Narrative:

The plan was to fly by the annual special event for a view of the morning mass ascension and maybe onto aeg airport for breakfast. I approached the special event from a northeast to southwest direction with the event to the southeast at an altitude of 8500 ft MSL. After passing the event on my left; I turned the aircraft around for another look. During this time; I lost some altitude; probably about 1000 ft. I caught a glimpse of a helicopter approaching my aircraft from the direction of the special event and I interpreted this to mean don't come any nearer to the event area. I immediately departed the area and didn't see the helicopter anymore until a few mins later when he showed up on my left rear. I saw then that it was a law enforcement aircraft so I switched my radio to the emergency frequency 121.5. At that time; I received instructions to land at aeg (double eagle airport). At double eagle I was met on the ramp by 2 homeland security officers; 2 FAA officials; and 2 fbi agents. I was informed that I had violated the special event tfr and albuquerque class C airspace. I immediately made my GPS available to the FAA officials for their inspection. The GPS ground track recording on my garmin clearly shows that; according to the database; I had remained just outside the albuquerque class C airspace boundary line. As for the tfr; I was estimating that I was further away from the site that the officials said I was. I was watching the event below and southwest of my position and let my altitude sag below the 8000 ft ceiling of the tfr. Human performance considerations. Perceptions; judgements; decisions -- I was estimating my distance from the special event and I should have used a different; more precise method. Factors affecting the quality of human performance -- the special event is in an area near my home base and I am very familiar with the route between home base and aeg. I always fly around the outside perimeter of the class C airspace. I know it would be a good idea to contact albuquerque approach even when outside the class C boundaries; but in the past that has been difficult. The controller seems to be monitoring multiple frequencys and when calling in; you can hear the controller responding to other aircraft; but I can't hear all of the other aircraft's responses. In other words; I could be transmitting at the same time another aircraft is transmitting to the same controller. Actions or inactions -- I was aware of the special event tfr as I had checked the NOTAMS several days before; but not on the day of the occurrence. I let my familiarity with the area get in the way of proper diligence and good operating practices; such as checking NOTAMS before each flight and taking greater care to observe those NOTAMS to the letter. In this case; estimating distances was a poor practice. In conclusion; I have been flying for several yrs without ever having an incident or violation. I consider this event a wake up call to be more diligent in all aspects of flying even in areas close to home.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT STRAYS INTO ABQ SPECIAL EVENT TFR.

Narrative: THE PLAN WAS TO FLY BY THE ANNUAL SPECIAL EVENT FOR A VIEW OF THE MORNING MASS ASCENSION AND MAYBE ONTO AEG ARPT FOR BREAKFAST. I APCHED THE SPECIAL EVENT FROM A NE TO SW DIRECTION WITH THE EVENT TO THE SE AT AN ALT OF 8500 FT MSL. AFTER PASSING THE EVENT ON MY L; I TURNED THE ACFT AROUND FOR ANOTHER LOOK. DURING THIS TIME; I LOST SOME ALT; PROBABLY ABOUT 1000 FT. I CAUGHT A GLIMPSE OF A HELI APCHING MY ACFT FROM THE DIRECTION OF THE SPECIAL EVENT AND I INTERPED THIS TO MEAN DON'T COME ANY NEARER TO THE EVENT AREA. I IMMEDIATELY DEPARTED THE AREA AND DIDN'T SEE THE HELI ANYMORE UNTIL A FEW MINS LATER WHEN HE SHOWED UP ON MY L REAR. I SAW THEN THAT IT WAS A LAW ENFORCEMENT ACFT SO I SWITCHED MY RADIO TO THE EMER FREQ 121.5. AT THAT TIME; I RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS TO LAND AT AEG (DOUBLE EAGLE ARPT). AT DOUBLE EAGLE I WAS MET ON THE RAMP BY 2 HOMELAND SECURITY OFFICERS; 2 FAA OFFICIALS; AND 2 FBI AGENTS. I WAS INFORMED THAT I HAD VIOLATED THE SPECIAL EVENT TFR AND ALBUQUERQUE CLASS C AIRSPACE. I IMMEDIATELY MADE MY GPS AVAILABLE TO THE FAA OFFICIALS FOR THEIR INSPECTION. THE GPS GND TRACK RECORDING ON MY GARMIN CLRLY SHOWS THAT; ACCORDING TO THE DATABASE; I HAD REMAINED JUST OUTSIDE THE ALBUQUERQUE CLASS C AIRSPACE BOUNDARY LINE. AS FOR THE TFR; I WAS ESTIMATING THAT I WAS FURTHER AWAY FROM THE SITE THAT THE OFFICIALS SAID I WAS. I WAS WATCHING THE EVENT BELOW AND SW OF MY POS AND LET MY ALT SAG BELOW THE 8000 FT CEILING OF THE TFR. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS. PERCEPTIONS; JUDGEMENTS; DECISIONS -- I WAS ESTIMATING MY DISTANCE FROM THE SPECIAL EVENT AND I SHOULD HAVE USED A DIFFERENT; MORE PRECISE METHOD. FACTORS AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF HUMAN PERFORMANCE -- THE SPECIAL EVENT IS IN AN AREA NEAR MY HOME BASE AND I AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE RTE BTWN HOME BASE AND AEG. I ALWAYS FLY AROUND THE OUTSIDE PERIMETER OF THE CLASS C AIRSPACE. I KNOW IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO CONTACT ALBUQUERQUE APCH EVEN WHEN OUTSIDE THE CLASS C BOUNDARIES; BUT IN THE PAST THAT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT. THE CTLR SEEMS TO BE MONITORING MULTIPLE FREQS AND WHEN CALLING IN; YOU CAN HEAR THE CTLR RESPONDING TO OTHER ACFT; BUT I CAN'T HEAR ALL OF THE OTHER ACFT'S RESPONSES. IN OTHER WORDS; I COULD BE XMITTING AT THE SAME TIME ANOTHER ACFT IS XMITTING TO THE SAME CTLR. ACTIONS OR INACTIONS -- I WAS AWARE OF THE SPECIAL EVENT TFR AS I HAD CHKED THE NOTAMS SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE; BUT NOT ON THE DAY OF THE OCCURRENCE. I LET MY FAMILIARITY WITH THE AREA GET IN THE WAY OF PROPER DILIGENCE AND GOOD OPERATING PRACTICES; SUCH AS CHKING NOTAMS BEFORE EACH FLT AND TAKING GREATER CARE TO OBSERVE THOSE NOTAMS TO THE LETTER. IN THIS CASE; ESTIMATING DISTANCES WAS A POOR PRACTICE. IN CONCLUSION; I HAVE BEEN FLYING FOR SEVERAL YRS WITHOUT EVER HAVING AN INCIDENT OR VIOLATION. I CONSIDER THIS EVENT A WAKE UP CALL TO BE MORE DILIGENT IN ALL ASPECTS OF FLYING EVEN IN AREAS CLOSE TO HOME.

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.