Narrative:

On sep/tue/03, I scheduled a departure from marlette, mi, in a C172 for a flight to missoula, mt. In preparation for this flight I watched the local tv WX station and listened to the radio on the way to the airport. Once at the airport, I tried numerous times to contact the FSS by telephone without success, each time receiving a busy signal. I continued to redial the number for the next 15-20 mins, still busy. I then departed marlette field en route to missoula, mt once airborne I attempted to contact FSS, but due to the low ceiling to my altitude of only 2500 ft, I was unable to make radio contact. Because the WX was of concern and I hadn't been able to contact the FSS, I diverted to benton harbor, il, in order to obtain a complete WX briefing. At the FBO at benton harbor I reviewed the computerized WX report for the entire route of flight and printed out the report to take with me. Based on this WX report, I departed benton harbor for missoula navigating to chicago heights to avoid the class B chicago area. When I landed at des moines, the control tower requested that I telephone them. They put me in contact with ZAU. ZAU advised me that I had penetrated a tfr in the chicago area, further stating that the tfr had been extended out to a 30 mi radius and that I was tracked at 26 mi, 4 mi inside the tfr. I immediately reviewed the computerized briefing that had been obtained at benton harbor. Nowhere on this 7 ft printout is there any mention of a tfr. If I have made a transgression, it was totally and completely inadvertent and my decisions and routing were based solely and entirely on all of the information that I could obtain.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NOTWITHSTANDING NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO GET A THOROUGH BRIEFING ON HIS FLT FROM FLT SVC, PLT OF C172 WAS NEVER ADVISED OF TFR IN VICINITY OF CHICAGO. VIOLATED SAME.

Narrative: ON SEP/TUE/03, I SCHEDULED A DEP FROM MARLETTE, MI, IN A C172 FOR A FLT TO MISSOULA, MT. IN PREPARATION FOR THIS FLT I WATCHED THE LCL TV WX STATION AND LISTENED TO THE RADIO ON THE WAY TO THE ARPT. ONCE AT THE ARPT, I TRIED NUMEROUS TIMES TO CONTACT THE FSS BY TELEPHONE WITHOUT SUCCESS, EACH TIME RECEIVING A BUSY SIGNAL. I CONTINUED TO REDIAL THE NUMBER FOR THE NEXT 15-20 MINS, STILL BUSY. I THEN DEPARTED MARLETTE FIELD ENRTE TO MISSOULA, MT ONCE AIRBORNE I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT FSS, BUT DUE TO THE LOW CEILING TO MY ALT OF ONLY 2500 FT, I WAS UNABLE TO MAKE RADIO CONTACT. BECAUSE THE WX WAS OF CONCERN AND I HADN'T BEEN ABLE TO CONTACT THE FSS, I DIVERTED TO BENTON HARBOR, IL, IN ORDER TO OBTAIN A COMPLETE WX BRIEFING. AT THE FBO AT BENTON HARBOR I REVIEWED THE COMPUTERIZED WX RPT FOR THE ENTIRE RTE OF FLT AND PRINTED OUT THE RPT TO TAKE WITH ME. BASED ON THIS WX RPT, I DEPARTED BENTON HARBOR FOR MISSOULA NAVING TO CHICAGO HEIGHTS TO AVOID THE CLASS B CHICAGO AREA. WHEN I LANDED AT DES MOINES, THE CTL TWR REQUESTED THAT I TELEPHONE THEM. THEY PUT ME IN CONTACT WITH ZAU. ZAU ADVISED ME THAT I HAD PENETRATED A TFR IN THE CHICAGO AREA, FURTHER STATING THAT THE TFR HAD BEEN EXTENDED OUT TO A 30 MI RADIUS AND THAT I WAS TRACKED AT 26 MI, 4 MI INSIDE THE TFR. I IMMEDIATELY REVIEWED THE COMPUTERIZED BRIEFING THAT HAD BEEN OBTAINED AT BENTON HARBOR. NOWHERE ON THIS 7 FT PRINTOUT IS THERE ANY MENTION OF A TFR. IF I HAVE MADE A TRANSGRESSION, IT WAS TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY INADVERTENT AND MY DECISIONS AND ROUTING WERE BASED SOLELY AND ENTIRELY ON ALL OF THE INFO THAT I COULD OBTAIN.

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.