Narrative:

After takeoff from iad on a VFR flight (necessary because unable to obtain departure reservation on short notice), I was vectored southwest on a heading of 230 degrees and cleared to 4500' MSL. Dca departure continued me on the 230 degree heading well beyond davison field before terminating radar service: 'departing the TCA, radar service terminated, squawk 1200.' realizing that I was close to the quantico restr areas/MOA's, I immediately turned right to 270 degrees and then to 280 degrees, while dialing dulles approach (from memory, 126.65). Upon contact with dulles I asked for flight following as well as vectors around the restr area. Dulles gave me a new transponder code and announced radar contact. About this time I dialed aml into the DME which read 19.0 mi. Shortly thereafter, dulles advised that I was in the restr area, and should turn north to get out or remain on present heading for 2 more miles. Dulles said that there was no known activity in R6608, and asked if I had seen any. I reported that I had seen none, and complained about iad departure vectoring me directly to the restr area and then terminating radar services west/O and handoff or advisory of the restr area proximity. Dulles had no comment, but didn't seem very concerned that iad and they both had allowed me to penetrate the area west/O warning when flying first under positive control in the TCA and then under advisories with a specific request for assistance to remain clear. The incident resulted in no immediate danger to anyone, but should not have been permitted to happen. The controllers didn't seem to be very concerned about the situation, which may have been due to knowledge that the area was not hot. The penetration was inadvertent, and in spite of my efforts to avoid it. Penetration was limited to the extreme northern boundary, based on the DME reading from aml. In the future I will depend less on the controllers to keep me clear of such airspace. If iad were not a high density airport with the requirement for arrival and departure reservations, the flight would have been conducted as usual on an IFR flight plan, thereby receiving better controller attention and direction.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF FROM IAD ON A VFR FLT (NECESSARY BECAUSE UNABLE TO OBTAIN DEP RESERVATION ON SHORT NOTICE), I WAS VECTORED SW ON A HDG OF 230 DEGS AND CLRED TO 4500' MSL. DCA DEP CONTINUED ME ON THE 230 DEG HDG WELL BEYOND DAVISON FIELD BEFORE TERMINATING RADAR SVC: 'DEPARTING THE TCA, RADAR SVC TERMINATED, SQUAWK 1200.' REALIZING THAT I WAS CLOSE TO THE QUANTICO RESTR AREAS/MOA'S, I IMMEDIATELY TURNED RIGHT TO 270 DEGS AND THEN TO 280 DEGS, WHILE DIALING DULLES APCH (FROM MEMORY, 126.65). UPON CONTACT WITH DULLES I ASKED FOR FLT FOLLOWING AS WELL AS VECTORS AROUND THE RESTR AREA. DULLES GAVE ME A NEW TRANSPONDER CODE AND ANNOUNCED RADAR CONTACT. ABOUT THIS TIME I DIALED AML INTO THE DME WHICH READ 19.0 MI. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, DULLES ADVISED THAT I WAS IN THE RESTR AREA, AND SHOULD TURN N TO GET OUT OR REMAIN ON PRESENT HDG FOR 2 MORE MILES. DULLES SAID THAT THERE WAS NO KNOWN ACTIVITY IN R6608, AND ASKED IF I HAD SEEN ANY. I RPTED THAT I HAD SEEN NONE, AND COMPLAINED ABOUT IAD DEP VECTORING ME DIRECTLY TO THE RESTR AREA AND THEN TERMINATING RADAR SVCS W/O AND HDOF OR ADVISORY OF THE RESTR AREA PROX. DULLES HAD NO COMMENT, BUT DIDN'T SEEM VERY CONCERNED THAT IAD AND THEY BOTH HAD ALLOWED ME TO PENETRATE THE AREA W/O WARNING WHEN FLYING FIRST UNDER POSITIVE CTL IN THE TCA AND THEN UNDER ADVISORIES WITH A SPECIFIC REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE TO REMAIN CLR. THE INCIDENT RESULTED IN NO IMMEDIATE DANGER TO ANYONE, BUT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN PERMITTED TO HAPPEN. THE CTLRS DIDN'T SEEM TO BE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SITUATION, WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN DUE TO KNOWLEDGE THAT THE AREA WAS NOT HOT. THE PENETRATION WAS INADVERTENT, AND IN SPITE OF MY EFFORTS TO AVOID IT. PENETRATION WAS LIMITED TO THE EXTREME NORTHERN BOUNDARY, BASED ON THE DME READING FROM AML. IN THE FUTURE I WILL DEPEND LESS ON THE CTLRS TO KEEP ME CLR OF SUCH AIRSPACE. IF IAD WERE NOT A HIGH DENSITY ARPT WITH THE REQUIREMENT FOR ARR AND DEP RESERVATIONS, THE FLT WOULD HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED AS USUAL ON AN IFR FLT PLAN, THEREBY RECEIVING BETTER CTLR ATTN AND DIRECTION.

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.