Narrative:

Another pilot and I were out inspecting his ranch about 40 mi south of dallas. He suggested that since we were so close to waco, we might be able to locate the national event going on near waco. He is a high level executive in television broadcasting, so has an extra interest in nationally televised events. We decided to cruise at between 3000-3500 ft AGL as an optimum altitude to search for and view the compound. We really didn't know where to look, except in the countryside surrounding waco. 3000 plus ft also seemed reasonable when viewed from the perspective of an airport control zone and its attendant activity. He flew the aircraft and as luck would have it we stumbled upon the compound. After making 1 s-turn over the general area, it dawned on me that there might be a restriction on the airspace, and so I suggested we exit immediately. I would estimate our total time in the area as between 3-5 mins. We were aware of 1 other aircraft in the area approximately 500-1000 ft above us (no factor). I am a frequent user of duat and use duat almost exclusively in lieu of personal FSS briefings, especially for local area VFR pleasure flying. Although I had accessed duat several times in the days prior to this incident, I did not recall seeing any special notices. After the event, I pulled up a duat briefing and found it to be a special notice at the very end of all briefing material. Our penetration of the special use restr airspace was innocent and inadvertent, and we exited almost immediately. I am totally unfamiliar with firearms and would not have guessed any higher altitude to be necessary for safety. My sole suggestion for enhanced safety would be to make such a high profile, short term restriction appear at the very beginning of a duat session, especially for users within, say, a 200 NM radius of the subject area. It should obviously precede all verbal FSS area briefings.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA ACFT INADVERTENTLY ENTERED A RESTRICTED AIRSPACE AREA.

Narrative: ANOTHER PLT AND I WERE OUT INSPECTING HIS RANCH ABOUT 40 MI S OF DALLAS. HE SUGGESTED THAT SINCE WE WERE SO CLOSE TO WACO, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO LOCATE THE NATIONAL EVENT GOING ON NEAR WACO. HE IS A HIGH LEVEL EXECUTIVE IN TELEVISION BROADCASTING, SO HAS AN EXTRA INTEREST IN NATIONALLY TELEVISED EVENTS. WE DECIDED TO CRUISE AT BTWN 3000-3500 FT AGL AS AN OPTIMUM ALT TO SEARCH FOR AND VIEW THE COMPOUND. WE REALLY DIDN'T KNOW WHERE TO LOOK, EXCEPT IN THE COUNTRYSIDE SURROUNDING WACO. 3000 PLUS FT ALSO SEEMED REASONABLE WHEN VIEWED FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF AN ARPT CTL ZONE AND ITS ATTENDANT ACTIVITY. HE FLEW THE ACFT AND AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT WE STUMBLED UPON THE COMPOUND. AFTER MAKING 1 S-TURN OVER THE GENERAL AREA, IT DAWNED ON ME THAT THERE MIGHT BE A RESTRICTION ON THE AIRSPACE, AND SO I SUGGESTED WE EXIT IMMEDIATELY. I WOULD ESTIMATE OUR TOTAL TIME IN THE AREA AS BTWN 3-5 MINS. WE WERE AWARE OF 1 OTHER ACFT IN THE AREA APPROX 500-1000 FT ABOVE US (NO FACTOR). I AM A FREQUENT USER OF DUAT AND USE DUAT ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY IN LIEU OF PERSONAL FSS BRIEFINGS, ESPECIALLY FOR LCL AREA VFR PLEASURE FLYING. ALTHOUGH I HAD ACCESSED DUAT SEVERAL TIMES IN THE DAYS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, I DID NOT RECALL SEEING ANY SPECIAL NOTICES. AFTER THE EVENT, I PULLED UP A DUAT BRIEFING AND FOUND IT TO BE A SPECIAL NOTICE AT THE VERY END OF ALL BRIEFING MATERIAL. OUR PENETRATION OF THE SPECIAL USE RESTR AIRSPACE WAS INNOCENT AND INADVERTENT, AND WE EXITED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. I AM TOTALLY UNFAMILIAR WITH FIREARMS AND WOULD NOT HAVE GUESSED ANY HIGHER ALT TO BE NECESSARY FOR SAFETY. MY SOLE SUGGESTION FOR ENHANCED SAFETY WOULD BE TO MAKE SUCH A HIGH PROFILE, SHORT TERM RESTRICTION APPEAR AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF A DUAT SESSION, ESPECIALLY FOR USERS WITHIN, SAY, A 200 NM RADIUS OF THE SUBJECT AREA. IT SHOULD OBVIOUSLY PRECEDE ALL VERBAL FSS AREA BRIEFINGS.

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.