Narrative:

On apr/wed/04, I was acting PIC and PF of aircraft X, and diamond STAR (DA40) en route myr (myrtle beach) to mqi (maneo, nc) at 5500 ft when a penetration of a portion of the R5314 complex occurred. The original planned flight had involved a route of flight that stopped at dpl for fuel and kept the aircraft well to the west of the R5314 complex and associated phelps MOA. We were carrying flight following out of myrtle beach and were talking to cherry point approach when we were advised that R5306 was 'hot' and we had altered our direct myr-mqi course 10 degrees left to avoid that airspace. I contacted cherry point approach and requested the status of the R5314 complex ahead and was informed that they did not have specific information but due to the presence of multiple 'fast targets' they believed it to be 'hot.' they also indicated that I would be dropping off radar coverage due to my altitude, and to maintain the squawk and contact ZDC in 10 mi for flight following en route manteo. Using first the database and then verifying the information with the flightsoft software package, I determined that the restr areas R5413 abcdef were in a rectangular area proceeding no further west than the eastern boundary of the phelps C MOA. The computer system showed only the phelps abc MOA's without describing the restr airspace underneath. I chose a course that kept me west of the east boundary of the phelps C MOA to remain in the MOA and clear of R5413 abcdef, and proceeded northbound into the restr airspace underlying phelps C MOA at 5500 ft. Prior to entering the restr airspace (thought to be MOA), I attempted contact with ZDC and was told to stand by. I reattempted 3 mins later and was again told to stand by. 3 mins later, I again attempted ZDC. Center queried if I was squawking XXXX to which I replied affirmative. I was told at that time that I was in restr airspace. I asked for a vector clear of the airspace and was told that no vector was available. I began a 180 degree turn and initiated a descent to accelerate the aircraft clear of the airspace. I told center that my equipment showed me in an MOA, not restr airspace. Center replied that all of the airspace beneath phelps MOA complex was restr. Upon clearing the restr airspace to the south, center guided me across the phelps 'a' MOA at 6500 ft which cleared the top of the restr airspace in that area. Upon review of the folded WAC chart, the vertically layered restr and MOA airspaces were evident, and I became fully aware of the violation I had just committed. Corrective actions: the data covering phelps MOA and R5314 complex should be reordered so that electronic navigation and flight planning equipment will show the restr areas. If only one of the sua's can be displayed on the navigation equipment, it should be the restr areas, not the MOA's, as more significant safety and regulatory action will result from the penetration of a restr area than from the penetration of an MOA. Further, cherry point approach should be notified that electronic equipment will not always portray restr airspace under phelps MOA and advise low altitude pilots. I, as the pilot, should review each routing change on paper WAC charts and not rely on electronic sua depictions to keep me clear of restr sua. There is no excuse for sua violations, but in this case, active steps were taken to stay out of restr airspace and were inadequate due to shortcomings in electronic dafif data and failure of the pilot to review paper WAC charts.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DA40 PLT ENTERED R5314 WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: ON APR/WED/04, I WAS ACTING PIC AND PF OF ACFT X, AND DIAMOND STAR (DA40) ENRTE MYR (MYRTLE BEACH) TO MQI (MANEO, NC) AT 5500 FT WHEN A PENETRATION OF A PORTION OF THE R5314 COMPLEX OCCURRED. THE ORIGINAL PLANNED FLT HAD INVOLVED A RTE OF FLT THAT STOPPED AT DPL FOR FUEL AND KEPT THE ACFT WELL TO THE W OF THE R5314 COMPLEX AND ASSOCIATED PHELPS MOA. WE WERE CARRYING FLT FOLLOWING OUT OF MYRTLE BEACH AND WERE TALKING TO CHERRY POINT APCH WHEN WE WERE ADVISED THAT R5306 WAS 'HOT' AND WE HAD ALTERED OUR DIRECT MYR-MQI COURSE 10 DEGS L TO AVOID THAT AIRSPACE. I CONTACTED CHERRY POINT APCH AND REQUESTED THE STATUS OF THE R5314 COMPLEX AHEAD AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE SPECIFIC INFO BUT DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF MULTIPLE 'FAST TARGETS' THEY BELIEVED IT TO BE 'HOT.' THEY ALSO INDICATED THAT I WOULD BE DROPPING OFF RADAR COVERAGE DUE TO MY ALT, AND TO MAINTAIN THE SQUAWK AND CONTACT ZDC IN 10 MI FOR FLT FOLLOWING ENRTE MANTEO. USING FIRST THE DATABASE AND THEN VERIFYING THE INFO WITH THE FLIGHTSOFT SOFTWARE PACKAGE, I DETERMINED THAT THE RESTR AREAS R5413 ABCDEF WERE IN A RECTANGULAR AREA PROCEEDING NO FURTHER W THAN THE EASTERN BOUNDARY OF THE PHELPS C MOA. THE COMPUTER SYS SHOWED ONLY THE PHELPS ABC MOA'S WITHOUT DESCRIBING THE RESTR AIRSPACE UNDERNEATH. I CHOSE A COURSE THAT KEPT ME W OF THE E BOUNDARY OF THE PHELPS C MOA TO REMAIN IN THE MOA AND CLR OF R5413 ABCDEF, AND PROCEEDED NBOUND INTO THE RESTR AIRSPACE UNDERLYING PHELPS C MOA AT 5500 FT. PRIOR TO ENTERING THE RESTR AIRSPACE (THOUGHT TO BE MOA), I ATTEMPTED CONTACT WITH ZDC AND WAS TOLD TO STAND BY. I REATTEMPTED 3 MINS LATER AND WAS AGAIN TOLD TO STAND BY. 3 MINS LATER, I AGAIN ATTEMPTED ZDC. CTR QUERIED IF I WAS SQUAWKING XXXX TO WHICH I REPLIED AFFIRMATIVE. I WAS TOLD AT THAT TIME THAT I WAS IN RESTR AIRSPACE. I ASKED FOR A VECTOR CLR OF THE AIRSPACE AND WAS TOLD THAT NO VECTOR WAS AVAILABLE. I BEGAN A 180 DEG TURN AND INITIATED A DSCNT TO ACCELERATE THE ACFT CLR OF THE AIRSPACE. I TOLD CTR THAT MY EQUIP SHOWED ME IN AN MOA, NOT RESTR AIRSPACE. CTR REPLIED THAT ALL OF THE AIRSPACE BENEATH PHELPS MOA COMPLEX WAS RESTR. UPON CLRING THE RESTR AIRSPACE TO THE S, CTR GUIDED ME ACROSS THE PHELPS 'A' MOA AT 6500 FT WHICH CLRED THE TOP OF THE RESTR AIRSPACE IN THAT AREA. UPON REVIEW OF THE FOLDED WAC CHART, THE VERTLY LAYERED RESTR AND MOA AIRSPACES WERE EVIDENT, AND I BECAME FULLY AWARE OF THE VIOLATION I HAD JUST COMMITTED. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: THE DATA COVERING PHELPS MOA AND R5314 COMPLEX SHOULD BE REORDERED SO THAT ELECTRONIC NAV AND FLT PLANNING EQUIP WILL SHOW THE RESTR AREAS. IF ONLY ONE OF THE SUA'S CAN BE DISPLAYED ON THE NAV EQUIP, IT SHOULD BE THE RESTR AREAS, NOT THE MOA'S, AS MORE SIGNIFICANT SAFETY AND REGULATORY ACTION WILL RESULT FROM THE PENETRATION OF A RESTR AREA THAN FROM THE PENETRATION OF AN MOA. FURTHER, CHERRY POINT APCH SHOULD BE NOTIFIED THAT ELECTRONIC EQUIP WILL NOT ALWAYS PORTRAY RESTR AIRSPACE UNDER PHELPS MOA AND ADVISE LOW ALT PLTS. I, AS THE PLT, SHOULD REVIEW EACH ROUTING CHANGE ON PAPER WAC CHARTS AND NOT RELY ON ELECTRONIC SUA DEPICTIONS TO KEEP ME CLR OF RESTR SUA. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR SUA VIOLATIONS, BUT IN THIS CASE, ACTIVE STEPS WERE TAKEN TO STAY OUT OF RESTR AIRSPACE AND WERE INADEQUATE DUE TO SHORTCOMINGS IN ELECTRONIC DAFIF DATA AND FAILURE OF THE PLT TO REVIEW PAPER WAC CHARTS.

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.