Narrative:

I was following the recommended VFR flyway from miami, fl, to eyw using visibility pilotage to locate my position along the keys. At big pine key I attempted to contact navy key west approach control on 119.25, but was unable to obtain a response. I was using both the ZMA sectional chart and the back of the mia tac (which has the VFR flyway depicted on it) to avoid restr area R2916. I was looking for landmarks (islands) along route 1 to determine when I would be clear of R2916 and could turn north to avoid the navy key west air traffic area when I realized that I was close to the airport itself. By this time I was talking to the eyw control tower. (At first I thought I was talking to the navy key west tower, having misread the information boxes on the sectional chart.) I don't remember whether I spotted the navy key west runway complex before or after the eyw tower controller instructed me to turn due north. In any case, I turned north, proceeded for 4 mins (at about 110 KTS) and then turned west until abeam eyw and was cleared to land there. The primary cause of this incident was that in planning this flight, I had counted on contacting the navy key west approach controller in time to receive vectors to avoid R2916 and the navy key west air traffic area, and did not plan an alternate course of action in the event I was unable to contact navy key west. My aircraft was equipped with a DME, so avoiding the air traffic area would not have been difficult. A contributing factor, however, was the awkwardness in switching from the flyway depiction (at tac scale on the reverse of the mia tac) which was not to be used for navigation and the mia sectional which showed the area on a smaller scale. Navy key west approach frequencys are shown on the flyway depiction, but not on the sectional chart. I would expect that a significant fraction of the VFR flts along the florida keys are transients visiting the keys on vacation and (as I was) not familiar with the area. It would assist pilots new to the area if the airspace near key west (if not the entire fl keys flyway) could be depicted on the navigation side of the mia tac (or on the reverse of the tac in appropriate detail to be used for navigation). Navy key west approach control frequencys should be shown on whatever chart is to be used for VFR navigation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA ENTERED NAVY KEY WEST ATA.

Narrative: I WAS FOLLOWING THE RECOMMENDED VFR FLYWAY FROM MIAMI, FL, TO EYW USING VIS PILOTAGE TO LOCATE MY POS ALONG THE KEYS. AT BIG PINE KEY I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT NAVY KEY WEST APCH CTL ON 119.25, BUT WAS UNABLE TO OBTAIN A RESPONSE. I WAS USING BOTH THE ZMA SECTIONAL CHART AND THE BACK OF THE MIA TAC (WHICH HAS THE VFR FLYWAY DEPICTED ON IT) TO AVOID RESTR AREA R2916. I WAS LOOKING FOR LANDMARKS (ISLANDS) ALONG ROUTE 1 TO DETERMINE WHEN I WOULD BE CLR OF R2916 AND COULD TURN N TO AVOID THE NAVY KEY WEST ATA WHEN I REALIZED THAT I WAS CLOSE TO THE ARPT ITSELF. BY THIS TIME I WAS TALKING TO THE EYW CTL TWR. (AT FIRST I THOUGHT I WAS TALKING TO THE NAVY KEY WEST TWR, HAVING MISREAD THE INFO BOXES ON THE SECTIONAL CHART.) I DON'T REMEMBER WHETHER I SPOTTED THE NAVY KEY WEST RWY COMPLEX BEFORE OR AFTER THE EYW TWR CTLR INSTRUCTED ME TO TURN DUE N. IN ANY CASE, I TURNED N, PROCEEDED FOR 4 MINS (AT ABOUT 110 KTS) AND THEN TURNED W UNTIL ABEAM EYW AND WAS CLRED TO LAND THERE. THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT WAS THAT IN PLANNING THIS FLT, I HAD COUNTED ON CONTACTING THE NAVY KEY WEST APCH CTLR IN TIME TO RECEIVE VECTORS TO AVOID R2916 AND THE NAVY KEY WEST ATA, AND DID NOT PLAN AN ALTERNATE COURSE OF ACTION IN THE EVENT I WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT NAVY KEY WEST. MY ACFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH A DME, SO AVOIDING THE ATA WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR, HOWEVER, WAS THE AWKWARDNESS IN SWITCHING FROM THE FLYWAY DEPICTION (AT TAC SCALE ON THE REVERSE OF THE MIA TAC) WHICH WAS NOT TO BE USED FOR NAV AND THE MIA SECTIONAL WHICH SHOWED THE AREA ON A SMALLER SCALE. NAVY KEY WEST APCH FREQS ARE SHOWN ON THE FLYWAY DEPICTION, BUT NOT ON THE SECTIONAL CHART. I WOULD EXPECT THAT A SIGNIFICANT FRACTION OF THE VFR FLTS ALONG THE FLORIDA KEYS ARE TRANSIENTS VISITING THE KEYS ON VACATION AND (AS I WAS) NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA. IT WOULD ASSIST PLTS NEW TO THE AREA IF THE AIRSPACE NEAR KEY WEST (IF NOT THE ENTIRE FL KEYS FLYWAY) COULD BE DEPICTED ON THE NAV SIDE OF THE MIA TAC (OR ON THE REVERSE OF THE TAC IN APPROPRIATE DETAIL TO BE USED FOR NAV). NAVY KEY WEST APCH CTL FREQS SHOULD BE SHOWN ON WHATEVER CHART IS TO BE USED FOR VFR NAV.

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.