Narrative:

Came out of mountains over royal gorge. Traveled east until I thought we were past I-25 (major n-s highway). Continued cos approach to transition class C airspace to apa. Took up a course direct to the cos VOR. A few mins later approach notified me I was in restr airspace and gave me a vector out of the area. I thought I was far enough east. At the time I was in contact with approach and had a squawk code. The penetration, if it indeed occurred, was my fault. ATC could have helped with a vector when they saw my course was going to clip the restr area. An IFR flight plan would have helped avoid this problem.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ON A NIGHT FLT ENTERS A RESTR AREA WITHOUT A CLRNC.

Narrative: CAME OUT OF MOUNTAINS OVER ROYAL GORGE. TRAVELED E UNTIL I THOUGHT WE WERE PAST I-25 (MAJOR N-S HWY). CONTINUED COS APCH TO TRANSITION CLASS C AIRSPACE TO APA. TOOK UP A COURSE DIRECT TO THE COS VOR. A FEW MINS LATER APCH NOTIFIED ME I WAS IN RESTR AIRSPACE AND GAVE ME A VECTOR OUT OF THE AREA. I THOUGHT I WAS FAR ENOUGH E. AT THE TIME I WAS IN CONTACT WITH APCH AND HAD A SQUAWK CODE. THE PENETRATION, IF IT INDEED OCCURRED, WAS MY FAULT. ATC COULD HAVE HELPED WITH A VECTOR WHEN THEY SAW MY COURSE WAS GOING TO CLIP THE RESTR AREA. AN IFR FLT PLAN WOULD HAVE HELPED AVOID THIS PROB.

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.