Narrative:

On the afternoon of mar/sat/06; I departed MD24 airport on a VFR ADIZ flight plan en route to hgr; md. My ADIZ plan was closed by ATC upon leaving the ADIZ boundary. I was aware that my intended routing took me close to the prohibited airspace around camp david (P40); and I was aware that on this day this airspace had been 'expanded.' for navigation; I was using a garmin 196 GPS which I had recently purchased from a friend. I noted that the GPS depicted the airspace around camp david as 2 concentric circles. I then made my error. I made the erroneous assumption that the inner circle was the normal restr area and that the outer circle was the expanded space. I added an estimated 3-4 mi buffer space to this outer circle and thought I was proceeding by camp david well clear of the restr space. Upon reporting in to the hgr control tower; to my surprise; I was told that I was inside the expanded airspace and I was given a heading to proceed out of the airspace. I immediately proceeded on that heading and left the restr airspace. Upon landing; I was contacted by the tower and given a telephone number to call (FAA) -- which I did. I was then asked to remain with the airplane until the police and a secret service representative arrived to interview me. The interviews went well for me. At sometime during this process; I was told that I was about 2 mi into the restr airspace. I was given the opportunity to turn on my GPS and show the secret service man the airspace depiction and what I had done. By telephone; he checked my explanation and track with what was apparently a radar operation person at camp david; and everything checked out well. I heard him ultimately tell another person (I assumed his superior) by cell phone that he believed me; and I was then released to proceed with my intended business in hagerstown. I feel I was treated well by all involved. I told them that I respected what they were doing and that I was very sorry I had been one to commit this violation. At some time during the discussion process; I learned that the concentric circles on my GPS were actually 3 mi and 5 mi radius circles around camp david; and that the expanded airspace is a 10 mi radius and is not shown on my GPS. This checks well with the 3-4 mi buffer I thought I was giving myself. However; to assure that this; or a similar incident; does not happen to me again; I need to be aware of exactly what my GPS is showing me -- particularly with regard to restr airspace. I need to be aware of the actual dimensions of the restr airspace; and be able to compare this with the scale of the airspace dimensions shown on the GPS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PLT; UTILIZING GPS FOR NAV; MISTAKES R-4009 OUTLINE SYMBOL FOR THE EXPANDED MODE OF THE UNDERLYING P-40. INCURSION ENSUES.

Narrative: ON THE AFTERNOON OF MAR/SAT/06; I DEPARTED MD24 ARPT ON A VFR ADIZ FLT PLAN ENRTE TO HGR; MD. MY ADIZ PLAN WAS CLOSED BY ATC UPON LEAVING THE ADIZ BOUNDARY. I WAS AWARE THAT MY INTENDED ROUTING TOOK ME CLOSE TO THE PROHIBITED AIRSPACE AROUND CAMP DAVID (P40); AND I WAS AWARE THAT ON THIS DAY THIS AIRSPACE HAD BEEN 'EXPANDED.' FOR NAV; I WAS USING A GARMIN 196 GPS WHICH I HAD RECENTLY PURCHASED FROM A FRIEND. I NOTED THAT THE GPS DEPICTED THE AIRSPACE AROUND CAMP DAVID AS 2 CONCENTRIC CIRCLES. I THEN MADE MY ERROR. I MADE THE ERRONEOUS ASSUMPTION THAT THE INNER CIRCLE WAS THE NORMAL RESTR AREA AND THAT THE OUTER CIRCLE WAS THE EXPANDED SPACE. I ADDED AN ESTIMATED 3-4 MI BUFFER SPACE TO THIS OUTER CIRCLE AND THOUGHT I WAS PROCEEDING BY CAMP DAVID WELL CLR OF THE RESTR SPACE. UPON RPTING IN TO THE HGR CTL TWR; TO MY SURPRISE; I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS INSIDE THE EXPANDED AIRSPACE AND I WAS GIVEN A HDG TO PROCEED OUT OF THE AIRSPACE. I IMMEDIATELY PROCEEDED ON THAT HDG AND LEFT THE RESTR AIRSPACE. UPON LNDG; I WAS CONTACTED BY THE TWR AND GIVEN A TELEPHONE NUMBER TO CALL (FAA) -- WHICH I DID. I WAS THEN ASKED TO REMAIN WITH THE AIRPLANE UNTIL THE POLICE AND A SECRET SVC REPRESENTATIVE ARRIVED TO INTERVIEW ME. THE INTERVIEWS WENT WELL FOR ME. AT SOMETIME DURING THIS PROCESS; I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS ABOUT 2 MI INTO THE RESTR AIRSPACE. I WAS GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO TURN ON MY GPS AND SHOW THE SECRET SVC MAN THE AIRSPACE DEPICTION AND WHAT I HAD DONE. BY TELEPHONE; HE CHKED MY EXPLANATION AND TRACK WITH WHAT WAS APPARENTLY A RADAR OP PERSON AT CAMP DAVID; AND EVERYTHING CHKED OUT WELL. I HEARD HIM ULTIMATELY TELL ANOTHER PERSON (I ASSUMED HIS SUPERIOR) BY CELL PHONE THAT HE BELIEVED ME; AND I WAS THEN RELEASED TO PROCEED WITH MY INTENDED BUSINESS IN HAGERSTOWN. I FEEL I WAS TREATED WELL BY ALL INVOLVED. I TOLD THEM THAT I RESPECTED WHAT THEY WERE DOING AND THAT I WAS VERY SORRY I HAD BEEN ONE TO COMMIT THIS VIOLATION. AT SOME TIME DURING THE DISCUSSION PROCESS; I LEARNED THAT THE CONCENTRIC CIRCLES ON MY GPS WERE ACTUALLY 3 MI AND 5 MI RADIUS CIRCLES AROUND CAMP DAVID; AND THAT THE EXPANDED AIRSPACE IS A 10 MI RADIUS AND IS NOT SHOWN ON MY GPS. THIS CHECKS WELL WITH THE 3-4 MI BUFFER I THOUGHT I WAS GIVING MYSELF. HOWEVER; TO ASSURE THAT THIS; OR A SIMILAR INCIDENT; DOES NOT HAPPEN TO ME AGAIN; I NEED TO BE AWARE OF EXACTLY WHAT MY GPS IS SHOWING ME -- PARTICULARLY WITH REGARD TO RESTR AIRSPACE. I NEED TO BE AWARE OF THE ACTUAL DIMENSIONS OF THE RESTR AIRSPACE; AND BE ABLE TO COMPARE THIS WITH THE SCALE OF THE AIRSPACE DIMENSIONS SHOWN ON THE GPS.

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.