Narrative:

I took off from eyw. Destination was rdu. The purpose of the flight was business. The entire flight route was clear skies and unlimited visibility. I flew VFR with no flight following; squawking 1200 altitude the entire way. The airplane is equipped with a garmin 530 GPS/navigation/communication. Its database is updated every month; and was current for this trip. The plane also carried current IFR charts for the entire route. On the way up; I was very careful to avoid all restricted areas either by flying around or over them. The maximum altitudes of all restricted areas were double checked by reference to the charts and the GNS 530 database which stores all altitudes and perimeters for all restricted areas. When I approached the MOA and restricted area around ft bragg; I checked the chart which identified the restricted area 5311 but gave no minimum or maximum altitudes. That was the first time I had ever seen no altitudes charted on a restricted area. I checked the GNS 530 by clicking on each of the painted airspace blocks for the entire MOA and restricted area. The maximum reported altitude for R5311 is 7000 ft MSL. I checked this 3 times before reaching the area; once on a 100 mile scale; once on a 5 mile scale; and once on a 20 mile scale. I got the same information each time. I checked the altimeter setting for fayetteville; nc; the closest public airport to the area and flew over the entire area 7500 ft MSL. I was sure I was overflying the restricted areas; based on the published chart and the GNS 530 database. When I landed in raleigh durham; the ground controller gave me a phone number to call. When I secured the plane; I called the number and reached a controller I believe at ft bragg. He said I had flown through R5311. I told him according to my GNS 530; I had not. He said part of R5311 has an upper limit of 7000 ft MSL; but other parts reach the flight levels. That information is not charted anywhere I can find it. It is not on a current IFR chart. It is not on a current VFR chart. It is not in the GNS 530 database. If I did in fact fly into a restricted area; it was not only inadvertent; but done after careful review of all data available on the limitations of this airspace. To avoid future problems; I strongly believe this area should be charted on IFR and VFR charts and on the electronic database of the garmin GNS 530. I can see no explanation for no warning in the charts or on the database that parts of the restricted area (not drawn on the charts or the databases) may go up into the flight levels. Interestingly; when I departed rdu apr/wed/2006; I headed for evb and asked a rdu departure controller the maximum altitude of R5311. Controller she believed it to be 6000 ft; but routed it to me anyway.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that all modes of his GPS failed to provide any depiction/description of R5311 other than the sfc to 6999 ft MSL layer. He continues to believe the sectional chart fails to provide a proper depiction of the airspace in that the multiple altitude restrictions are not shown on the graphic portion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE58 PLT ENTERS R5311 AIRSPACE BELIEVING HE WAS FLYING OVER ITS UPPER LIMIT BASED ON GPS DATA. GPS DISPLAYED ONLY THE LOWER LAYER OF A THREE LAYER AREA; 5311A; B; AND C; EACH OF WHICH HAS A CEILING THAT IS SUCCESSIVELY HIGHER.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF FROM EYW. DEST WAS RDU. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLT WAS BUSINESS. THE ENTIRE FLT RTE WAS CLR SKIES AND UNLIMITED VISIBILITY. I FLEW VFR WITH NO FLT FOLLOWING; SQUAWKING 1200 ALT THE ENTIRE WAY. THE AIRPLANE IS EQUIPPED WITH A GARMIN 530 GPS/NAV/COM. ITS DATABASE IS UPDATED EVERY MONTH; AND WAS CURRENT FOR THIS TRIP. THE PLANE ALSO CARRIED CURRENT IFR CHARTS FOR THE ENTIRE RTE. ON THE WAY UP; I WAS VERY CAREFUL TO AVOID ALL RESTRICTED AREAS EITHER BY FLYING AROUND OR OVER THEM. THE MAXIMUM ALTS OF ALL RESTRICTED AREAS WERE DOUBLE CHKED BY REFERENCE TO THE CHARTS AND THE GNS 530 DATABASE WHICH STORES ALL ALTS AND PERIMETERS FOR ALL RESTRICTED AREAS. WHEN I APCHED THE MOA AND RESTRICTED AREA AROUND FT BRAGG; I CHKED THE CHART WHICH IDENTIFIED THE RESTRICTED AREA 5311 BUT GAVE NO MINIMUM OR MAXIMUM ALTS. THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD EVER SEEN NO ALTS CHARTED ON A RESTRICTED AREA. I CHKED THE GNS 530 BY CLICKING ON EACH OF THE PAINTED AIRSPACE BLOCKS FOR THE ENTIRE MOA AND RESTRICTED AREA. THE MAXIMUM RPTED ALT FOR R5311 IS 7000 FT MSL. I CHKED THIS 3 TIMES BEFORE REACHING THE AREA; ONCE ON A 100 MILE SCALE; ONCE ON A 5 MILE SCALE; AND ONCE ON A 20 MILE SCALE. I GOT THE SAME INFO EACH TIME. I CHKED THE ALTIMETER SETTING FOR FAYETTEVILLE; NC; THE CLOSEST PUBLIC ARPT TO THE AREA AND FLEW OVER THE ENTIRE AREA 7500 FT MSL. I WAS SURE I WAS OVERFLYING THE RESTRICTED AREAS; BASED ON THE PUBLISHED CHART AND THE GNS 530 DATABASE. WHEN I LANDED IN RALEIGH DURHAM; THE GND CTLR GAVE ME A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL. WHEN I SECURED THE PLANE; I CALLED THE NUMBER AND REACHED A CTLR I BELIEVE AT FT BRAGG. HE SAID I HAD FLOWN THROUGH R5311. I TOLD HIM ACCORDING TO MY GNS 530; I HAD NOT. HE SAID PART OF R5311 HAS AN UPPER LIMIT OF 7000 FT MSL; BUT OTHER PARTS REACH THE FLT LEVELS. THAT INFO IS NOT CHARTED ANYWHERE I CAN FIND IT. IT IS NOT ON A CURRENT IFR CHART. IT IS NOT ON A CURRENT VFR CHART. IT IS NOT IN THE GNS 530 DATABASE. IF I DID IN FACT FLY INTO A RESTRICTED AREA; IT WAS NOT ONLY INADVERTENT; BUT DONE AFTER CAREFUL REVIEW OF ALL DATA AVAILABLE ON THE LIMITATIONS OF THIS AIRSPACE. TO AVOID FUTURE PROBLEMS; I STRONGLY BELIEVE THIS AREA SHOULD BE CHARTED ON IFR AND VFR CHARTS AND ON THE ELECTRONIC DATABASE OF THE GARMIN GNS 530. I CAN SEE NO EXPLANATION FOR NO WARNING IN THE CHARTS OR ON THE DATABASE THAT PARTS OF THE RESTRICTED AREA (NOT DRAWN ON THE CHARTS OR THE DATABASES) MAY GO UP INTO THE FLT LEVELS. INTERESTINGLY; WHEN I DEPARTED RDU APR/WED/2006; I HEADED FOR EVB AND ASKED A RDU DEP CTLR THE MAXIMUM ALT OF R5311. CTLR SHE BELIEVED IT TO BE 6000 FT; BUT ROUTED IT TO ME ANYWAY.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT ALL MODES OF HIS GPS FAILED TO PROVIDE ANY DEPICTION/DESCRIPTION OF R5311 OTHER THAN THE SFC TO 6999 FT MSL LAYER. HE CONTINUES TO BELIEVE THE SECTIONAL CHART FAILS TO PROVIDE A PROPER DEPICTION OF THE AIRSPACE IN THAT THE MULTIPLE ALT RESTRICTIONS ARE NOT SHOWN ON THE GRAPHIC PORTION.

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.