Narrative:

On apr/sun/04, I departed VFR from mgm in a VFR equipped maule to mke. I had flown the route from mke to mgm 2 times in the last 2 weeks and I was unaware of the tfr in effect over newport, in. About 40 mi southeast of dnv I calculated my fuel remaining and determined I would not have enough fuel to complete my flight. With this in mind I started calling to see if any airports were still open for fuel. The only airport that responded to my radio calls in the area was danville unicom. I made a left turn direct to intercept the VOR runway 34 approach course to put my aircraft on a 20 NM final. The current st louis sectional chart that covers the route in question has no prohibited, restr, warning, or advisory areas depicted on the chart to warn me of the flight restr over the area in or around newport, in. My current database on my GPS moving map system shows no areas of concern in that area. Upon landing at dnv I was told by the lineman that champaign approach control would like to talk to me. They had tracked my transponder fly through a tfr area over newport, in. Champaign approach asked me to call the center supervisor. I gave the center supervisor all the information he asked for. In this case the only mistake I made was not getting a briefing from the flight service station that may have made me aware of the tfr in effect in an area that was well west of my intended route. I have learned an important lesson that even if all charts, maps and databases are current there still may be an invisible area that I am not aware of while flying VFR.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF M7, OPERATING A LONG RANGE XCOUNTRY WITHOUT BENEFIT OF FLT PLAN OR FSS BRIEFING, PENETRATES TFR OVER NEWPORT, IN.

Narrative: ON APR/SUN/04, I DEPARTED VFR FROM MGM IN A VFR EQUIPPED MAULE TO MKE. I HAD FLOWN THE RTE FROM MKE TO MGM 2 TIMES IN THE LAST 2 WKS AND I WAS UNAWARE OF THE TFR IN EFFECT OVER NEWPORT, IN. ABOUT 40 MI SE OF DNV I CALCULATED MY FUEL REMAINING AND DETERMINED I WOULD NOT HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO COMPLETE MY FLT. WITH THIS IN MIND I STARTED CALLING TO SEE IF ANY ARPTS WERE STILL OPEN FOR FUEL. THE ONLY ARPT THAT RESPONDED TO MY RADIO CALLS IN THE AREA WAS DANVILLE UNICOM. I MADE A L TURN DIRECT TO INTERCEPT THE VOR RWY 34 APCH COURSE TO PUT MY ACFT ON A 20 NM FINAL. THE CURRENT ST LOUIS SECTIONAL CHART THAT COVERS THE RTE IN QUESTION HAS NO PROHIBITED, RESTR, WARNING, OR ADVISORY AREAS DEPICTED ON THE CHART TO WARN ME OF THE FLT RESTR OVER THE AREA IN OR AROUND NEWPORT, IN. MY CURRENT DATABASE ON MY GPS MOVING MAP SYS SHOWS NO AREAS OF CONCERN IN THAT AREA. UPON LNDG AT DNV I WAS TOLD BY THE LINEMAN THAT CHAMPAIGN APCH CTL WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO ME. THEY HAD TRACKED MY XPONDER FLY THROUGH A TFR AREA OVER NEWPORT, IN. CHAMPAIGN APCH ASKED ME TO CALL THE CTR SUPVR. I GAVE THE CTR SUPVR ALL THE INFO HE ASKED FOR. IN THIS CASE THE ONLY MISTAKE I MADE WAS NOT GETTING A BRIEFING FROM THE FLT SVC STATION THAT MAY HAVE MADE ME AWARE OF THE TFR IN EFFECT IN AN AREA THAT WAS WELL W OF MY INTENDED RTE. I HAVE LEARNED AN IMPORTANT LESSON THAT EVEN IF ALL CHARTS, MAPS AND DATABASES ARE CURRENT THERE STILL MAY BE AN INVISIBLE AREA THAT I AM NOT AWARE OF WHILE FLYING VFR.

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.