An instructor pilot entered a tfr around a stadium during a sporting event; but the tfr's existence ...

Attributes
ACN	979670
Time
Date	201111
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	NCT.TRACON
State Reference	CA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft High Wing 1 Eng Fixed Gear
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Cruise
Flight Plan	None
Component
Aircraft Component	Other Documentation
Person 1
Function	Instructor Pilot Flying
Qualification	Flight Crew Multiengine Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) Flight Crew Flight Instructor Flight Crew Instrument
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 120 Flight Crew Total 3500 Flight Crew Type 3000
Events
Anomaly	Airspace Violation All Types Deviation - Procedural Other / Unknown

Narrative:

While giving local flight instruction and an area familiarization flight; I inadvertently entered a stadium tfr while on a discrete code with norcal. The fact that there was a game going on at the stadium was not something found in the weather briefing and it completely caught me off guard. I assumed there would be no game due to baseball season being over. I am still not sure how pilots are supposed to know the stadium game schedules other than working with the controller and being advised of such; or knowing the entire schedule for all stadiums where they fly (this; of course; is just not practical). I was advised that the stadium tfr was in effect; but by this time I was already within the lateral boundary. I immediately exited the tfr. As a prudent pilot; it is expected that the pre-flight planning prevents any unnecessary surprises and therefore preserve the safety of the flight. However; this seems to me a hole in the pre-flight briefing system. It is easy to imagine how such a surprise in the cockpit could lead to a further chain of events such as busting airspace or unsafe maneuvering at the last minute. Any surprises in the cockpit have the potential for progressing into a dangerous situation and at the very least; this ambiguity leads to an uncertain mentality and erodes confidence.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: An Instructor pilot entered a TFR around a stadium during a sporting event; but the TFR's existence was not documented in the preflight NOTAM briefing.

Narrative: While giving local flight instruction and an area familiarization flight; I inadvertently entered a stadium TFR while on a discrete code with Norcal. The fact that there was a game going on at the stadium was not something found in the weather briefing and it completely caught me off guard. I assumed there would be no game due to baseball season being over. I am still not sure how pilots are supposed to know the stadium game schedules other than working with the controller and being advised of such; or knowing the entire schedule for all stadiums where they fly (this; of course; is just not practical). I was advised that the stadium TFR was in effect; but by this time I was already within the lateral boundary. I immediately exited the TFR. As a prudent pilot; it is expected that the pre-flight planning prevents any unnecessary surprises and therefore preserve the safety of the flight. However; this seems to me a hole in the pre-flight briefing system. It is easy to imagine how such a surprise in the cockpit could lead to a further chain of events such as busting airspace or unsafe maneuvering at the last minute. Any surprises in the cockpit have the potential for progressing into a dangerous situation and at the very least; this ambiguity leads to an uncertain mentality and erodes confidence.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.

An instructor pilot entered a tfr around a stadium during a sporting event; but the tfr's existence was not documented in the preflight NOTAM briefing.