF INFRINGEMENT IN THE EXPANDED P-40 AIRSPACE SURROUNDING CAMP DAVID. THE PROB AROSE AS I HAVE HAD RECENT CAUSE TO QUESTION THE COURSE THAT I HAVE TAKEN AROUND THE AIRSPACE. I REGULARLY OBTAIN A FLT BRIEF PRIOR TO FLYING. I HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THE FREQUENT NOTAMS INVOLVING THE EXPANSION OF THE AIRSPACE SINCE INCEPTION. I FLY THE AREA WKLY AND USUALLY FILE ADIZ TRANSITION, OR FILE IFR THROUGH THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. I ALSO FLY VFR WITHOUT RADAR COVERAGE FOR LCL FLTS. I FILE /G AND HAVE AN IFR CERTIFIED APCH AND ENRTE GPS. I HAVE A CURRENT COMMERCIAL DATABASE THAT I SUBSCRIBE TO AND RECEIVE MONTHLY UPDATES. I HAVE USED THE GPS FOR GUIDANCE ASSUMING THAT THE SPECIAL AIRSPACE FOR P-40 IS DEPICTED ACCURATELY. P-40 IS DEPICTED WITH 2 CONCENTRIC CIRCLES SURROUNDING IT. I ASSUMED THAT THE INNER CIRCLE WAS 4 NM AND THE OUTER CIRCLE WAS 10 NM FROM THE P-40 SITE. THIS WOULD ALLOW THE PIC TO NAV WITH REF TO THESE DELINEATIONS. THE PLT COULD THUS NAV AROUND THE LARGER CIRCLE WHEN THE EXPANDED AIRSPACE IS IN EFFECT. AFTER CONTACTING COMMERCIAL DATABASE SUPPLIER, I DISCOVERED THAT THE CIRCLES ON THE MAP WERE NOT 4 NM AND 10 NM AS I SURMISED, BUT 3 NM AND 5 NM. THERE ARE NO SIZE LABELS ON THE MAP TO INDICATE THIS. THIS AMBIGUITY MAY MISLEAD THE USER. COMMERCIAL DATABASE SUPPLIER OFFERED NO REASON AS TO WHY THE MARKINGS WERE AT 3 AND 5 NM AS THE REF MADE NO PARTICULAR SENSE TO THE PRESENT AIRSPACE SIT. THE COMMERCIAL DATABASE SUPPLIER TECHNICAL SUPPORT PERSON AGREED WITH THE POTENTIAL MISINTERP AND PROMISED TO REVIEW THE ISSUE WITH HIS DEPT. THE MISTAKE MAY HAVE ALLOWED FOR ENCROACHMENT IN THE RESTR AIRSPACE. AS A PLT, I WILL QUESTION THE INFO THAT I RELY UPON FOR INFLT DECISION MAKING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR AND ANALYST DISCUSSED THE ISSUE OF OVER RELIANCE ON ELECTRONIC RESOURCES AND THE NEED TO HAVE ACCESS TO OFFICIAL AERO CHARTS TO COMPLEMENT THE DATABASE INFO.

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.