Narrative:

I was flying from rockford, il to kirksville, mo and then returned. My route of flight took me from rockford direct to the moline VORTAC then direct kirksville. The WX was good VFR with 10-12 mi visibility and a scattered ceiling of 25,000. Both the out and return flts took us through the southern portion of the quad cities radar service area. I fly through the quad cities area about once a year. The last time I flew through, as I recall, quad cities was a TRSA. As we approached quad cities I glanced at the sectional chart, which shows arsa's as broken magenta circles. I knew that arsa's require contact with ATC, but when I saw the magenta I assumed that quad cities was a TRSA, not an arsa. I am used to using WAC charts which show TCA's as blue circles. I therefore associated blue with required contact with ATC (TCA's, arsa's) and magenta with advised but not required ATC contact. I continued to fly my course through the southern portion of the quad cities arsa avoiding the air traffic area but flew about 900' under the arsa ceiling. I saw one single-engine small aircraft at my 2 O'clock and 4 mi, but there was no danger of a conflict. I should have looked at the sectional chart more closely and I should have contacted quad cities even though I thought quad cities was a TRSA. I would, however, suggest that possibly the FAA might want to send out a mailing to the pilots residing close to a TRSA that is being changed to an arsa. Also, if a different method was used to indicate arsa's on navigational charts such as broken blue circles or something other than magenta, it may help prevent such inadvertent violations as mine. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter called about identification strip and says the incident was reported by mli and the FAA wants to 'talk'.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE. MLI ARSA.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING FROM ROCKFORD, IL TO KIRKSVILLE, MO AND THEN RETURNED. MY ROUTE OF FLT TOOK ME FROM ROCKFORD DIRECT TO THE MOLINE VORTAC THEN DIRECT KIRKSVILLE. THE WX WAS GOOD VFR WITH 10-12 MI VISIBILITY AND A SCATTERED CEILING OF 25,000. BOTH THE OUT AND RETURN FLTS TOOK US THROUGH THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE QUAD CITIES RADAR SERVICE AREA. I FLY THROUGH THE QUAD CITIES AREA ABOUT ONCE A YEAR. THE LAST TIME I FLEW THROUGH, AS I RECALL, QUAD CITIES WAS A TRSA. AS WE APCHED QUAD CITIES I GLANCED AT THE SECTIONAL CHART, WHICH SHOWS ARSA'S AS BROKEN MAGENTA CIRCLES. I KNEW THAT ARSA'S REQUIRE CONTACT WITH ATC, BUT WHEN I SAW THE MAGENTA I ASSUMED THAT QUAD CITIES WAS A TRSA, NOT AN ARSA. I AM USED TO USING WAC CHARTS WHICH SHOW TCA'S AS BLUE CIRCLES. I THEREFORE ASSOCIATED BLUE WITH REQUIRED CONTACT WITH ATC (TCA'S, ARSA'S) AND MAGENTA WITH ADVISED BUT NOT REQUIRED ATC CONTACT. I CONTINUED TO FLY MY COURSE THROUGH THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE QUAD CITIES ARSA AVOIDING THE ATA BUT FLEW ABOUT 900' UNDER THE ARSA CEILING. I SAW ONE SINGLE-ENGINE SMA AT MY 2 O'CLOCK AND 4 MI, BUT THERE WAS NO DANGER OF A CONFLICT. I SHOULD HAVE LOOKED AT THE SECTIONAL CHART MORE CLOSELY AND I SHOULD HAVE CONTACTED QUAD CITIES EVEN THOUGH I THOUGHT QUAD CITIES WAS A TRSA. I WOULD, HOWEVER, SUGGEST THAT POSSIBLY THE FAA MIGHT WANT TO SEND OUT A MAILING TO THE PLTS RESIDING CLOSE TO A TRSA THAT IS BEING CHANGED TO AN ARSA. ALSO, IF A DIFFERENT METHOD WAS USED TO INDICATE ARSA'S ON NAVIGATIONAL CHARTS SUCH AS BROKEN BLUE CIRCLES OR SOMETHING OTHER THAN MAGENTA, IT MAY HELP PREVENT SUCH INADVERTENT VIOLATIONS AS MINE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: REPORTER CALLED ABOUT ID STRIP AND SAYS THE INCIDENT WAS REPORTED BY MLI AND THE FAA WANTS TO 'TALK'.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.