Narrative:

I received this certified letter from the FAA this morning may/mon/90. 3 pilots departed sat apr/fri/90 for a pleasure and information flight to the fly-in at lakeland, fl VFR. 2 of us are retired airline pilots (which does not excuse us) and one doctor pilot. We landed at gulfport to refuel and lunch. On takeoff and climbout the events described in the FAA letter occurred. I really did not realize that kessler AFB was that close and feel that I should have been reminded of such as I am not a local pilot. On climbout, I cranked the radial in off of semmes VOR 115.3. When I started receiving the radial, I turned toward it to get established on victor 198-241 and the corridor can of worms that exists in that vicinity. When I started my turn from 130 degrees, the controller came in and requested the pilot's name and address. In reviewing the events, I feel that it would have been much more in the interest of safety, if the controller would have simply informed me to continue on the 130 degree heading, as it would have certainly taken much less time than me having to spell my name and address out for him, so that he could violate me. It sometimes seems that the FAA is more interested in violating pilot's mistakes than in promoting safety. In retrospect, I might say that all 3 of us pilots were wrong in not realizing we were not following the clearance properly. I will appreciate hearing from you as soon as possible as to whether it would be worth my time and trouble to respond to the FAA letter in the time frame they have allotted to me. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the reporter did respond to the FAA within the time limits but has not heard from them again. As suspected, the reporter was not looking at a navigation chart but was following headings that were being given by another pilot in the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA UNAUTH PENETRATION OF ARPT TRAFFIC AREA.

Narrative: I RECEIVED THIS CERTIFIED LETTER FROM THE FAA THIS MORNING MAY/MON/90. 3 PLTS DEPARTED SAT APR/FRI/90 FOR A PLEASURE AND INFO FLT TO THE FLY-IN AT LAKELAND, FL VFR. 2 OF US ARE RETIRED AIRLINE PLTS (WHICH DOES NOT EXCUSE US) AND ONE DOCTOR PLT. WE LANDED AT GULFPORT TO REFUEL AND LUNCH. ON TKOF AND CLIMBOUT THE EVENTS DESCRIBED IN THE FAA LETTER OCCURRED. I REALLY DID NOT REALIZE THAT KESSLER AFB WAS THAT CLOSE AND FEEL THAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN REMINDED OF SUCH AS I AM NOT A LCL PLT. ON CLIMBOUT, I CRANKED THE RADIAL IN OFF OF SEMMES VOR 115.3. WHEN I STARTED RECEIVING THE RADIAL, I TURNED TOWARD IT TO GET ESTABLISHED ON VICTOR 198-241 AND THE CORRIDOR CAN OF WORMS THAT EXISTS IN THAT VICINITY. WHEN I STARTED MY TURN FROM 130 DEGS, THE CTLR CAME IN AND REQUESTED THE PLT'S NAME AND ADDRESS. IN REVIEWING THE EVENTS, I FEEL THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY, IF THE CTLR WOULD HAVE SIMPLY INFORMED ME TO CONTINUE ON THE 130 DEG HDG, AS IT WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY TAKEN MUCH LESS TIME THAN ME HAVING TO SPELL MY NAME AND ADDRESS OUT FOR HIM, SO THAT HE COULD VIOLATE ME. IT SOMETIMES SEEMS THAT THE FAA IS MORE INTERESTED IN VIOLATING PLT'S MISTAKES THAN IN PROMOTING SAFETY. IN RETROSPECT, I MIGHT SAY THAT ALL 3 OF US PLTS WERE WRONG IN NOT REALIZING WE WERE NOT FOLLOWING THE CLRNC PROPERLY. I WILL APPRECIATE HEARING FROM YOU AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AS TO WHETHER IT WOULD BE WORTH MY TIME AND TROUBLE TO RESPOND TO THE FAA LETTER IN THE TIME FRAME THEY HAVE ALLOTTED TO ME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE REPORTER DID RESPOND TO THE FAA WITHIN THE TIME LIMITS BUT HAS NOT HEARD FROM THEM AGAIN. AS SUSPECTED, THE REPORTER WAS NOT LOOKING AT A NAV CHART BUT WAS FOLLOWING HDGS THAT WERE BEING GIVEN BY ANOTHER PLT IN THE ACFT.

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.