Narrative:

We entered an area that was temporarily restr due to the tok, ak, fire. We found out about it by accident from another pilot, in the first incident we were on a flight plan from eagle, ak, to gulcana, ak, and landed at tok to avoid rain on our route. This occurred in the afternoon. We got fuel, waited 2 hours and continued on our way. (Flight service was apparently unaware of the restriction since we closed our flight plan in the air before landing and told them what we're doing). Yesterday, again, we were on a VFR flight plan from fairbanks to northway and again flew through tok, ak, on our way to northway. This time the visibility was 1-2 mi in heavy smoke rather than 30 mi. We were told about a temporary tower north of tok at tanacross. We checked with the tower and kept them advised of our position but did not get permission to fly through a restr area. As a volunteer fireman I am extremely concerned about getting in the way of fire bombers. I am now painfully aware of how little good it does to restrict airspace around a fire. We had the following contacts with flight service on the first incident. We talked by phone from circle hot springs, ak, and 2 times from eagle, ak, and they did not tell me about the restr area or the temporary tower. On the second incident I phoned flight service in fairbanks and actually went to visit them after calling. I had to ask for the frequency of the temporary tower and they did not mention any restr area. They would not have told me about the tower if I did not ask and never told me about the restr area. To prevent this sort of incident (the pilot who told me had also done what I did) flight service must advise all pilots about temporary restr areas along their route.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA INADVERTANTLY ENTERED TEMPORARILY RESTRICTED FIRE AREA NEAR TOK, AK. FSS DID NOT ADVISE OF TEMPORARY RESTRICTED AREA NOR DID TEMPORARY TWR FOR CTL IN THE FIRE AREA.

Narrative: WE ENTERED AN AREA THAT WAS TEMPORARILY RESTR DUE TO THE TOK, AK, FIRE. WE FOUND OUT ABOUT IT BY ACCIDENT FROM ANOTHER PLT, IN THE FIRST INCIDENT WE WERE ON A FLT PLAN FROM EAGLE, AK, TO GULCANA, AK, AND LANDED AT TOK TO AVOID RAIN ON OUR RTE. THIS OCCURRED IN THE AFTERNOON. WE GOT FUEL, WAITED 2 HRS AND CONTINUED ON OUR WAY. (FLT SVC WAS APPARENTLY UNAWARE OF THE RESTRICTION SINCE WE CLOSED OUR FLT PLAN IN THE AIR BEFORE LNDG AND TOLD THEM WHAT WE'RE DOING). YESTERDAY, AGAIN, WE WERE ON A VFR FLT PLAN FROM FAIRBANKS TO NORTHWAY AND AGAIN FLEW THROUGH TOK, AK, ON OUR WAY TO NORTHWAY. THIS TIME THE VISIBILITY WAS 1-2 MI IN HVY SMOKE RATHER THAN 30 MI. WE WERE TOLD ABOUT A TEMPORARY TWR N OF TOK AT TANACROSS. WE CHKED WITH THE TWR AND KEPT THEM ADVISED OF OUR POS BUT DID NOT GET PERMISSION TO FLY THROUGH A RESTR AREA. AS A VOLUNTEER FIREMAN I AM EXTREMELY CONCERNED ABOUT GETTING IN THE WAY OF FIRE BOMBERS. I AM NOW PAINFULLY AWARE OF HOW LITTLE GOOD IT DOES TO RESTRICT AIRSPACE AROUND A FIRE. WE HAD THE FOLLOWING CONTACTS WITH FLT SVC ON THE FIRST INCIDENT. WE TALKED BY PHONE FROM CIRCLE HOT SPRINGS, AK, AND 2 TIMES FROM EAGLE, AK, AND THEY DID NOT TELL ME ABOUT THE RESTR AREA OR THE TEMPORARY TWR. ON THE SECOND INCIDENT I PHONED FLT SVC IN FAIRBANKS AND ACTUALLY WENT TO VISIT THEM AFTER CALLING. I HAD TO ASK FOR THE FREQ OF THE TEMPORARY TWR AND THEY DID NOT MENTION ANY RESTR AREA. THEY WOULD NOT HAVE TOLD ME ABOUT THE TWR IF I DID NOT ASK AND NEVER TOLD ME ABOUT THE RESTR AREA. TO PREVENT THIS SORT OF INCIDENT (THE PLT WHO TOLD ME HAD ALSO DONE WHAT I DID) FLT SVC MUST ADVISE ALL PLTS ABOUT TEMPORARY RESTR AREAS ALONG THEIR RTE.

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.