Narrative:

An unplanned flight from fullerton, ca, to lake perris, ca, was conducted for personal reasons. Flight was conducted at an altitude of 3000 ft MSL and VMC prevailed. I had not gotten a briefing from FSS because of the short distance of the flight and the good WX. This was my first mistake. I also avoided airspace that would require communications with ATC. This was my second mistake. Had I done either of the two, I would have been informed about the tfr that covered the area around lake matthews and lake elsinore for fire fighting purposes. During the flight, I did not observe any smoke until I was sse of lake matthews. When I did observe the smoke, it was very little. It was at this point that I thought I may have penetrated a tfr area. I did not observe any fire fighting activity during any phase of the flight. Now I was within approximately 6 mi of my destination airport (L65) and knew parachute operations were being conducted so I decided to continue to perris field and land. My assumption was that if commercial skydiving was being conducted, any tfr would not include that area. When I arrived, I heard some mention about a tfr in the area. This was when I was sure I went through. I remained at the airport for a few hours then called riverside FSS to confirm the tfr and its location. To my dismay, my thoughts and feelings were confirmed. Upon leaving, I contacted march approach and socal approach to get advisories and to remain clear of the tfr on the way back to fullerton. I used poor judgement on this flight. I assumed that because it was such a short flight, in good WX, and over familiar terrain that a briefing should not be needed. I was very wrong! I know that the NOTAMS at the end of all briefings are sometimes the most important pieces of information we can get. Rest assured that briefing will be a part of every flight regardless of distance, WX, familiarity, or any other aspect that causes complacency in my thinking.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF BE55 VIOLATES TFR IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AFTER FAILING TO OBTAIN A BRIEFING FOR A SHORT FLT IN FAMILIAR AIRSPACE.

Narrative: AN UNPLANNED FLT FROM FULLERTON, CA, TO LAKE PERRIS, CA, WAS CONDUCTED FOR PERSONAL REASONS. FLT WAS CONDUCTED AT AN ALT OF 3000 FT MSL AND VMC PREVAILED. I HAD NOT GOTTEN A BRIEFING FROM FSS BECAUSE OF THE SHORT DISTANCE OF THE FLT AND THE GOOD WX. THIS WAS MY FIRST MISTAKE. I ALSO AVOIDED AIRSPACE THAT WOULD REQUIRE COMS WITH ATC. THIS WAS MY SECOND MISTAKE. HAD I DONE EITHER OF THE TWO, I WOULD HAVE BEEN INFORMED ABOUT THE TFR THAT COVERED THE AREA AROUND LAKE MATTHEWS AND LAKE ELSINORE FOR FIRE FIGHTING PURPOSES. DURING THE FLT, I DID NOT OBSERVE ANY SMOKE UNTIL I WAS SSE OF LAKE MATTHEWS. WHEN I DID OBSERVE THE SMOKE, IT WAS VERY LITTLE. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT I THOUGHT I MAY HAVE PENETRATED A TFR AREA. I DID NOT OBSERVE ANY FIRE FIGHTING ACTIVITY DURING ANY PHASE OF THE FLT. NOW I WAS WITHIN APPROX 6 MI OF MY DEST ARPT (L65) AND KNEW PARACHUTE OPS WERE BEING CONDUCTED SO I DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO PERRIS FIELD AND LAND. MY ASSUMPTION WAS THAT IF COMMERCIAL SKYDIVING WAS BEING CONDUCTED, ANY TFR WOULD NOT INCLUDE THAT AREA. WHEN I ARRIVED, I HEARD SOME MENTION ABOUT A TFR IN THE AREA. THIS WAS WHEN I WAS SURE I WENT THROUGH. I REMAINED AT THE ARPT FOR A FEW HRS THEN CALLED RIVERSIDE FSS TO CONFIRM THE TFR AND ITS LOCATION. TO MY DISMAY, MY THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS WERE CONFIRMED. UPON LEAVING, I CONTACTED MARCH APCH AND SOCAL APCH TO GET ADVISORIES AND TO REMAIN CLR OF THE TFR ON THE WAY BACK TO FULLERTON. I USED POOR JUDGEMENT ON THIS FLT. I ASSUMED THAT BECAUSE IT WAS SUCH A SHORT FLT, IN GOOD WX, AND OVER FAMILIAR TERRAIN THAT A BRIEFING SHOULD NOT BE NEEDED. I WAS VERY WRONG! I KNOW THAT THE NOTAMS AT THE END OF ALL BRIEFINGS ARE SOMETIMES THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECES OF INFO WE CAN GET. REST ASSURED THAT BRIEFING WILL BE A PART OF EVERY FLT REGARDLESS OF DISTANCE, WX, FAMILIARITY, OR ANY OTHER ASPECT THAT CAUSES COMPLACENCY IN MY THINKING.

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.