Narrative:

The briefer supplied me with WX information for this flight. He indicated that WX was VFR and upon completing the WX briefing he supplied me with NOTAMS which were pertinent to my route of flight and destination. These NOTAMS made no mention of lexington, blue grass, ky, as a designated arsa and I noted no other NOTAMS which would affect my flight. Due to the fact that I am presently working on an instrument rating, I planned my route of flight using commercial low altitude en route charts. Upon receiving the FSS briefing I also checked to be sure that the briefing complied with what I saw on these charts. I noted no discrepancies in my flight plan so I then indicated to the briefer that I would file a VFR flight plan. The altitude I had chosen was intended to keep me clear of the blue grass air traffic area and in fact would have kept me vertical above and horizontal clear and to the southeast of the air traffic area. Upon departure from uni I activated my flight plan with dayton FSS and flew first to york VOR and then tracked to lexington VOR. I was at 4500' MSL as I approached hyk. Upon VOR passage I looked on the appropriate approach plate for lexington, ky, blue grass and found the tower frequency of 119.1. I dialed this in and announced myself as just south of the airport at 4500' flying direct central city VOR. Blue grass tower replied and requested that I contact departure on another frequency which they supplied. At this point I realized that I must be in a control area of some type. I reviewed my charts and saw nothing to confirm this. Next I contacted departure which promptly gave me a squawk code. After they had gained my radar contact the controller queried me as to whether I was aware that blue grass was an arsa. I replied, 'negative.' he then informed me that it was in fact an arsa and had been so for about a month and a half. He also stated that the top of the arsa was 5000' MSL. No evasive action was required of me while I was in contact with departure. I continued on to my destination and radar service was soon terminated. When I landed at madisonville, ky, I was given a message to call the FAA safety investigator. However, had the dayton FSS specialist included the designation of the lexington arsa as a NOTAM, given my altitude and route of flight, I would have either made efforts to avoid it or I would have contacted the appropriate approach control facility prior to entering the arsa in compliance with far part 91 requirements for flight within an arsa. I feel that I am a responsible pilot and I truly had no intention of venturing into any controled airspace west/O being in compliance with far part 91. Although I do not release myself of the responsibility for having known of the arsa in lexington, perhaps NOTAMS pertaining to VFR flts that could potentially traverse newly designated control areas could be issued for a period of time following the enactment of these areas as part of the standard briefing by FSS. Such NOTAMS would serve several important functions: 1) they would provide time for appropriate charts to be updated. 2) they would insure that private pilots, many of whom are not instrument rated, remain continually aware of changes within the ATC system and thus would serve to decrease the number of occurrences of nonctled aircraft inadvertently intruding into controled airspace. 3) they would provide a greater degree of insurance to ATC that nonctled aircraft would not inadvertently intrude into controled airspace. Again, I am referring to, most specifically, newly designated controled airspace. 4) they would provide a greater degree of safety to all pilots operating in these news areas.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARSA PENETRATION WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: THE BRIEFER SUPPLIED ME WITH WX INFO FOR THIS FLT. HE INDICATED THAT WX WAS VFR AND UPON COMPLETING THE WX BRIEFING HE SUPPLIED ME WITH NOTAMS WHICH WERE PERTINENT TO MY ROUTE OF FLT AND DEST. THESE NOTAMS MADE NO MENTION OF LEXINGTON, BLUE GRASS, KY, AS A DESIGNATED ARSA AND I NOTED NO OTHER NOTAMS WHICH WOULD AFFECT MY FLT. DUE TO THE FACT THAT I AM PRESENTLY WORKING ON AN INSTRUMENT RATING, I PLANNED MY ROUTE OF FLT USING COMMERCIAL LOW ALT ENRTE CHARTS. UPON RECEIVING THE FSS BRIEFING I ALSO CHKED TO BE SURE THAT THE BRIEFING COMPLIED WITH WHAT I SAW ON THESE CHARTS. I NOTED NO DISCREPANCIES IN MY FLT PLAN SO I THEN INDICATED TO THE BRIEFER THAT I WOULD FILE A VFR FLT PLAN. THE ALT I HAD CHOSEN WAS INTENDED TO KEEP ME CLR OF THE BLUE GRASS ATA AND IN FACT WOULD HAVE KEPT ME VERT ABOVE AND HORIZ CLR AND TO THE SE OF THE ATA. UPON DEP FROM UNI I ACTIVATED MY FLT PLAN WITH DAYTON FSS AND FLEW FIRST TO YORK VOR AND THEN TRACKED TO LEXINGTON VOR. I WAS AT 4500' MSL AS I APCHED HYK. UPON VOR PASSAGE I LOOKED ON THE APPROPRIATE APCH PLATE FOR LEXINGTON, KY, BLUE GRASS AND FOUND THE TWR FREQ OF 119.1. I DIALED THIS IN AND ANNOUNCED MYSELF AS JUST S OF THE ARPT AT 4500' FLYING DIRECT CENTRAL CITY VOR. BLUE GRASS TWR REPLIED AND REQUESTED THAT I CONTACT DEP ON ANOTHER FREQ WHICH THEY SUPPLIED. AT THIS POINT I REALIZED THAT I MUST BE IN A CTL AREA OF SOME TYPE. I REVIEWED MY CHARTS AND SAW NOTHING TO CONFIRM THIS. NEXT I CONTACTED DEP WHICH PROMPTLY GAVE ME A SQUAWK CODE. AFTER THEY HAD GAINED MY RADAR CONTACT THE CTLR QUERIED ME AS TO WHETHER I WAS AWARE THAT BLUE GRASS WAS AN ARSA. I REPLIED, 'NEGATIVE.' HE THEN INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS IN FACT AN ARSA AND HAD BEEN SO FOR ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE TOP OF THE ARSA WAS 5000' MSL. NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS REQUIRED OF ME WHILE I WAS IN CONTACT WITH DEP. I CONTINUED ON TO MY DEST AND RADAR SVC WAS SOON TERMINATED. WHEN I LANDED AT MADISONVILLE, KY, I WAS GIVEN A MESSAGE TO CALL THE FAA SAFETY INVESTIGATOR. HOWEVER, HAD THE DAYTON FSS SPECIALIST INCLUDED THE DESIGNATION OF THE LEXINGTON ARSA AS A NOTAM, GIVEN MY ALT AND ROUTE OF FLT, I WOULD HAVE EITHER MADE EFFORTS TO AVOID IT OR I WOULD HAVE CONTACTED THE APPROPRIATE APCH CTL FAC PRIOR TO ENTERING THE ARSA IN COMPLIANCE WITH FAR PART 91 REQUIREMENTS FOR FLT WITHIN AN ARSA. I FEEL THAT I AM A RESPONSIBLE PLT AND I TRULY HAD NO INTENTION OF VENTURING INTO ANY CTLED AIRSPACE W/O BEING IN COMPLIANCE WITH FAR PART 91. ALTHOUGH I DO NOT RELEASE MYSELF OF THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR HAVING KNOWN OF THE ARSA IN LEXINGTON, PERHAPS NOTAMS PERTAINING TO VFR FLTS THAT COULD POTENTIALLY TRAVERSE NEWLY DESIGNATED CTL AREAS COULD BE ISSUED FOR A PERIOD OF TIME FOLLOWING THE ENACTMENT OF THESE AREAS AS PART OF THE STANDARD BRIEFING BY FSS. SUCH NOTAMS WOULD SERVE SEVERAL IMPORTANT FUNCTIONS: 1) THEY WOULD PROVIDE TIME FOR APPROPRIATE CHARTS TO BE UPDATED. 2) THEY WOULD INSURE THAT PVT PLTS, MANY OF WHOM ARE NOT INSTRUMENT RATED, REMAIN CONTINUALLY AWARE OF CHANGES WITHIN THE ATC SYS AND THUS WOULD SERVE TO DECREASE THE NUMBER OF OCCURRENCES OF NONCTLED ACFT INADVERTENTLY INTRUDING INTO CTLED AIRSPACE. 3) THEY WOULD PROVIDE A GREATER DEGREE OF INSURANCE TO ATC THAT NONCTLED ACFT WOULD NOT INADVERTENTLY INTRUDE INTO CTLED AIRSPACE. AGAIN, I AM REFERRING TO, MOST SPECIFICALLY, NEWLY DESIGNATED CTLED AIRSPACE. 4) THEY WOULD PROVIDE A GREATER DEGREE OF SAFETY TO ALL PLTS OPERATING IN THESE NEWS AREAS.

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.