Narrative:

VFR flight from whiteman (whp) to death valley airport (log) at 7500' MSL. Encoding altimeter squawking 1200 at time of incident. Had just been signed off from bur arsa approach control. Had contacted edwards approach upon reaching palmdale (ca) area. Was advised by edwards approach to 'stand by,' so aircraft continued on a direct heading to trona airport. While waiting for further contact from edw approach, ATC became preoccupied with an emergency situation with another aircraft. When emergency situation was resolved we contacted approach again, were assigned a squawk code, and at that time were notified by approach that aircraft had intruded into R-2515 restr airspace. Were advised by approach of heading to fly to exit airspace and we requested a heading to california city airport in order to contact ATC supervisor as soon as possible. Unfortunately, pay phone was inoperative at california city. Aircraft then proceeded to home base, and contacted edwards supervisor that afternoon/early evening. 3 factors contributed to inadvertent violation of R-2515. First, an assumption that edw approach issuance of 'standby' was not the same as usual ATC 'stand clear,' and that forthcoming information would determine flight route. Secondly, an emergency situation occurred with another aircraft that distracted both ATC and aircraft, preventing aircraft from obtaining necessary ATC information. Distraction on the part of the pilot/navigator was the third factor, resulting in aircraft unknowingly transiting complex charlie (MOA) into R-2515. In the future, this situation will be diligently avoided by: increased awareness/study of sectional chart, increased pilotage skills, pre-programming of LORAN C on ground and studious avoidance of restr airspace unless cleared by ATC. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: flight crew thought they were clear of area and were navigating by LORAN C, and also thought since edw had answered them and said nothing about course they were navigating ok. Then, when edw interrupted by emergency they were distracted listening to communication on that and were not watching maps closely enough. They were just in the edge of area and quickly vectored out. When they reviewed the incident with edw supervisor he stated he wanted them to call so he was certain they knew where the restr area was located so it would not occur again. There had been no problem and the incident would not be reported to FAA. Analyst also made certain in discussion that the flight crew knew that even though they were in contact with controling agency they had to receive actual clearance before they could enter. Supplemental information from acn 81238: 3 factors contributed to inadvertent violation of R-2515. First, an assumption that edw approach issuance of 'standby' was not the same as usual ATC 'stay clear,' and that forthcoming information would determine flight route. Second, the emergency situation that arose and prevented aircraft from obtaining that necessary information from ATC. Third, pilot/navigator's distraction from following aircraft's position as passing from complex charlie 1 MOA (marked boldly on the chart in the aircraft's flight path) and into R-2515.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA UNAUTH PENETRATION OF RESTRICTED AREA.

Narrative: VFR FLT FROM WHITEMAN (WHP) TO DEATH VALLEY ARPT (LOG) AT 7500' MSL. ENCODING ALTIMETER SQUAWKING 1200 AT TIME OF INCIDENT. HAD JUST BEEN SIGNED OFF FROM BUR ARSA APCH CTL. HAD CONTACTED EDWARDS APCH UPON REACHING PALMDALE (CA) AREA. WAS ADVISED BY EDWARDS APCH TO 'STAND BY,' SO ACFT CONTINUED ON A DIRECT HDG TO TRONA ARPT. WHILE WAITING FOR FURTHER CONTACT FROM EDW APCH, ATC BECAME PREOCCUPIED WITH AN EMER SITUATION WITH ANOTHER ACFT. WHEN EMER SITUATION WAS RESOLVED WE CONTACTED APCH AGAIN, WERE ASSIGNED A SQUAWK CODE, AND AT THAT TIME WERE NOTIFIED BY APCH THAT ACFT HAD INTRUDED INTO R-2515 RESTR AIRSPACE. WERE ADVISED BY APCH OF HDG TO FLY TO EXIT AIRSPACE AND WE REQUESTED A HDG TO CALIFORNIA CITY ARPT IN ORDER TO CONTACT ATC SUPVR ASAP. UNFORTUNATELY, PAY PHONE WAS INOP AT CALIFORNIA CITY. ACFT THEN PROCEEDED TO HOME BASE, AND CONTACTED EDWARDS SUPVR THAT AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING. 3 FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO INADVERTENT VIOLATION OF R-2515. FIRST, AN ASSUMPTION THAT EDW APCH ISSUANCE OF 'STANDBY' WAS NOT THE SAME AS USUAL ATC 'STAND CLR,' AND THAT FORTHCOMING INFO WOULD DETERMINE FLT ROUTE. SECONDLY, AN EMER SITUATION OCCURRED WITH ANOTHER ACFT THAT DISTRACTED BOTH ATC AND ACFT, PREVENTING ACFT FROM OBTAINING NECESSARY ATC INFO. DISTR ON THE PART OF THE PLT/NAVIGATOR WAS THE THIRD FACTOR, RESULTING IN ACFT UNKNOWINGLY TRANSITING COMPLEX CHARLIE (MOA) INTO R-2515. IN THE FUTURE, THIS SITUATION WILL BE DILIGENTLY AVOIDED BY: INCREASED AWARENESS/STUDY OF SECTIONAL CHART, INCREASED PILOTAGE SKILLS, PRE-PROGRAMMING OF LORAN C ON GND AND STUDIOUS AVOIDANCE OF RESTR AIRSPACE UNLESS CLRED BY ATC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: FLT CREW THOUGHT THEY WERE CLR OF AREA AND WERE NAVING BY LORAN C, AND ALSO THOUGHT SINCE EDW HAD ANSWERED THEM AND SAID NOTHING ABOUT COURSE THEY WERE NAVING OK. THEN, WHEN EDW INTERRUPTED BY EMER THEY WERE DISTRACTED LISTENING TO COM ON THAT AND WERE NOT WATCHING MAPS CLOSELY ENOUGH. THEY WERE JUST IN THE EDGE OF AREA AND QUICKLY VECTORED OUT. WHEN THEY REVIEWED THE INCIDENT WITH EDW SUPVR HE STATED HE WANTED THEM TO CALL SO HE WAS CERTAIN THEY KNEW WHERE THE RESTR AREA WAS LOCATED SO IT WOULD NOT OCCUR AGAIN. THERE HAD BEEN NO PROB AND THE INCIDENT WOULD NOT BE RPTED TO FAA. ANALYST ALSO MADE CERTAIN IN DISCUSSION THAT THE FLT CREW KNEW THAT EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE IN CONTACT WITH CTLING AGENCY THEY HAD TO RECEIVE ACTUAL CLRNC BEFORE THEY COULD ENTER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 81238: 3 FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO INADVERTENT VIOLATION OF R-2515. FIRST, AN ASSUMPTION THAT EDW APCH ISSUANCE OF 'STANDBY' WAS NOT THE SAME AS USUAL ATC 'STAY CLR,' AND THAT FORTHCOMING INFO WOULD DETERMINE FLT ROUTE. SECOND, THE EMER SITUATION THAT AROSE AND PREVENTED ACFT FROM OBTAINING THAT NECESSARY INFO FROM ATC. THIRD, PLT/NAVIGATOR'S DISTR FROM FOLLOWING ACFT'S POS AS PASSING FROM COMPLEX CHARLIE 1 MOA (MARKED BOLDLY ON THE CHART IN THE ACFT'S FLT PATH) AND INTO R-2515.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.