Narrative:

I called the flight service station (elkins) to receive a briefing on a flight to the frederick, md area. I filed my ADIZ departure flight plan and asked about area NOTAMS. I was advised that the WX was good and P-40 was in the expanded mode. I checked my washington sectional charts and saw two (2) rings around P-40 and a caution box to the right of P-40 which read 'P-40 and R-4009 expanded by temporary flight restriction. Contact AFSS for latest status and NOTAMS.' I assumed they were depicted in their expanded forms because of the information box on the right. I plotted a course to the south of P-40 along interstate I-70, thinking this would give me a five (5) mile cushion from P-40 outer edge. While flying past P-40, still south of I-70, I was intercepted by a fighter jet for about one (1) minute. When I returned home I called washington center and was informed that I had crossed the boundary of the expanded P-40 by about one (1) mile and that P-40 is shown on the chart in its normal size, not its expanded size. I believe that the FSS briefer should advise pilots of this or the charts in this area should reflect the expanded size since P-40 is in a heavily traveled area and is expanded almost every week. Also, within the caution box the words 'expanded by temporary flight restriction' should be removed to help relieve this confusion if it is going to continue to be depicted at its normal size. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: a discussion with the reporter clearly demonstrated the confusing nature of the depiction of this airspace. After reviewing the latest edition of the washington sectional and the baltimore/washington terminal area charts the analyst made exactly the same assessment of the area as did the reporter. The charts clearly appear to represent two different sizes of the area. The assumption that the larger is the expanded version is an almost certain interpretation of the representation. An additional concern of the reporter is that the symbology indicating the outer ring of whatever it is this construct is supposed to represent is not identifiable by use of the chart legend. A thick dashed line colored purple is shown as a national security area but there is no similar line in blue. The reporter advises that he is therefore unable to determine exactly what is represented by the line. The resultant assumption defaulted to suppose it to represent the expanded P-40, especially in as much as the explanatory 'caution' box adjacent to the symbol addresses the expansion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF BE36 ASSUMES P-40 IS SHOWN IN EXPANDED MODE ON SECTIONAL AND AREA CHARTS. AVOIDS THE AREA WHICH IS ACTUALLY R-4009. R-4009 OVERLIES AND EXTENDS BEYOND P-40 AND IS TOTALLY WITHIN THE EXPANDED VERSION.

Narrative: I CALLED THE FLT SERVICE STATION (ELKINS) TO RECEIVE A BRIEFING ON A FLT TO THE FREDERICK, MD AREA. I FILED MY ADIZ DEP FLT PLAN AND ASKED ABOUT AREA NOTAMS. I WAS ADVISED THAT THE WX WAS GOOD AND P-40 WAS IN THE EXPANDED MODE. I CHKED MY WASHINGTON SECTIONAL CHARTS AND SAW TWO (2) RINGS AROUND P-40 AND A CAUTION BOX TO THE R OF P-40 WHICH READ 'P-40 AND R-4009 EXPANDED BY TEMPORARY FLT RESTRICTION. CONTACT AFSS FOR LATEST STATUS AND NOTAMS.' I ASSUMED THEY WERE DEPICTED IN THEIR EXPANDED FORMS BECAUSE OF THE INFO BOX ON THE R. I PLOTTED A COURSE TO THE S OF P-40 ALONG INTERSTATE I-70, THINKING THIS WOULD GIVE ME A FIVE (5) MILE CUSHION FROM P-40 OUTER EDGE. WHILE FLYING PAST P-40, STILL S OF I-70, I WAS INTERCEPTED BY A FIGHTER JET FOR ABOUT ONE (1) MINUTE. WHEN I RETURNED HOME I CALLED WASHINGTON CTR AND WAS INFORMED THAT I HAD CROSSED THE BOUNDARY OF THE EXPANDED P-40 BY ABOUT ONE (1) MILE AND THAT P-40 IS SHOWN ON THE CHART IN ITS NORMAL SIZE, NOT ITS EXPANDED SIZE. I BELIEVE THAT THE FSS BRIEFER SHOULD ADVISE PLTS OF THIS OR THE CHARTS IN THIS AREA SHOULD REFLECT THE EXPANDED SIZE SINCE P-40 IS IN A HEAVILY TRAVELED AREA AND IS EXPANDED ALMOST EVERY WK. ALSO, WITHIN THE CAUTION BOX THE WORDS 'EXPANDED BY TEMPORARY FLT RESTRICTION' SHOULD BE REMOVED TO HELP RELIEVE THIS CONFUSION IF IT IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE DEPICTED AT ITS NORMAL SIZE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: A DISCUSSION WITH THE RPTR CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED THE CONFUSING NATURE OF THE DEPICTION OF THIS AIRSPACE. AFTER REVIEWING THE LATEST EDITION OF THE WASHINGTON SECTIONAL AND THE BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON TERMINAL AREA CHARTS THE ANALYST MADE EXACTLY THE SAME ASSESSMENT OF THE AREA AS DID THE RPTR. THE CHARTS CLEARLY APPEAR TO REPRESENT TWO DIFFERENT SIZES OF THE AREA. THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE LARGER IS THE EXPANDED VERSION IS AN ALMOST CERTAIN INTERPRETATION OF THE REPRESENTATION. AN ADDITIONAL CONCERN OF THE RPTR IS THAT THE SYMBOLOGY INDICATING THE OUTER RING OF WHATEVER IT IS THIS CONSTRUCT IS SUPPOSED TO REPRESENT IS NOT IDENTIFIABLE BY USE OF THE CHART LEGEND. A THICK DASHED LINE COLORED PURPLE IS SHOWN AS A NATIONAL SECURITY AREA BUT THERE IS NO SIMILAR LINE IN BLUE. THE RPTR ADVISES THAT HE IS THEREFORE UNABLE TO DETERMINE EXACTLY WHAT IS REPRESENTED BY THE LINE. THE RESULTANT ASSUMPTION DEFAULTED TO SUPPOSE IT TO REPRESENT THE EXPANDED P-40, ESPECIALLY IN AS MUCH AS THE EXPLANATORY 'CAUTION' BOX ADJACENT TO THE SYMBOL ADDRESSES THE EXPANSION.

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.