Narrative:

This was planned as a casual pleasure flight with a friend into a local practice area and a small airport beyond to do 'touch and goes.' automated WX service was utilized about 2 hours before the flight. WX information was obtained as well as monitoring section 6, as the perry nuclear plant is northeast on the lake erie shoreline. A relevant tfr alert was read during a previous evening. I took off at about XA00 hours, climbed to 2700 ft AGL, 'squawked' 1200, and headed easterly toward our regular practice area which is in the vicinity of the chardon VOR (cxr). We crossed slightly to the south, did a few practice banks and got on the 240 degree radial toward hyz. At about 10 mi from hyz we asked for advisories and monitored the hyz frequency. One aircraft was in the pattern. At about this time a military aircraft, we believe an F14 appeared on our right, crossed in front of our aircraft nose, flared, and continued north. Very shortly it appeared again on the left, waggled its wings and we responded in similar fashion. We immediately contacted yng approach control. We were given discrete 'squawk' numbers and advised that we had been within the 30 mi tfr area and advised to land. We were already headed back to ZZZ1 because of the appearance of the F14 that was no longer visible. Yng approach gave us a telephone number to contact approach control when we landed. After landing, I telephoned approach as requested and was told that a report would be filed since a military interceptor had been dispatched and that I would probably hear from flight standard's office in due time. The casual nature of this flight into a regular, familiar area was a factor in planning which was approached in a casual manner. Under the circumstances of tfr designated areas and given the climate, even the most comfortable flight needs more precise and careful planning. Although we were marginally clear of the 30 SM limit, the FAA announcement clearly states a 30 NM radius. Yet, we thought we had remained clear of the area. Differentiating between statute mi and NM was a detail was more important than perceived. I did not appreciate the relatively small window which we had to transgress, given the nuclear plant to the north and the tfr area to the south. Also, I believe it is far better to talk directly to a briefer during these times, than to use the automatic service.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C177 PLT WAS DIRECTED TO LAND BY A MIL ACFT AFTER ENTERING A TFR.

Narrative: THIS WAS PLANNED AS A CASUAL PLEASURE FLT WITH A FRIEND INTO A LCL PRACTICE AREA AND A SMALL ARPT BEYOND TO DO 'TOUCH AND GOES.' AUTOMATED WX SVC WAS UTILIZED ABOUT 2 HRS BEFORE THE FLT. WX INFO WAS OBTAINED AS WELL AS MONITORING SECTION 6, AS THE PERRY NUCLEAR PLANT IS NE ON THE LAKE ERIE SHORELINE. A RELEVANT TFR ALERT WAS READ DURING A PREVIOUS EVENING. I TOOK OFF AT ABOUT XA00 HRS, CLBED TO 2700 FT AGL, 'SQUAWKED' 1200, AND HEADED EASTERLY TOWARD OUR REGULAR PRACTICE AREA WHICH IS IN THE VICINITY OF THE CHARDON VOR (CXR). WE CROSSED SLIGHTLY TO THE S, DID A FEW PRACTICE BANKS AND GOT ON THE 240 DEG RADIAL TOWARD HYZ. AT ABOUT 10 MI FROM HYZ WE ASKED FOR ADVISORIES AND MONITORED THE HYZ FREQ. ONE ACFT WAS IN THE PATTERN. AT ABOUT THIS TIME A MIL ACFT, WE BELIEVE AN F14 APPEARED ON OUR R, CROSSED IN FRONT OF OUR ACFT NOSE, FLARED, AND CONTINUED N. VERY SHORTLY IT APPEARED AGAIN ON THE L, WAGGLED ITS WINGS AND WE RESPONDED IN SIMILAR FASHION. WE IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED YNG APCH CTL. WE WERE GIVEN DISCRETE 'SQUAWK' NUMBERS AND ADVISED THAT WE HAD BEEN WITHIN THE 30 MI TFR AREA AND ADVISED TO LAND. WE WERE ALREADY HEADED BACK TO ZZZ1 BECAUSE OF THE APPEARANCE OF THE F14 THAT WAS NO LONGER VISIBLE. YNG APCH GAVE US A TELEPHONE NUMBER TO CONTACT APCH CTL WHEN WE LANDED. AFTER LNDG, I TELEPHONED APCH AS REQUESTED AND WAS TOLD THAT A RPT WOULD BE FILED SINCE A MIL INTERCEPTOR HAD BEEN DISPATCHED AND THAT I WOULD PROBABLY HEAR FROM FLT STANDARD'S OFFICE IN DUE TIME. THE CASUAL NATURE OF THIS FLT INTO A REGULAR, FAMILIAR AREA WAS A FACTOR IN PLANNING WHICH WAS APCHED IN A CASUAL MANNER. UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF TFR DESIGNATED AREAS AND GIVEN THE CLIMATE, EVEN THE MOST COMFORTABLE FLT NEEDS MORE PRECISE AND CAREFUL PLANNING. ALTHOUGH WE WERE MARGINALLY CLR OF THE 30 SM LIMIT, THE FAA ANNOUNCEMENT CLRLY STATES A 30 NM RADIUS. YET, WE THOUGHT WE HAD REMAINED CLR OF THE AREA. DIFFERENTIATING BTWN STATUTE MI AND NM WAS A DETAIL WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN PERCEIVED. I DID NOT APPRECIATE THE RELATIVELY SMALL WINDOW WHICH WE HAD TO TRANSGRESS, GIVEN THE NUCLEAR PLANT TO THE N AND THE TFR AREA TO THE S. ALSO, I BELIEVE IT IS FAR BETTER TO TALK DIRECTLY TO A BRIEFER DURING THESE TIMES, THAN TO USE THE AUTOMATIC SVC.

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.