Commuter cancels IFR descends through corner of restricted area.

Attributes
ACN	184235
Time
Date	199107
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mkg
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zau
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Small Transport
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 2000 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	184235
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

To expedite our arrival to chicago mdw airport from traverse city airport, the captain elected to refile our IFR flight plan. He filed tvc direct mbl VOR direct obk VOR direct mdw. Somewhere between mbl VOR and obk VOR on a radar vector for obk VOR, minneapolis center informed us that milwaukee approachs radar was OTS. Minneapolis center was going to issue us a holding clearance. The captain turned to me and asked my opinion on cancelling IFR and continuing on to mdw vrr. Not looking forward to unnecessary delays after a long day I immediately agreed to cancel IFR. We called the center and cancelled our IFR flight plan. After this exchange with ATC, we descended down to 2000 ft, this altitude preferred by the mdw arsa controller. The captain then asked me the location of R-6903 and if we were well clear of same. I got out my en route charts to verify, and to my horror realized we very well may have violated the southeast corner of the restr area. In our rush to get back home and the confusion going from IFR operations to VFR operations, we had made a basic but serious mistake!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER CANCELS IFR DSNDS THROUGH CORNER OF RESTRICTED AREA.

Narrative: TO EXPEDITE OUR ARR TO CHICAGO MDW ARPT FROM TRAVERSE CITY ARPT, THE CAPT ELECTED TO REFILE OUR IFR FLT PLAN. HE FILED TVC DIRECT MBL VOR DIRECT OBK VOR DIRECT MDW. SOMEWHERE BTWN MBL VOR AND OBK VOR ON A RADAR VECTOR FOR OBK VOR, MINNEAPOLIS CTR INFORMED US THAT MILWAUKEE APCHS RADAR WAS OTS. MINNEAPOLIS CENTER WAS GOING TO ISSUE US A HOLDING CLRNC. THE CAPT TURNED TO ME AND ASKED MY OPINION ON CANCELLING IFR AND CONTINUING ON TO MDW VRR. NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO UNNECESSARY DELAYS AFTER A LONG DAY I IMMEDIATELY AGREED TO CANCEL IFR. WE CALLED THE CENTER AND CANCELLED OUR IFR FLT PLAN. AFTER THIS EXCHANGE WITH ATC, WE DSNDED DOWN TO 2000 FT, THIS ALT PREFERRED BY THE MDW ARSA CTLR. THE CAPT THEN ASKED ME THE LOCATION OF R-6903 AND IF WE WERE WELL CLR OF SAME. I GOT OUT MY ENRTE CHARTS TO VERIFY, AND TO MY HORROR REALIZED WE VERY WELL MAY HAVE VIOLATED THE SE CORNER OF THE RESTR AREA. IN OUR RUSH TO GET BACK HOME AND THE CONFUSION GOING FROM IFR OPS TO VFR OPS, WE HAD MADE A BASIC BUT SERIOUS MISTAKE!

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.