Narrative:

A preflight briefing was obtained from roswell FSS the night before and the morning of the flight containing localizer, en route, and abq WX with specific interest upon NOTAMS on file. There was no mention on parachuting activities and ballooning activities would not begin until long after our arrival at coronado airport. Also, not mentioned by NOTAM was a modification for right traffic runway 35 at coronado airport where the normal operations are for left traffic runway 35. Leaving roswell industrial air center via V6883, V291, direct coronado airport under VFR-VFR flight plan. We monitored row tower until cleared for frequency change, then contacted row FSS to open flight plans, after which monitored row departure. Before reaching corona VORTAC we monitored abq approach. Our cruising altitude was 12500' MSL. We reached 35 DME out of abq, we contacted abq approach, received squawk code, and were soon cleared direct coronado airport from V291. After crossing manzano mountains we were cleared for descent pilot's discretion and began our descent. Due to altitude and close proximity of the airport to the mountains, we flew abeam the airport to the east in a 7 mi (left) upwind traffic for runway 35 at coronado airport. At this time we had the visual on the airport and approach control approved frequency change. We contacted abq FSS, closed flight plan and then contacted coronado unicom for airport advisory. Runway 35 was active, thus we continued left traffic and entered downwind runway 35 at 6300' MSL. When turning base leg we noted the balloon port off of our right wing sighting no balloons in flight. Then, landing runway 35 and taxied to parking. We went to a breakfast and returned to the airport. Then, while preflting the aircraft for our return leg to roswell, we were asked to visit with an FAA official about why we encroached upon a restr airspace for parachute jumping. We were dumbfounded. I am a licensed jumper and rated jump master who would never knowingly disrupt or endanger anyone, much less a fellow jumper. We somehow were not given information pertinent to safety--not through NOTAMS, traffic control, nor unicom did we become notified. The jump did not occur until after we landed at approximately XA00 mdst, thank god. A memo from usdt/FAA concerning the 17TH annual albuquerque international balloon fiesta dated 9/wed/88 was noted (as stated): 'the restrictions do not prohibit flts directly to or from coronado airport, for other than the purpose or observing this event.' 'pilots should contact their local FSS, or albuquerque FSS, for latest NOTAM information.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMT DEVIATED FROM TEMPORARILY REVERSED TRAFFIC PATTERN AT NON TWR ARPT AND POSSIBLY ENTERED TEMPORARY RESTRICTED AREA.

Narrative: A PREFLT BRIEFING WAS OBTAINED FROM ROSWELL FSS THE NIGHT BEFORE AND THE MORNING OF THE FLT CONTAINING LOC, ENRTE, AND ABQ WX WITH SPECIFIC INTEREST UPON NOTAMS ON FILE. THERE WAS NO MENTION ON PARACHUTING ACTIVITIES AND BALLOONING ACTIVITIES WOULD NOT BEGIN UNTIL LONG AFTER OUR ARR AT CORONADO ARPT. ALSO, NOT MENTIONED BY NOTAM WAS A MODIFICATION FOR RIGHT TFC RWY 35 AT CORONADO ARPT WHERE THE NORMAL OPS ARE FOR LEFT TFC RWY 35. LEAVING ROSWELL INDUSTRIAL AIR CENTER VIA V6883, V291, DIRECT CORONADO ARPT UNDER VFR-VFR FLT PLAN. WE MONITORED ROW TWR UNTIL CLRED FOR FREQ CHANGE, THEN CONTACTED ROW FSS TO OPEN FLT PLANS, AFTER WHICH MONITORED ROW DEP. BEFORE REACHING CORONA VORTAC WE MONITORED ABQ APCH. OUR CRUISING ALT WAS 12500' MSL. WE REACHED 35 DME OUT OF ABQ, WE CONTACTED ABQ APCH, RECEIVED SQUAWK CODE, AND WERE SOON CLRED DIRECT CORONADO ARPT FROM V291. AFTER XING MANZANO MOUNTAINS WE WERE CLRED FOR DSCNT PLT'S DISCRETION AND BEGAN OUR DSCNT. DUE TO ALT AND CLOSE PROX OF THE ARPT TO THE MOUNTAINS, WE FLEW ABEAM THE ARPT TO THE E IN A 7 MI (LEFT) UPWIND TFC FOR RWY 35 AT CORONADO ARPT. AT THIS TIME WE HAD THE VISUAL ON THE ARPT AND APCH CTL APPROVED FREQ CHANGE. WE CONTACTED ABQ FSS, CLOSED FLT PLAN AND THEN CONTACTED CORONADO UNICOM FOR ARPT ADVISORY. RWY 35 WAS ACTIVE, THUS WE CONTINUED LEFT TFC AND ENTERED DOWNWIND RWY 35 AT 6300' MSL. WHEN TURNING BASE LEG WE NOTED THE BALLOON PORT OFF OF OUR RIGHT WING SIGHTING NO BALLOONS IN FLT. THEN, LNDG RWY 35 AND TAXIED TO PARKING. WE WENT TO A BREAKFAST AND RETURNED TO THE ARPT. THEN, WHILE PREFLTING THE ACFT FOR OUR RETURN LEG TO ROSWELL, WE WERE ASKED TO VISIT WITH AN FAA OFFICIAL ABOUT WHY WE ENCROACHED UPON A RESTR AIRSPACE FOR PARACHUTE JUMPING. WE WERE DUMBFOUNDED. I AM A LICENSED JUMPER AND RATED JUMP MASTER WHO WOULD NEVER KNOWINGLY DISRUPT OR ENDANGER ANYONE, MUCH LESS A FELLOW JUMPER. WE SOMEHOW WERE NOT GIVEN INFO PERTINENT TO SAFETY--NOT THROUGH NOTAMS, TFC CTL, NOR UNICOM DID WE BECOME NOTIFIED. THE JUMP DID NOT OCCUR UNTIL AFTER WE LANDED AT APPROX XA00 MDST, THANK GOD. A MEMO FROM USDT/FAA CONCERNING THE 17TH ANNUAL ALBUQUERQUE INTL BALLOON FIESTA DATED 9/WED/88 WAS NOTED (AS STATED): 'THE RESTRICTIONS DO NOT PROHIBIT FLTS DIRECTLY TO OR FROM CORONADO ARPT, FOR OTHER THAN THE PURPOSE OR OBSERVING THIS EVENT.' 'PLTS SHOULD CONTACT THEIR LCL FSS, OR ALBUQUERQUE FSS, FOR LATEST NOTAM INFO.'

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.