Narrative:

While flying through the north part of the salem MOA in northern missouri I contacted kansas city flight watch. I asked about WX along the route from my location to nashville, tn. He advised of a hole in the WX line at walnut ridge VOR. He said there would be no problem with the WX in that location. Following the WX discussion I asked about any tfr's along the route. I was then informed of a tfr which I thought he said was pruitt. He asked at that point if I needed any more details and that he was not sure if it was active. It took approximately 3 mins to find where pruitt MOA was located at which point I radioed back to flight watch for more details on the tfr but received no response. Approximately 3 mins went by waiting for a response from flight watch and at that point I radioed st louis flight service. I attempted to make contact at least 2 times with 2-3 mins between calls. Another 2-3 mins passed before FSS made contact by using an incorrect n-number. After clarifying tail number I questioned about the tfr to be sure that it was at pruitt MOA. She asked about my location and I told her piedmont (pyn) because that was the nearest airport since it was 5 NM southeast of my current location. She then responded of a tfr 30 NM around piedmont with adding many zulu time ranges of activity and stating that it was active at that time. At no point in talking with flight service was I informed that the actual presidential tfr was 30 NM around poplar bluff airport. I radioed back to ask the type of tfr but got no response. I remained on that FSS frequency while searching for the nearest suitable airport to land. Poplar bluff was the nearest suitable airport with acceptable runway lengths. However, that location was shrouded in heavy rain. The second nearest airport without having to re-route towards piedmont was doniphan (X33). Doniphan's runway length was questionable at only 2500 ft in length. I changed the frequency to doniphan unicom at 3 NM out. Once on the ground at doniphan I was informed that the 30 NM tfr was around poplar bluff and that it was a presidential tfr. I immediately called flight service and informed them of my location and the chain of events in question that led to my landing in doniphan. Once FSS told me that the 30 NM tfr was around piedmont I thought I had already violated the limit because of my position only 5 NM northwest of piedmont. If I had been given all of the information concerning the poplar bluff tfr by flight watch or flight service, all the following events could easily have been avoided.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE76 PLT PENETRATED A PRESIDENTIAL TFR.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING THROUGH THE N PART OF THE SALEM MOA IN NORTHERN MISSOURI I CONTACTED KANSAS CITY FLT WATCH. I ASKED ABOUT WX ALONG THE RTE FROM MY LOCATION TO NASHVILLE, TN. HE ADVISED OF A HOLE IN THE WX LINE AT WALNUT RIDGE VOR. HE SAID THERE WOULD BE NO PROB WITH THE WX IN THAT LOCATION. FOLLOWING THE WX DISCUSSION I ASKED ABOUT ANY TFR'S ALONG THE RTE. I WAS THEN INFORMED OF A TFR WHICH I THOUGHT HE SAID WAS PRUITT. HE ASKED AT THAT POINT IF I NEEDED ANY MORE DETAILS AND THAT HE WAS NOT SURE IF IT WAS ACTIVE. IT TOOK APPROX 3 MINS TO FIND WHERE PRUITT MOA WAS LOCATED AT WHICH POINT I RADIOED BACK TO FLT WATCH FOR MORE DETAILS ON THE TFR BUT RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. APPROX 3 MINS WENT BY WAITING FOR A RESPONSE FROM FLT WATCH AND AT THAT POINT I RADIOED ST LOUIS FLT SVC. I ATTEMPTED TO MAKE CONTACT AT LEAST 2 TIMES WITH 2-3 MINS BTWN CALLS. ANOTHER 2-3 MINS PASSED BEFORE FSS MADE CONTACT BY USING AN INCORRECT N-NUMBER. AFTER CLARIFYING TAIL NUMBER I QUESTIONED ABOUT THE TFR TO BE SURE THAT IT WAS AT PRUITT MOA. SHE ASKED ABOUT MY LOCATION AND I TOLD HER PIEDMONT (PYN) BECAUSE THAT WAS THE NEAREST ARPT SINCE IT WAS 5 NM SE OF MY CURRENT LOCATION. SHE THEN RESPONDED OF A TFR 30 NM AROUND PIEDMONT WITH ADDING MANY ZULU TIME RANGES OF ACTIVITY AND STATING THAT IT WAS ACTIVE AT THAT TIME. AT NO POINT IN TALKING WITH FLT SVC WAS I INFORMED THAT THE ACTUAL PRESIDENTIAL TFR WAS 30 NM AROUND POPLAR BLUFF ARPT. I RADIOED BACK TO ASK THE TYPE OF TFR BUT GOT NO RESPONSE. I REMAINED ON THAT FSS FREQ WHILE SEARCHING FOR THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT TO LAND. POPLAR BLUFF WAS THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT WITH ACCEPTABLE RWY LENGTHS. HOWEVER, THAT LOCATION WAS SHROUDED IN HVY RAIN. THE SECOND NEAREST ARPT WITHOUT HAVING TO RE-RTE TOWARDS PIEDMONT WAS DONIPHAN (X33). DONIPHAN'S RWY LENGTH WAS QUESTIONABLE AT ONLY 2500 FT IN LENGTH. I CHANGED THE FREQ TO DONIPHAN UNICOM AT 3 NM OUT. ONCE ON THE GND AT DONIPHAN I WAS INFORMED THAT THE 30 NM TFR WAS AROUND POPLAR BLUFF AND THAT IT WAS A PRESIDENTIAL TFR. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED FLT SVC AND INFORMED THEM OF MY LOCATION AND THE CHAIN OF EVENTS IN QUESTION THAT LED TO MY LNDG IN DONIPHAN. ONCE FSS TOLD ME THAT THE 30 NM TFR WAS AROUND PIEDMONT I THOUGHT I HAD ALREADY VIOLATED THE LIMIT BECAUSE OF MY POS ONLY 5 NM NW OF PIEDMONT. IF I HAD BEEN GIVEN ALL OF THE INFO CONCERNING THE POPLAR BLUFF TFR BY FLT WATCH OR FLT SVC, ALL THE FOLLOWING EVENTS COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN AVOIDED.

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.