Narrative:

I left 39N (princeton, nj) VFR on may/sat/04 at about XA00. I had called millville FSS prior to departure and obtained a briefing, which included the fact that P-40 had been expanded to 10 mi. My destination was hgr, a trip I do regularly since we have a family living near hagerstown. I had flight following from just outside ttn from phl approach, with handoffs to reading and harrisburg. Before reaching gettysburg, PA, radar service from harrisburg dropped off. I did not have flight following from gettysburg to the end of the flight. My aircraft is equipped with a garmin 430 GPS. The GPS has a 3 mi and a 5 mi ring for P-40. I estimated what a 10 mi ring would be, and flew that line. I contacted hgr when I had crossed the ridge about 11 mi from the facility, prior to reaching waynesboro, PA. They advised me to make an immediate right turn to the north, to avoid penetrating P-40's extended tfr. I immediately complied, and then was advised by hgr when to turn toward the airport, and landed without incident. I was advised to call the tower after landing for a possible violation of the sua. I called the tower, and they advised me that I had penetrated the 10 mi ring by approximately 1/4 mi, and that a government organization had obtained my tail number. The tower personnel advised me that I could not rely on GPS navigation as the military degraded the signal so as to obscure the location of P-40. What I could have done differently. I could have gotten additional flight following from ZDC. The controller at harrisburg seemed pretty busy and it was a beautiful day for flying, so I didn't think it necessary to contact washington. In retrospect, that was a mistake. I could have taken a sectional and drawn a larger ring around P-40. There are enough ground reference points that I could have made out a 12-15 mi ring around the area, but the GPS has been so reliable and helpful that I did not think it necessary. I am a little surprised that there is a policy of degrading the GPS signal, since most GA pilots are relying more on these navigation devices than on other navaids. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he 'depended on his GPS' to avoid P-40, estimating a 10 mi radius of the tfr, even though his garmin model 430 had only a 3-5 mi ring display indicators. To date, he has not received any additional notification about the event from any government organization. Reporter alleges that next time he'll 'add a couple extra mi' for insurance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PLT ENRTE VFR TO HGR PENETRATES THE P-40 EXTENDED TFR EVEN THOUGH BRIEFED BY FSS. PILOT PLANNING AVOIDANCE WITH GPS EQUIP ONLY DISPLAYING 5 MI RADII. CTLR ADVISED GPS SIGNAL DEGRADED IN THAT AREA.

Narrative: I LEFT 39N (PRINCETON, NJ) VFR ON MAY/SAT/04 AT ABOUT XA00. I HAD CALLED MILLVILLE FSS PRIOR TO DEP AND OBTAINED A BRIEFING, WHICH INCLUDED THE FACT THAT P-40 HAD BEEN EXPANDED TO 10 MI. MY DEST WAS HGR, A TRIP I DO REGULARLY SINCE WE HAVE A FAMILY LIVING NEAR HAGERSTOWN. I HAD FLT FOLLOWING FROM JUST OUTSIDE TTN FROM PHL APCH, WITH HDOFS TO READING AND HARRISBURG. BEFORE REACHING GETTYSBURG, PA, RADAR SVC FROM HARRISBURG DROPPED OFF. I DID NOT HAVE FLT FOLLOWING FROM GETTYSBURG TO THE END OF THE FLT. MY ACFT IS EQUIPPED WITH A GARMIN 430 GPS. THE GPS HAS A 3 MI AND A 5 MI RING FOR P-40. I ESTIMATED WHAT A 10 MI RING WOULD BE, AND FLEW THAT LINE. I CONTACTED HGR WHEN I HAD CROSSED THE RIDGE ABOUT 11 MI FROM THE FACILITY, PRIOR TO REACHING WAYNESBORO, PA. THEY ADVISED ME TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE R TURN TO THE N, TO AVOID PENETRATING P-40'S EXTENDED TFR. I IMMEDIATELY COMPLIED, AND THEN WAS ADVISED BY HGR WHEN TO TURN TOWARD THE ARPT, AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I WAS ADVISED TO CALL THE TWR AFTER LNDG FOR A POSSIBLE VIOLATION OF THE SUA. I CALLED THE TWR, AND THEY ADVISED ME THAT I HAD PENETRATED THE 10 MI RING BY APPROX 1/4 MI, AND THAT A GOV ORGANIZATION HAD OBTAINED MY TAIL NUMBER. THE TWR PERSONNEL ADVISED ME THAT I COULD NOT RELY ON GPS NAV AS THE MIL DEGRADED THE SIGNAL SO AS TO OBSCURE THE LOCATION OF P-40. WHAT I COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY. I COULD HAVE GOTTEN ADDITIONAL FLT FOLLOWING FROM ZDC. THE CTLR AT HARRISBURG SEEMED PRETTY BUSY AND IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY FOR FLYING, SO I DIDN'T THINK IT NECESSARY TO CONTACT WASHINGTON. IN RETROSPECT, THAT WAS A MISTAKE. I COULD HAVE TAKEN A SECTIONAL AND DRAWN A LARGER RING AROUND P-40. THERE ARE ENOUGH GND REF POINTS THAT I COULD HAVE MADE OUT A 12-15 MI RING AROUND THE AREA, BUT THE GPS HAS BEEN SO RELIABLE AND HELPFUL THAT I DID NOT THINK IT NECESSARY. I AM A LITTLE SURPRISED THAT THERE IS A POLICY OF DEGRADING THE GPS SIGNAL, SINCE MOST GA PLTS ARE RELYING MORE ON THESE NAV DEVICES THAN ON OTHER NAVAIDS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE 'DEPENDED ON HIS GPS' TO AVOID P-40, ESTIMATING A 10 MI RADIUS OF THE TFR, EVEN THOUGH HIS GARMIN MODEL 430 HAD ONLY A 3-5 MI RING DISPLAY INDICATORS. TO DATE, HE HAS NOT RECEIVED ANY ADDITIONAL NOTIFICATION ABOUT THE EVENT FROM ANY GOV ORGANIZATION. RPTR ALLEGES THAT NEXT TIME HE'LL 'ADD A COUPLE EXTRA MI' FOR INSURANCE.

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.