Narrative:

I was on a VFR flight from yuma, az to aurora, or. Route: bard VOR, blythe VOR, goffs VOR V-105. I was approximately 50 NM south of beatty VOR and was in severe turbulence. The visual WX looking up toward beatty appeared very bad, with storm clouds and snow blowing down the slopes of the mountains into the valley. I called las flight watch and asked for conditions on to reno. They advised that severe turbulence was reported at all altitudes from north of reno to the las area, and in no way would recommend flight into that area. The briefer went on to suggest that I should attempt to cross over into the san joaquin valley, where at least there would be a flat valley floor with many airports to land on. Since I happened to have bakersfield as a waypoint in the LORAN C, I called it up and proceeded on a heading of 240 degrees, which was the heading called for on the LORAN to get to bakersfield. I then climbed to approximately 13500' on the bearing, the turbulence got worse during the climb, probably due to the fact that I was nearing the mountains. I had arrived over the southern end of the owens valley, when I was intercepted by a military fgt. The pilot waved at me as if to imply 'get away,' which I immediately did. I must admit I was not watching my chart, only trying to hold my course to bakersfield. The turbulence had long since thrown the charts, etc, on the floor or into the back seat. I was flying with one hand and holding onto the seat with the other to keep from hitting the ceiling. As soon as the military fgt pulled along side, I knew that I had flown into restr airspace, probably china lake. I eventually got into the valley between bakersfield and fresno and landed at stockton in a 40 KT wind from 020 degrees. After I got on the ground, I reported the infraction to a flight briefer as I was checking WX on to the north. On that particular day, the santa ana winds were flowing in the southern ca area at up to 90 KTS as I understand, and severe turbulence was being reported near the sierras. I make no excuses, but under the circumstances, I was more interested in getting out of a tight spot and back on the ground in one piece. I am very well aware of where the china lake restr area is, but in trying to control the plane in that rough air, I guess I was just too preoccupied and unable to grasp where it was that I might be over. I have held a pilots license since 1947 and this is the first time I have been in trouble for doing something dumb. It won't happen again!!!

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA UNAUTH PENETRATION OF R2505 RESTRICTED. INTERCPETED BY MIL FGT.

Narrative: I WAS ON A VFR FLT FROM YUMA, AZ TO AURORA, OR. ROUTE: BARD VOR, BLYTHE VOR, GOFFS VOR V-105. I WAS APPROX 50 NM S OF BEATTY VOR AND WAS IN SEVERE TURB. THE VISUAL WX LOOKING UP TOWARD BEATTY APPEARED VERY BAD, WITH STORM CLOUDS AND SNOW BLOWING DOWN THE SLOPES OF THE MOUNTAINS INTO THE VALLEY. I CALLED LAS FLT WATCH AND ASKED FOR CONDITIONS ON TO RENO. THEY ADVISED THAT SEVERE TURB WAS RPTED AT ALL ALTS FROM N OF RENO TO THE LAS AREA, AND IN NO WAY WOULD RECOMMEND FLT INTO THAT AREA. THE BRIEFER WENT ON TO SUGGEST THAT I SHOULD ATTEMPT TO CROSS OVER INTO THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY, WHERE AT LEAST THERE WOULD BE A FLAT VALLEY FLOOR WITH MANY ARPTS TO LAND ON. SINCE I HAPPENED TO HAVE BAKERSFIELD AS A WAYPOINT IN THE LORAN C, I CALLED IT UP AND PROCEEDED ON A HDG OF 240 DEGS, WHICH WAS THE HDG CALLED FOR ON THE LORAN TO GET TO BAKERSFIELD. I THEN CLBED TO APPROX 13500' ON THE BEARING, THE TURB GOT WORSE DURING THE CLB, PROBABLY DUE TO THE FACT THAT I WAS NEARING THE MOUNTAINS. I HAD ARRIVED OVER THE SOUTHERN END OF THE OWENS VALLEY, WHEN I WAS INTERCEPTED BY A MIL FGT. THE PLT WAVED AT ME AS IF TO IMPLY 'GET AWAY,' WHICH I IMMEDIATELY DID. I MUST ADMIT I WAS NOT WATCHING MY CHART, ONLY TRYING TO HOLD MY COURSE TO BAKERSFIELD. THE TURB HAD LONG SINCE THROWN THE CHARTS, ETC, ON THE FLOOR OR INTO THE BACK SEAT. I WAS FLYING WITH ONE HAND AND HOLDING ONTO THE SEAT WITH THE OTHER TO KEEP FROM HITTING THE CEILING. AS SOON AS THE MIL FGT PULLED ALONG SIDE, I KNEW THAT I HAD FLOWN INTO RESTR AIRSPACE, PROBABLY CHINA LAKE. I EVENTUALLY GOT INTO THE VALLEY BTWN BAKERSFIELD AND FRESNO AND LANDED AT STOCKTON IN A 40 KT WIND FROM 020 DEGS. AFTER I GOT ON THE GND, I RPTED THE INFRACTION TO A FLT BRIEFER AS I WAS CHKING WX ON TO THE N. ON THAT PARTICULAR DAY, THE SANTA ANA WINDS WERE FLOWING IN THE SOUTHERN CA AREA AT UP TO 90 KTS AS I UNDERSTAND, AND SEVERE TURB WAS BEING RPTED NEAR THE SIERRAS. I MAKE NO EXCUSES, BUT UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, I WAS MORE INTERESTED IN GETTING OUT OF A TIGHT SPOT AND BACK ON THE GND IN ONE PIECE. I AM VERY WELL AWARE OF WHERE THE CHINA LAKE RESTR AREA IS, BUT IN TRYING TO CTL THE PLANE IN THAT ROUGH AIR, I GUESS I WAS JUST TOO PREOCCUPIED AND UNABLE TO GRASP WHERE IT WAS THAT I MIGHT BE OVER. I HAVE HELD A PLTS LICENSE SINCE 1947 AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE BEEN IN TROUBLE FOR DOING SOMETHING DUMB. IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN!!!

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.