Narrative:

Normally before flight I lay out the cross country course on my sectionals to observe any restr airspace; MOA's; etc. Because the WX in south carolina was only MVFR; I knew I'd have to fly towards the west first before turning north when the ceilings and visibility improved. So; it wasn't possible to lay out a course before hand. No flight plan was filed and I was not using flight following. I picked my way west and northward to stay clear of the clouds and the heaviest rain. As I approached the nc/sc state line about XA30; I noted a military area on my king KX150 moving map GPS. It was fort bragg; nc. The various MOA's were depicted and I determined to fly through them at 1000 ft because the WX had just improved and visibility (greater than 10 mi) and ceiling (greater than 15000 ft) were quite good although I was still in moderate chop. I decided to climb to 3500 ft in order to improve the ride and had just started the climb when I heard a report which sounded like something in the aft part of the plane. While wondering what happened and seeing nothing in the controls or engine; I heard 2 more that I idented as artillery fire and immediately swept the boundaries on the GPS screen to confirm I was only in an MOA. When the pointer hit the boundary line; it becomes wider and brighter giving altitude limits and highlighting the entire boundary perimeter. At that point; I was able to see that I was in a restr area; unfortunately; I am color blind and did not discern the color differences between the various boundaries around this military facility in their un-highlighted mode. I immediately went to a full power climb and turned left to the nearest boundary of the restr airspace. I was alone in the aircraft and there was nothing else to report (other than a good scare!). I fly around the patuxent NAS area regularly and know the restr airspaces around my home base. I don't need color perception to identify the airspace on my GPS because I know generally where they are. This is also true when I lay out a cross country flight and see where the restr airspaces are beforehand. When I see them on my GPS; I know what I'm looking at -- not using color to identify them. This experience has taught me that when I'm 'off course' or otherwise flying where I'm unfamiliar and where I haven't referred to my sectional; I'll have to be more inquisitive of boundaries by highlighting them on the GPS before entering.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PILOT INADVERTENTLY ENTERS RESTRICTED AIRSPACE AT 1000 FT DURING A LIVE FIRE EXERCISE.

Narrative: NORMALLY BEFORE FLT I LAY OUT THE XCOUNTRY COURSE ON MY SECTIONALS TO OBSERVE ANY RESTR AIRSPACE; MOA'S; ETC. BECAUSE THE WX IN SOUTH CAROLINA WAS ONLY MVFR; I KNEW I'D HAVE TO FLY TOWARDS THE W FIRST BEFORE TURNING N WHEN THE CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY IMPROVED. SO; IT WASN'T POSSIBLE TO LAY OUT A COURSE BEFORE HAND. NO FLT PLAN WAS FILED AND I WAS NOT USING FLT FOLLOWING. I PICKED MY WAY W AND NORTHWARD TO STAY CLR OF THE CLOUDS AND THE HEAVIEST RAIN. AS I APCHED THE NC/SC STATE LINE ABOUT XA30; I NOTED A MIL AREA ON MY KING KX150 MOVING MAP GPS. IT WAS FORT BRAGG; NC. THE VARIOUS MOA'S WERE DEPICTED AND I DETERMINED TO FLY THROUGH THEM AT 1000 FT BECAUSE THE WX HAD JUST IMPROVED AND VISIBILITY (GREATER THAN 10 MI) AND CEILING (GREATER THAN 15000 FT) WERE QUITE GOOD ALTHOUGH I WAS STILL IN MODERATE CHOP. I DECIDED TO CLB TO 3500 FT IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THE RIDE AND HAD JUST STARTED THE CLB WHEN I HEARD A RPT WHICH SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING IN THE AFT PART OF THE PLANE. WHILE WONDERING WHAT HAPPENED AND SEEING NOTHING IN THE CTLS OR ENG; I HEARD 2 MORE THAT I IDENTED AS ARTILLERY FIRE AND IMMEDIATELY SWEPT THE BOUNDARIES ON THE GPS SCREEN TO CONFIRM I WAS ONLY IN AN MOA. WHEN THE POINTER HIT THE BOUNDARY LINE; IT BECOMES WIDER AND BRIGHTER GIVING ALT LIMITS AND HIGHLIGHTING THE ENTIRE BOUNDARY PERIMETER. AT THAT POINT; I WAS ABLE TO SEE THAT I WAS IN A RESTR AREA; UNFORTUNATELY; I AM COLOR BLIND AND DID NOT DISCERN THE COLOR DIFFERENCES BTWN THE VARIOUS BOUNDARIES AROUND THIS MIL FACILITY IN THEIR UN-HIGHLIGHTED MODE. I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO A FULL PWR CLB AND TURNED L TO THE NEAREST BOUNDARY OF THE RESTR AIRSPACE. I WAS ALONE IN THE ACFT AND THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE TO RPT (OTHER THAN A GOOD SCARE!). I FLY AROUND THE PATUXENT NAS AREA REGULARLY AND KNOW THE RESTR AIRSPACES AROUND MY HOME BASE. I DON'T NEED COLOR PERCEPTION TO IDENT THE AIRSPACE ON MY GPS BECAUSE I KNOW GENERALLY WHERE THEY ARE. THIS IS ALSO TRUE WHEN I LAY OUT A XCOUNTRY FLT AND SEE WHERE THE RESTR AIRSPACES ARE BEFOREHAND. WHEN I SEE THEM ON MY GPS; I KNOW WHAT I'M LOOKING AT -- NOT USING COLOR TO IDENT THEM. THIS EXPERIENCE HAS TAUGHT ME THAT WHEN I'M 'OFF COURSE' OR OTHERWISE FLYING WHERE I'M UNFAMILIAR AND WHERE I HAVEN'T REFERRED TO MY SECTIONAL; I'LL HAVE TO BE MORE INQUISITIVE OF BOUNDARIES BY HIGHLIGHTING THEM ON THE GPS BEFORE ENTERING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.