Narrative:

Checked with orl FSS and daytona TRACON to find out what restrictions applied to shuttle launch on 3/mon/89. I was advised to stay 'west of the river.' as to landing at titusville, I was advised there, 'are no restrictions.' 3/mon/89 departed ormond beach airport and contacted daytona approach. Proceeded south on the shoreline till reaching new smyrna beach, ground fog became very dense from this point south as well as inland from this point. I was advised to contact patrick approach and advised them I was VFR to titusville. WX was below VFR and special VFR minimums with ground fog and visibility of 3/4 mi. I told the controller I would hold south of new smyrna beach at my present position and the controller said he would advise me if the visibility came up to 1 mi. There was no way to stay 'west of the river,' since the ground fog obscured everything away from the shoreline. I checked the sectional and figured holding at least 22 mi north of titusville would keep me clear of the restr airspace. After approximately 8-10 holding patterns the approach controller gave me a code to squawk. I did so and he notified me he had trouble identing that code and another aircraft said he was squawking that code. Controller told me to move 3 mi west while holding and I accepted this even though it would be over dense ground fog making a forced landing very dangerous. Controller then asked for name and phone # and I decided this was enough and landed at new smyrna to watch the shuttle take off. I exercised every caution I could staying clear of new smyrna traffic and the daytona arsa to the north and the restr areas to the south. Very little help was offered by FSS and approach controller until they thought an infraction had occurred. Then they were very interested. According to my LORAN, no infraction occurred but a chance to see the shuttle was lost. Altitude 1000' MSL VFR on top solid ground fog.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE.

Narrative: CHKED WITH ORL FSS AND DAYTONA TRACON TO FIND OUT WHAT RESTRICTIONS APPLIED TO SHUTTLE LAUNCH ON 3/MON/89. I WAS ADVISED TO STAY 'W OF THE RIVER.' AS TO LNDG AT TITUSVILLE, I WAS ADVISED THERE, 'ARE NO RESTRICTIONS.' 3/MON/89 DEPARTED ORMOND BEACH ARPT AND CONTACTED DAYTONA APCH. PROCEEDED S ON THE SHORELINE TILL REACHING NEW SMYRNA BEACH, GND FOG BECAME VERY DENSE FROM THIS POINT S AS WELL AS INLAND FROM THIS POINT. I WAS ADVISED TO CONTACT PATRICK APCH AND ADVISED THEM I WAS VFR TO TITUSVILLE. WX WAS BELOW VFR AND SPECIAL VFR MINIMUMS WITH GND FOG AND VISIBILITY OF 3/4 MI. I TOLD THE CTLR I WOULD HOLD S OF NEW SMYRNA BEACH AT MY PRESENT POS AND THE CTLR SAID HE WOULD ADVISE ME IF THE VISIBILITY CAME UP TO 1 MI. THERE WAS NO WAY TO STAY 'W OF THE RIVER,' SINCE THE GND FOG OBSCURED EVERYTHING AWAY FROM THE SHORELINE. I CHKED THE SECTIONAL AND FIGURED HOLDING AT LEAST 22 MI N OF TITUSVILLE WOULD KEEP ME CLR OF THE RESTR AIRSPACE. AFTER APPROX 8-10 HOLDING PATTERNS THE APCH CTLR GAVE ME A CODE TO SQUAWK. I DID SO AND HE NOTIFIED ME HE HAD TROUBLE IDENTING THAT CODE AND ANOTHER ACFT SAID HE WAS SQUAWKING THAT CODE. CTLR TOLD ME TO MOVE 3 MI W WHILE HOLDING AND I ACCEPTED THIS EVEN THOUGH IT WOULD BE OVER DENSE GND FOG MAKING A FORCED LNDG VERY DANGEROUS. CTLR THEN ASKED FOR NAME AND PHONE # AND I DECIDED THIS WAS ENOUGH AND LANDED AT NEW SMYRNA TO WATCH THE SHUTTLE TAKE OFF. I EXERCISED EVERY CAUTION I COULD STAYING CLR OF NEW SMYRNA TFC AND THE DAYTONA ARSA TO THE N AND THE RESTR AREAS TO THE S. VERY LITTLE HELP WAS OFFERED BY FSS AND APCH CTLR UNTIL THEY THOUGHT AN INFRACTION HAD OCCURRED. THEN THEY WERE VERY INTERESTED. ACCORDING TO MY LORAN, NO INFRACTION OCCURRED BUT A CHANCE TO SEE THE SHUTTLE WAS LOST. ALT 1000' MSL VFR ON TOP SOLID GND FOG.

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.