Narrative:

This problem began when 3 family members and I decided late friday evening to take a 2-DAY weekend trip. I arose saturday morning early and planned the cross country trip with an online flight planning service. WX was reviewed and verified using an online service and everything looked great. I pulled up NOTAMS, tfr's and as well had been notified earlier by email of the weekly tfr's. Everything looked to be a go with no issues or factors other than the long standing tfr at the power plant north of our route through pine bluff, ar, that was noted and we would navigation south so as to not be a factor. My mistake was not calling flight service. I was in somewhat of a hurry to get going and I assumed my online research was good enough. However, en route at 1500 ft MSL approximately 20 mi south of memphis, a military aircraft arrived in our vicinity. I first thought he was on a training run as we were just north of the columbus 3 MOA. He continued to attempt to get my attention and I soon realized we were not supposed to be there. In my review of the problem this evening after my arrival back home I now realize he was following in-flight intercept procedures and attempting to divert me away and out of the area. I was not prepared for this and at that time not sure what to do. I exercised what I thought was my best option at the time and found a construction clearing and landed the aircraft to regroup. My decision at that time, which I executed was to contact memphis approach and sort things out. The tfr infraction was brought to my attention and clearance given to continue flight to our planned refueling stop at whitehurst (M08). Approach, as well had given me their phone number so I could call upon arrival. After talking with approach by phone and taking some time to calm down and realize what trouble I had caused I had no other options but to learn from the hard lesson at hand and continue on to our destination. The problem and my downfall is obvious. A simple phone call should have been made and would have avoided the problem. I only thought I had covered all the bases in order to avoid the problem. My return flight home today was safe and uneventful. It all began with the same efforts and planning along with a call to flight service before departure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ON VFR PLEASURE XCOUNTRY PLT OF R44 HELI INADVERTENTLY ENTERS TFR AND IS INTERCEPTED BY AN UNSPECIFIED MIL ACFT.

Narrative: THIS PROB BEGAN WHEN 3 FAMILY MEMBERS AND I DECIDED LATE FRIDAY EVENING TO TAKE A 2-DAY WEEKEND TRIP. I AROSE SATURDAY MORNING EARLY AND PLANNED THE XCOUNTRY TRIP WITH AN ONLINE FLT PLANNING SVC. WX WAS REVIEWED AND VERIFIED USING AN ONLINE SVC AND EVERYTHING LOOKED GREAT. I PULLED UP NOTAMS, TFR'S AND AS WELL HAD BEEN NOTIFIED EARLIER BY EMAIL OF THE WEEKLY TFR'S. EVERYTHING LOOKED TO BE A GO WITH NO ISSUES OR FACTORS OTHER THAN THE LONG STANDING TFR AT THE PWR PLANT N OF OUR RTE THROUGH PINE BLUFF, AR, THAT WAS NOTED AND WE WOULD NAV S SO AS TO NOT BE A FACTOR. MY MISTAKE WAS NOT CALLING FLT SVC. I WAS IN SOMEWHAT OF A HURRY TO GET GOING AND I ASSUMED MY ONLINE RESEARCH WAS GOOD ENOUGH. HOWEVER, ENRTE AT 1500 FT MSL APPROX 20 MI S OF MEMPHIS, A MIL ACFT ARRIVED IN OUR VICINITY. I FIRST THOUGHT HE WAS ON A TRAINING RUN AS WE WERE JUST N OF THE COLUMBUS 3 MOA. HE CONTINUED TO ATTEMPT TO GET MY ATTN AND I SOON REALIZED WE WERE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THERE. IN MY REVIEW OF THE PROB THIS EVENING AFTER MY ARR BACK HOME I NOW REALIZE HE WAS FOLLOWING INFLT INTERCEPT PROCS AND ATTEMPTING TO DIVERT ME AWAY AND OUT OF THE AREA. I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR THIS AND AT THAT TIME NOT SURE WHAT TO DO. I EXERCISED WHAT I THOUGHT WAS MY BEST OPTION AT THE TIME AND FOUND A CONSTRUCTION CLRING AND LANDED THE ACFT TO REGROUP. MY DECISION AT THAT TIME, WHICH I EXECUTED WAS TO CONTACT MEMPHIS APCH AND SORT THINGS OUT. THE TFR INFRACTION WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTN AND CLRNC GIVEN TO CONTINUE FLT TO OUR PLANNED REFUELING STOP AT WHITEHURST (M08). APCH, AS WELL HAD GIVEN ME THEIR PHONE NUMBER SO I COULD CALL UPON ARR. AFTER TALKING WITH APCH BY PHONE AND TAKING SOME TIME TO CALM DOWN AND REALIZE WHAT TROUBLE I HAD CAUSED I HAD NO OTHER OPTIONS BUT TO LEARN FROM THE HARD LESSON AT HAND AND CONTINUE ON TO OUR DEST. THE PROB AND MY DOWNFALL IS OBVIOUS. A SIMPLE PHONE CALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE AND WOULD HAVE AVOIDED THE PROB. I ONLY THOUGHT I HAD COVERED ALL THE BASES IN ORDER TO AVOID THE PROB. MY RETURN FLT HOME TODAY WAS SAFE AND UNEVENTFUL. IT ALL BEGAN WITH THE SAME EFFORTS AND PLANNING ALONG WITH A CALL TO FLT SVC BEFORE DEP.

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.