Narrative:

I had purchased a sky arrow just the previous week. The sky arrow is a low and slow VFR airplane of 80 hp. We had received flight following from smo to whp where we did some pattern work. I then planned a flight from whiteman to ful using the lax terminal area chart. This would be the first time I had ever attempted to cross the la basin without flight following; and during the planning my total concentration was on avoiding the overlying lax class B airspace. We received class C flight following from whiteman ground; entered our squawk code; and was handed off to bur for the class C transition sbound along interstate 5. From the la tac I was able to determine by following I-5 at 1800 ft; I would remain beneath the class B airspace; and clear of any other class D fields. Burbank tower handled our transition along I-5 and then terminated radar service. We reset our transponder to 1200 ft and continued VFR. As we continued down I-5; we came around the spur of the hill and I saw dodger stadium up ahead. I immediately diverted somewhat to the east; but still felt that I had sufficient lateral clearance. We continued uneventfully to fullerton. After about an hour at fullerton; we returned to whiteman via the same route. I contacted lax approach to coordinate our transition northbound through burbank class C airspace. I made the call to socal with what I thought was sufficient clearance from dodger stadium; this time; of course; I was fully aware of the game since I had passed it on the way down. As soon as socal gave us a transponder code; they immediately turned us away from dodger stadium -- and that was the instant I realized I had made a serious mistake; and made it twice. I had not allowed sufficient lateral clearance from the stadium. I was horrified to discover upon my return that my GPS had shown about 1.5 miles clearance on the way down; and just under 2 miles clearance on the way back. Needless to say; I am solely responsible for these incursions; and after the shock wore off a little I took out my la tac chart and tried to figure out how I could have so badly misjudged the clearance I needed due to the temporary tfr in effect. Here is what I suggest you might consider for the future; in the interest of safety: the tfr's in place around stadiums are not marked on the chart -- obviously because they are not in effect when there are no events taking place. However; looking at the chart I was struck by two things: first; had there been some sort of indication -- a very light grey shaded area; perhaps -- I would have had to navigate around that as part of my flight planning; in the same way I navigated around class D airspace. Second; the mere presence of that shaded area would have alerted me to the possibility that there might be protected airspace at this location; and I would have either steered wider around it; or called to see if there was a game on and a tfr in effect. Also; there are other areas that have semi-permanent tfr's around them -- disneyland is one example -- that are not marked on the chart and thus provide no guidance on how to visually fly around them using pilotage (remain east of a specified freeway; for example) nor any warning that they are in fact there and must be avoided. By putting such areas on a chart; a pilot's flight planning mentality changes dramatically. You are forced to avoid them; and can then take the option to see if they are not active. This is how MOA's are handled. We assume we are to avoid them -- since there they are -- and then consult the chart back or flight service to see if they are 'cold.' for this reason; I feel that 'permanent' tfr's -- those around stadiums; nuclear plants; etc -- should be marked in some fashion. I wish to stress again that I alone am completely and solely responsible for these incursions; and continued to be mortified that I had violated that airspace. I simply feel that having the protected airspace marked in a terminal area chart not only provides a means to judge how to remain clear of that airspace; but it also calls our attentionto its presence in a way that the current charts do not.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMALL ACFT PLT EXPERIENCES TWO TFR INCURSIONS AT DODGER STADIUM; CLAIMING CHARTING ISSUES CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEVIATION.

Narrative: I HAD PURCHASED A SKY ARROW JUST THE PREVIOUS WEEK. THE SKY ARROW IS A LOW AND SLOW VFR AIRPLANE OF 80 HP. WE HAD RECEIVED FLT FOLLOWING FROM SMO TO WHP WHERE WE DID SOME PATTERN WORK. I THEN PLANNED A FLT FROM WHITEMAN TO FUL USING THE LAX TERMINAL AREA CHART. THIS WOULD BE THE FIRST TIME I HAD EVER ATTEMPTED TO CROSS THE LA BASIN WITHOUT FLT FOLLOWING; AND DURING THE PLANNING MY TOTAL CONCENTRATION WAS ON AVOIDING THE OVERLYING LAX CLASS B AIRSPACE. WE RECEIVED CLASS C FLT FOLLOWING FROM WHITEMAN GND; ENTERED OUR SQUAWK CODE; AND WAS HANDED OFF TO BUR FOR THE CLASS C TRANSITION SBOUND ALONG INTERSTATE 5. FROM THE LA TAC I WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE BY FOLLOWING I-5 AT 1800 FT; I WOULD REMAIN BENEATH THE CLASS B AIRSPACE; AND CLEAR OF ANY OTHER CLASS D FIELDS. BURBANK TWR HANDLED OUR TRANSITION ALONG I-5 AND THEN TERMINATED RADAR SVC. WE RESET OUR XPONDER TO 1200 FT AND CONTINUED VFR. AS WE CONTINUED DOWN I-5; WE CAME AROUND THE SPUR OF THE HILL AND I SAW DODGER STADIUM UP AHEAD. I IMMEDIATELY DIVERTED SOMEWHAT TO THE E; BUT STILL FELT THAT I HAD SUFFICIENT LATERAL CLRNC. WE CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY TO FULLERTON. AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR AT FULLERTON; WE RETURNED TO WHITEMAN VIA THE SAME RTE. I CONTACTED LAX APCH TO COORDINATE OUR TRANSITION NBOUND THROUGH BURBANK CLASS C AIRSPACE. I MADE THE CALL TO SOCAL WITH WHAT I THOUGHT WAS SUFFICIENT CLRNC FROM DODGER STADIUM; THIS TIME; OF COURSE; I WAS FULLY AWARE OF THE GAME SINCE I HAD PASSED IT ON THE WAY DOWN. AS SOON AS SOCAL GAVE US A XPONDER CODE; THEY IMMEDIATELY TURNED US AWAY FROM DODGER STADIUM -- AND THAT WAS THE INSTANT I REALIZED I HAD MADE A SERIOUS MISTAKE; AND MADE IT TWICE. I HAD NOT ALLOWED SUFFICIENT LATERAL CLRNC FROM THE STADIUM. I WAS HORRIFIED TO DISCOVER UPON MY RETURN THAT MY GPS HAD SHOWN ABOUT 1.5 MILES CLRNC ON THE WAY DOWN; AND JUST UNDER 2 MILES CLRNC ON THE WAY BACK. NEEDLESS TO SAY; I AM SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE INCURSIONS; AND AFTER THE SHOCK WORE OFF A LITTLE I TOOK OUT MY LA TAC CHART AND TRIED TO FIGURE OUT HOW I COULD HAVE SO BADLY MISJUDGED THE CLRNC I NEEDED DUE TO THE TEMPORARY TFR IN EFFECT. HERE IS WHAT I SUGGEST YOU MIGHT CONSIDER FOR THE FUTURE; IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY: THE TFR'S IN PLACE AROUND STADIUMS ARE NOT MARKED ON THE CHART -- OBVIOUSLY BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT IN EFFECT WHEN THERE ARE NO EVENTS TAKING PLACE. HOWEVER; LOOKING AT THE CHART I WAS STRUCK BY TWO THINGS: FIRST; HAD THERE BEEN SOME SORT OF INDICATION -- A VERY LIGHT GREY SHADED AREA; PERHAPS -- I WOULD HAVE HAD TO NAVIGATE AROUND THAT AS PART OF MY FLT PLANNING; IN THE SAME WAY I NAVIGATED AROUND CLASS D AIRSPACE. SECOND; THE MERE PRESENCE OF THAT SHADED AREA WOULD HAVE ALERTED ME TO THE POSSIBILITY THAT THERE MIGHT BE PROTECTED AIRSPACE AT THIS LOCATION; AND I WOULD HAVE EITHER STEERED WIDER AROUND IT; OR CALLED TO SEE IF THERE WAS A GAME ON AND A TFR IN EFFECT. ALSO; THERE ARE OTHER AREAS THAT HAVE SEMI-PERMANENT TFR'S AROUND THEM -- DISNEYLAND IS ONE EXAMPLE -- THAT ARE NOT MARKED ON THE CHART AND THUS PROVIDE NO GUIDANCE ON HOW TO VISUALLY FLY AROUND THEM USING PILOTAGE (REMAIN E OF A SPECIFIED FREEWAY; FOR EXAMPLE) NOR ANY WARNING THAT THEY ARE IN FACT THERE AND MUST BE AVOIDED. BY PUTTING SUCH AREAS ON A CHART; A PLT'S FLT PLANNING MENTALITY CHANGES DRAMATICALLY. YOU ARE FORCED TO AVOID THEM; AND CAN THEN TAKE THE OPTION TO SEE IF THEY ARE NOT ACTIVE. THIS IS HOW MOA'S ARE HANDLED. WE ASSUME WE ARE TO AVOID THEM -- SINCE THERE THEY ARE -- AND THEN CONSULT THE CHART BACK OR FLT SVC TO SEE IF THEY ARE 'COLD.' FOR THIS REASON; I FEEL THAT 'PERMANENT' TFR'S -- THOSE AROUND STADIUMS; NUCLEAR PLANTS; ETC -- SHOULD BE MARKED IN SOME FASHION. I WISH TO STRESS AGAIN THAT I ALONE AM COMPLETELY AND SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE INCURSIONS; AND CONTINUED TO BE MORTIFIED THAT I HAD VIOLATED THAT AIRSPACE. I SIMPLY FEEL THAT HAVING THE PROTECTED AIRSPACE MARKED IN A TERMINAL AREA CHART NOT ONLY PROVIDES A MEANS TO JUDGE HOW TO REMAIN CLEAR OF THAT AIRSPACE; BUT IT ALSO CALLS OUR ATTENTIONTO ITS PRESENCE IN A WAY THAT THE CURRENT CHARTS DO NOT.

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.