Narrative:

My route of flight was from farmington airport, direct to gcn via the tuba city VOR and the V210 arwy. Navigation was to be performed by dead reckoning and the map reading skills of the lead aircraft, for neither aircraft was equipped with a VOR receiver. While filing my VFR flight plan with the gallup FSS, I asked the briefer if there would be any problem with staying on the victor arwy all the way into gcn while transitioning the sfra. The briefer did not think there would be any problems if I were to fly that route. My thoughts at the time were that the arwy provided a corridor at which to transition through the sfra. During our transition through the sfra, just south of the desert view tower along the V210 arwy, a tour flight carrier aircraft reported my position to gcn tower. Within 1-2 mins later another tour flight carrier confirmed my position as being south of the V210 arwy to the tower. Our altitude while transitioning the sfra was approximately 800' AGL and at no time did we overfly the rim of the canyon as the arwy is depicted on the las sectional chart. During the refueling of our aircraft, an FAA inspector informed us of the sfra airspace violation. The FSS briefer did not emphasize the importance of the sfra procedures and that the desert view free flight zone was for all aircraft on the V210 arwy below 14500'. The las VFR sectional chart should annotate the 14500' altitude restriction on the V210 arwy between the gcn and tuba city VOR's more clearly. The FAA inspector indicated that there are special far's covering the operation of aircraft in and around the gcn sfra. These special operating rules and procedures should be posted on the las sectional chart. Recommendations: contributing factors listed above be corrected. The desert view flight free zone and the grand canyon national park boundary should be modified to allow aircraft to transition via the V210 at a reasonable altitude above the rim of the canyon to and from the tuba city VOR. It's a very small piece of real estate that every american should have the right to enjoy safely. An area surveillance radar or approach control service should be established to better manage the sep of aircraft with each other and the sfra around the grand canyon.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MIL SMT FLT OF 2 UNAUTH PENETRATION OF GCN SFRA-50-2.

Narrative: MY ROUTE OF FLT WAS FROM FARMINGTON ARPT, DIRECT TO GCN VIA THE TUBA CITY VOR AND THE V210 ARWY. NAV WAS TO BE PERFORMED BY DEAD RECKONING AND THE MAP READING SKILLS OF THE LEAD ACFT, FOR NEITHER ACFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH A VOR RECEIVER. WHILE FILING MY VFR FLT PLAN WITH THE GALLUP FSS, I ASKED THE BRIEFER IF THERE WOULD BE ANY PROB WITH STAYING ON THE VICTOR ARWY ALL THE WAY INTO GCN WHILE TRANSITIONING THE SFRA. THE BRIEFER DID NOT THINK THERE WOULD BE ANY PROBS IF I WERE TO FLY THAT ROUTE. MY THOUGHTS AT THE TIME WERE THAT THE ARWY PROVIDED A CORRIDOR AT WHICH TO TRANSITION THROUGH THE SFRA. DURING OUR TRANSITION THROUGH THE SFRA, JUST S OF THE DESERT VIEW TWR ALONG THE V210 ARWY, A TOUR FLT CARRIER ACFT RPTED MY POS TO GCN TWR. WITHIN 1-2 MINS LATER ANOTHER TOUR FLT CARRIER CONFIRMED MY POS AS BEING S OF THE V210 ARWY TO THE TWR. OUR ALT WHILE TRANSITIONING THE SFRA WAS APPROX 800' AGL AND AT NO TIME DID WE OVERFLY THE RIM OF THE CANYON AS THE ARWY IS DEPICTED ON THE LAS SECTIONAL CHART. DURING THE REFUELING OF OUR ACFT, AN FAA INSPECTOR INFORMED US OF THE SFRA AIRSPACE VIOLATION. THE FSS BRIEFER DID NOT EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SFRA PROCS AND THAT THE DESERT VIEW FREE FLT ZONE WAS FOR ALL ACFT ON THE V210 ARWY BELOW 14500'. THE LAS VFR SECTIONAL CHART SHOULD ANNOTATE THE 14500' ALT RESTRICTION ON THE V210 ARWY BTWN THE GCN AND TUBA CITY VOR'S MORE CLEARLY. THE FAA INSPECTOR INDICATED THAT THERE ARE SPECIAL FAR'S COVERING THE OPERATION OF ACFT IN AND AROUND THE GCN SFRA. THESE SPECIAL OPERATING RULES AND PROCS SHOULD BE POSTED ON THE LAS SECTIONAL CHART. RECOMMENDATIONS: CONTRIBUTING FACTORS LISTED ABOVE BE CORRECTED. THE DESERT VIEW FLT FREE ZONE AND THE GRAND CANYON NATL PARK BOUNDARY SHOULD BE MODIFIED TO ALLOW ACFT TO TRANSITION VIA THE V210 AT A REASONABLE ALT ABOVE THE RIM OF THE CANYON TO AND FROM THE TUBA CITY VOR. IT'S A VERY SMALL PIECE OF REAL ESTATE THAT EVERY AMERICAN SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO ENJOY SAFELY. AN AREA SURVEILLANCE RADAR OR APCH CTL SVC SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED TO BETTER MANAGE THE SEP OF ACFT WITH EACH OTHER AND THE SFRA AROUND THE GRAND CANYON.

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.