Narrative:

On the above referenced date; I flew the new york hudson river VFR corridor (hudson river class B exclusion.) before the flight; I generated and consulted an on-line duat standard area briefing to verify; among other things; the WX conditions; the WX forecast; tfrs and NOTAMS. Conditions were good and there was nothing specifically issued for the area. As I was on my way to leave the corridor and return to my home airfield; a fellow helicopter pilot informed me (through the special self-announce frequency) that I was violating the stadium tfr. I looked on my charts (ny sectional and ny VFR terminal area) to locate the stadium and evaluate the tfr. This stadium is not indicated on either charts. I then decided to contact la guardia tower to advise them of my presence and identification. They advised me to contact them on a different frequency. By then; I estimated I was most likely outside of the tfr. A few minutes later; I contacted ny approach to complete my flight; advising them that I was inbound to my home airfield. Back on the ground; I checked the FAA web site for the graphical tfrs. The stadium tfr is not represented. The only way I was able to confirm that I had violated a tfr was to locate the stadium on a road atlas and check the team's web site to confirm that they had been playing at this particular time. A following phone call to the FAA phone number listed in the generic fdc NOTAM confirmed that no information was available from the FAA. From this experience; it is clear that it is very difficult for a pilot to comply with stadium tfrs as the airman information distributed does not provide the means of identifying these tfrs nor to identify when they are active. At a minimum; I would suggest that aviation charts be amended to depict the stadiums subject to tfr (capacity greater than 30000) and the tfr around it; with the possibility for the pilot to call a phone number or contact a controling authority to verify if the tfr is active. Also; specific tfrs or NOTAMS could be issued whenever tfrs are activated. A complementary option would be to have an official web site making this information available to the community. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter is not a sports fan; and until after this event; did not know where the stadium was located and furthermore did not know until he later checked that there was an event in progress. He located the stadium on a rand mcnally map and transposed it onto his VFR chart. Further; he used duats to check his VFR flight and did not see a tfr notification. Essentially; when the tfr is active; the VFR corridor is closed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 PLT IN THE NY HUDSON RIVER VFR CORRIDOR ENTERED A STADIUM TFR BECAUSE HIS DUAT PREFLT BRIEFING DID NOT INDICATE ACTIVITY AND THE STADIUM WAS NOT DEPICTED ON HIS AERONAUTICAL CHART.

Narrative: ON THE ABOVE REFERENCED DATE; I FLEW THE NEW YORK HUDSON RIVER VFR CORRIDOR (HUDSON RIVER CLASS B EXCLUSION.) BEFORE THE FLT; I GENERATED AND CONSULTED AN ON-LINE DUAT STANDARD AREA BRIEFING TO VERIFY; AMONG OTHER THINGS; THE WX CONDITIONS; THE WX FORECAST; TFRS AND NOTAMS. CONDITIONS WERE GOOD AND THERE WAS NOTHING SPECIFICALLY ISSUED FOR THE AREA. AS I WAS ON MY WAY TO LEAVE THE CORRIDOR AND RETURN TO MY HOME AIRFIELD; A FELLOW HELI PLT INFORMED ME (THROUGH THE SPECIAL SELF-ANNOUNCE FREQ) THAT I WAS VIOLATING THE STADIUM TFR. I LOOKED ON MY CHARTS (NY SECTIONAL AND NY VFR TERMINAL AREA) TO LOCATE THE STADIUM AND EVALUATE THE TFR. THIS STADIUM IS NOT INDICATED ON EITHER CHARTS. I THEN DECIDED TO CONTACT LA GUARDIA TWR TO ADVISE THEM OF MY PRESENCE AND IDENTIFICATION. THEY ADVISED ME TO CONTACT THEM ON A DIFFERENT FREQ. BY THEN; I ESTIMATED I WAS MOST LIKELY OUTSIDE OF THE TFR. A FEW MINUTES LATER; I CONTACTED NY APCH TO COMPLETE MY FLT; ADVISING THEM THAT I WAS INBND TO MY HOME AIRFIELD. BACK ON THE GND; I CHKED THE FAA WEB SITE FOR THE GRAPHICAL TFRS. THE STADIUM TFR IS NOT REPRESENTED. THE ONLY WAY I WAS ABLE TO CONFIRM THAT I HAD VIOLATED A TFR WAS TO LOCATE THE STADIUM ON A ROAD ATLAS AND CHK THE TEAM'S WEB SITE TO CONFIRM THAT THEY HAD BEEN PLAYING AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME. A FOLLOWING PHONE CALL TO THE FAA PHONE NUMBER LISTED IN THE GENERIC FDC NOTAM CONFIRMED THAT NO INFO WAS AVAILABLE FROM THE FAA. FROM THIS EXPERIENCE; IT IS CLEAR THAT IT IS VERY DIFFICULT FOR A PLT TO COMPLY WITH STADIUM TFRS AS THE AIRMAN INFO DISTRIBUTED DOES NOT PROVIDE THE MEANS OF IDENTIFYING THESE TFRS NOR TO IDENTIFY WHEN THEY ARE ACTIVE. AT A MINIMUM; I WOULD SUGGEST THAT AVIATION CHARTS BE AMENDED TO DEPICT THE STADIUMS SUBJECT TO TFR (CAPACITY GREATER THAN 30000) AND THE TFR AROUND IT; WITH THE POSSIBILITY FOR THE PLT TO CALL A PHONE NUMBER OR CONTACT A CTLING AUTHORITY TO VERIFY IF THE TFR IS ACTIVE. ALSO; SPECIFIC TFRS OR NOTAMS COULD BE ISSUED WHENEVER TFRS ARE ACTIVATED. A COMPLEMENTARY OPTION WOULD BE TO HAVE AN OFFICIAL WEB SITE MAKING THIS INFO AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS NOT A SPORTS FAN; AND UNTIL AFTER THIS EVENT; DID NOT KNOW WHERE THE STADIUM WAS LOCATED AND FURTHERMORE DID NOT KNOW UNTIL HE LATER CHECKED THAT THERE WAS AN EVENT IN PROGRESS. HE LOCATED THE STADIUM ON A RAND MCNALLY MAP AND TRANSPOSED IT ONTO HIS VFR CHART. FURTHER; HE USED DUATS TO CHECK HIS VFR FLT AND DID NOT SEE A TFR NOTIFICATION. ESSENTIALLY; WHEN THE TFR IS ACTIVE; THE VFR CORRIDOR IS CLOSED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.