Narrative:

On 10/thurs/88 I entered the moline, il, arsa west/O first establishing radio communication. At the time of penetration, I had no knowledge that the airspace I was in was an arsa. I was later informed that oct was the commissioning date of that airspace as an arsa. I was flying VFR using a current IFR chart which did not designate the airspace as an arsa. I was given no NOTAM concerning such commissioning. Nor did the NOTAM section of my IFR charts, which were current, contain one. On the morning of 10/thurs/88, I requested from flight service, lansing or south bend, a standard brief for an IFR flight from 6d6, greenville, mi, to 2 different airports, sqi, sterling, il, and mzp, mt pleasant, ia. At the time of the brief, I was not sure whether I would go first to sqi then on to mzp, or direct to mzp. Perhaps this type of request made the briefing task more complex, however once the briefer understood my request she didn't seem to have problems with it. I was given current WX and forecasts. Both destinations were VFR with marginal VFR to IFR due to ground fog in the 6d6 area. Specifically, I was given moline WX and forecasts for the mzp destination. I believe I was told that no NOTAMS existed for both proposed destinations. I do not recall being given a NOTAM concerning commissioning of the moline arsa. If I had been I'm sure I would have noted it. I am assuming that such a NOTAM in fact existed. Since I requested a briefing for an IFR flight, perhaps the briefer purposely omitted the arsa NOTAM. However, since the WX was VFR and my proposed route would have taken me through that airspace in any event, I feel the NOTAM should have been given. I flew to sqi west/O incident. The WX was good VFR. The next leg was to mzp, a distance of approximately 70 NM. Remembering the standard brief I had received earlier and considering the current good WX and short leg, I called to update the current moline WX and forecast. That's all I asked for and that's all I received. In retrospect, I should have requested an update or standard brief. If the WX at the time had been other than what it was, I would have done just that. I flew RNAV direct sqi to mzp at 3500' MSL and made a deliberate attempt to remain clear of the moline control zone. As I passed from the northeast to the center of the arsa, on the east side, the ceiling began to lower. I descended to 3000' but it quickly became apparent that continued VFR would not be safe. I called moline approach to obtain an IFR clearance to mzp. I was given a squawk code and a clearance of present position direct, maintain 3000'. After my readback I was told that I was 'in the moline arsa.' I was so shocked that all I could do was note the time (and think of ASRS). I told the controller that my chart did not show the arsa. He told me that it went into effect that morning. He then gave me its boundaries and suggested I pencil them on the chart. No attempt was made to get my name, either when I requested my clearance or after he notified me of my position. Further, I was not told that I had violated that arsa, only that I was in it. This event is extremely troubling to me in that even though I made an effort to have up to date information, I somehow missed the redesignation of this airspace. The chart revision prior to my departure did not contacting the moline arsa on the en route chart or in the chart NOTAMS. The revision which did contain the NOTAM was dated 10/14/88. The mailing envelope had a postage meter stamp of 10/12/88, but did not arrive at my office until 10/19/88 at the earliest. I left in 10/88, not yet having received the revision. Why not put this NOTAM in an earlier revision. Why wait to the last possible date? Further, if the prevention of unauthorized flight into arsa's and TCA's is high on FAA's list, as I believe it is, then why not make getting the word out of the commissioning dates of such airspace high on the list as well. FSS should be required to give such NOTAMS to all pilots requesting a briefing for flts in or near such airspace, whether that flight is IFR or VFR. Wouldn't it be more appropriate to play aprerecorded schedule of major airspace redesignations rather than the local radio station to pilots who are on hold awaiting their briefings?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PENETRATION OF ARSA THAT HAD JUST GONE INTO EFFECT THAT DAY. NO INFORMATION IN BRIEFINGS RECEIVED FROM FSS.

Narrative: ON 10/THURS/88 I ENTERED THE MOLINE, IL, ARSA W/O FIRST ESTABLISHING RADIO COM. AT THE TIME OF PENETRATION, I HAD NO KNOWLEDGE THAT THE AIRSPACE I WAS IN WAS AN ARSA. I WAS LATER INFORMED THAT OCT WAS THE COMMISSIONING DATE OF THAT AIRSPACE AS AN ARSA. I WAS FLYING VFR USING A CURRENT IFR CHART WHICH DID NOT DESIGNATE THE AIRSPACE AS AN ARSA. I WAS GIVEN NO NOTAM CONCERNING SUCH COMMISSIONING. NOR DID THE NOTAM SECTION OF MY IFR CHARTS, WHICH WERE CURRENT, CONTAIN ONE. ON THE MORNING OF 10/THURS/88, I REQUESTED FROM FLT SVC, LANSING OR SOUTH BEND, A STANDARD BRIEF FOR AN IFR FLT FROM 6D6, GREENVILLE, MI, TO 2 DIFFERENT ARPTS, SQI, STERLING, IL, AND MZP, MT PLEASANT, IA. AT THE TIME OF THE BRIEF, I WAS NOT SURE WHETHER I WOULD GO FIRST TO SQI THEN ON TO MZP, OR DIRECT TO MZP. PERHAPS THIS TYPE OF REQUEST MADE THE BRIEFING TASK MORE COMPLEX, HOWEVER ONCE THE BRIEFER UNDERSTOOD MY REQUEST SHE DIDN'T SEEM TO HAVE PROBS WITH IT. I WAS GIVEN CURRENT WX AND FORECASTS. BOTH DESTINATIONS WERE VFR WITH MARGINAL VFR TO IFR DUE TO GND FOG IN THE 6D6 AREA. SPECIFICALLY, I WAS GIVEN MOLINE WX AND FORECASTS FOR THE MZP DEST. I BELIEVE I WAS TOLD THAT NO NOTAMS EXISTED FOR BOTH PROPOSED DESTINATIONS. I DO NOT RECALL BEING GIVEN A NOTAM CONCERNING COMMISSIONING OF THE MOLINE ARSA. IF I HAD BEEN I'M SURE I WOULD HAVE NOTED IT. I AM ASSUMING THAT SUCH A NOTAM IN FACT EXISTED. SINCE I REQUESTED A BRIEFING FOR AN IFR FLT, PERHAPS THE BRIEFER PURPOSELY OMITTED THE ARSA NOTAM. HOWEVER, SINCE THE WX WAS VFR AND MY PROPOSED ROUTE WOULD HAVE TAKEN ME THROUGH THAT AIRSPACE IN ANY EVENT, I FEEL THE NOTAM SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN. I FLEW TO SQI W/O INCIDENT. THE WX WAS GOOD VFR. THE NEXT LEG WAS TO MZP, A DISTANCE OF APPROX 70 NM. REMEMBERING THE STANDARD BRIEF I HAD RECEIVED EARLIER AND CONSIDERING THE CURRENT GOOD WX AND SHORT LEG, I CALLED TO UPDATE THE CURRENT MOLINE WX AND FORECAST. THAT'S ALL I ASKED FOR AND THAT'S ALL I RECEIVED. IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD HAVE REQUESTED AN UPDATE OR STANDARD BRIEF. IF THE WX AT THE TIME HAD BEEN OTHER THAN WHAT IT WAS, I WOULD HAVE DONE JUST THAT. I FLEW RNAV DIRECT SQI TO MZP AT 3500' MSL AND MADE A DELIBERATE ATTEMPT TO REMAIN CLR OF THE MOLINE CTL ZONE. AS I PASSED FROM THE NE TO THE CENTER OF THE ARSA, ON THE E SIDE, THE CEILING BEGAN TO LOWER. I DSNDED TO 3000' BUT IT QUICKLY BECAME APPARENT THAT CONTINUED VFR WOULD NOT BE SAFE. I CALLED MOLINE APCH TO OBTAIN AN IFR CLRNC TO MZP. I WAS GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE AND A CLRNC OF PRESENT POS DIRECT, MAINTAIN 3000'. AFTER MY READBACK I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS 'IN THE MOLINE ARSA.' I WAS SO SHOCKED THAT ALL I COULD DO WAS NOTE THE TIME (AND THINK OF ASRS). I TOLD THE CTLR THAT MY CHART DID NOT SHOW THE ARSA. HE TOLD ME THAT IT WENT INTO EFFECT THAT MORNING. HE THEN GAVE ME ITS BOUNDARIES AND SUGGESTED I PENCIL THEM ON THE CHART. NO ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO GET MY NAME, EITHER WHEN I REQUESTED MY CLRNC OR AFTER HE NOTIFIED ME OF MY POS. FURTHER, I WAS NOT TOLD THAT I HAD VIOLATED THAT ARSA, ONLY THAT I WAS IN IT. THIS EVENT IS EXTREMELY TROUBLING TO ME IN THAT EVEN THOUGH I MADE AN EFFORT TO HAVE UP TO DATE INFO, I SOMEHOW MISSED THE REDESIGNATION OF THIS AIRSPACE. THE CHART REVISION PRIOR TO MY DEP DID NOT CONTACTING THE MOLINE ARSA ON THE ENRTE CHART OR IN THE CHART NOTAMS. THE REVISION WHICH DID CONTAIN THE NOTAM WAS DATED 10/14/88. THE MAILING ENVELOPE HAD A POSTAGE METER STAMP OF 10/12/88, BUT DID NOT ARRIVE AT MY OFFICE UNTIL 10/19/88 AT THE EARLIEST. I LEFT IN 10/88, NOT YET HAVING RECEIVED THE REVISION. WHY NOT PUT THIS NOTAM IN AN EARLIER REVISION. WHY WAIT TO THE LAST POSSIBLE DATE? FURTHER, IF THE PREVENTION OF UNAUTH FLT INTO ARSA'S AND TCA'S IS HIGH ON FAA'S LIST, AS I BELIEVE IT IS, THEN WHY NOT MAKE GETTING THE WORD OUT OF THE COMMISSIONING DATES OF SUCH AIRSPACE HIGH ON THE LIST AS WELL. FSS SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO GIVE SUCH NOTAMS TO ALL PLTS REQUESTING A BRIEFING FOR FLTS IN OR NEAR SUCH AIRSPACE, WHETHER THAT FLT IS IFR OR VFR. WOULDN'T IT BE MORE APPROPRIATE TO PLAY APRERECORDED SCHEDULE OF MAJOR AIRSPACE REDESIGNATIONS RATHER THAN THE LCL RADIO STATION TO PLTS WHO ARE ON HOLD AWAITING THEIR BRIEFINGS?

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.