Narrative:

I was flying x-country to chester, sc, for my first x-country solo as a student pilot. I departed from cub and began to climb toward 4500' MSL. Immediately after leaving cub traffic pattern (to the northwest) I contacted cae approach. The fellow told me to stay clear of the arsa after giving me a squawk code (what I didn't realize is that I hadn't turned north my transponder). I made sure that I stayed east of the broad river, thinking this was the boundary of the arsa. My problem was that I didn't look at my map (being very close to home), so it didn't occur to me not to climb over 2000' MSL (putting me in the arsa) even though I had been told about that about 5 times by my instrument. It just didn't occur to me that I was climbing into the arsa. I didn't hear anything more from cae approach until I was at about 3500, when he asked me whether I even had a transponder. I replied 'yes' and then realized it was off (I didn't use the checklist after engine runup) and told him 'sorry' and switched it on. That was the last I thought about it until I was chewed out by my instrument (who as doing his job well, by the way) 4 hours later that day, back in columbia. Until that time I didn't realize I had even been in the arsa when I wasn't supposed to be. This won't happen again with me because I will use the checklist and also look at the map when flying anywhere near an arsa, so I an keep the horizontal and vertical boundaries in mind.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT ON SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY PENETRATES CAE ARSA.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING X-COUNTRY TO CHESTER, SC, FOR MY FIRST X-COUNTRY SOLO AS A STUDENT PLT. I DEPARTED FROM CUB AND BEGAN TO CLB TOWARD 4500' MSL. IMMEDIATELY AFTER LEAVING CUB TFC PATTERN (TO THE NW) I CONTACTED CAE APCH. THE FELLOW TOLD ME TO STAY CLR OF THE ARSA AFTER GIVING ME A SQUAWK CODE (WHAT I DIDN'T REALIZE IS THAT I HADN'T TURNED N MY XPONDER). I MADE SURE THAT I STAYED E OF THE BROAD RIVER, THINKING THIS WAS THE BOUNDARY OF THE ARSA. MY PROB WAS THAT I DIDN'T LOOK AT MY MAP (BEING VERY CLOSE TO HOME), SO IT DIDN'T OCCUR TO ME NOT TO CLB OVER 2000' MSL (PUTTING ME IN THE ARSA) EVEN THOUGH I HAD BEEN TOLD ABOUT THAT ABOUT 5 TIMES BY MY INSTR. IT JUST DIDN'T OCCUR TO ME THAT I WAS CLBING INTO THE ARSA. I DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING MORE FROM CAE APCH UNTIL I WAS AT ABOUT 3500, WHEN HE ASKED ME WHETHER I EVEN HAD A XPONDER. I REPLIED 'YES' AND THEN REALIZED IT WAS OFF (I DIDN'T USE THE CHKLIST AFTER ENG RUNUP) AND TOLD HIM 'SORRY' AND SWITCHED IT ON. THAT WAS THE LAST I THOUGHT ABOUT IT UNTIL I WAS CHEWED OUT BY MY INSTR (WHO AS DOING HIS JOB WELL, BY THE WAY) 4 HRS LATER THAT DAY, BACK IN COLUMBIA. UNTIL THAT TIME I DIDN'T REALIZE I HAD EVEN BEEN IN THE ARSA WHEN I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE. THIS WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN WITH ME BECAUSE I WILL USE THE CHKLIST AND ALSO LOOK AT THE MAP WHEN FLYING ANYWHERE NEAR AN ARSA, SO I AN KEEP THE HORIZ AND VERT BOUNDARIES IN MIND.

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.