4 small aircraft's were suspected of flying through a fire restr area.

Attributes
ACN	279052
Time
Date	199408
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mso
State Reference	MT
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4500 msl bound upper : 4500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zlc tracon : rdu
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Amateur (Home) Built
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other ground : preflight
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 80
ASRS Report	279052
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Chart Or Publication
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Publication	Unspecified

Narrative:

Flying from anaconda, mt, to thomson falls, mt--flight of 4 experimental biplanes en route from oshkosh, wi, to tacoma, wa, area. As a flight of 4, one member called FSS for a briefing the evening of aug/xx/94, and asked specifically about forest fire NOTAMS and was told there were none. The next morning, another member called the airport operator at thompson falls to ask about fuel availability. The airport operator didn't mention the fire either. We didn't see any close calls or conflicts as we passed through the area in just a few mins. We observed 2 helicopters and later a 182 in the area. Supplemental information from acn 279045: on a VFR flight with 3 friends in experimental bi-planes, flight of 4, we unintentionally flew through a restr forest fire area. We saw a couple of helicopters working and climbed higher and stayed to the side of the canyon with the helicopters in sight at all times. I had checked WX and asked for NOTAMS the night before from laurel, mt, from great falls flight service. He did not give me any notice of this restr area. We also called the airport operator at thompson falls, 25 mi west of the fire, for his operating hours and fuel status and he never said anything about the fire restr areas. Had we known, we sure would not have flown through.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 4 SMA'S WERE SUSPECTED OF FLYING THROUGH A FIRE RESTR AREA.

Narrative: FLYING FROM ANACONDA, MT, TO THOMSON FALLS, MT--FLT OF 4 EXPERIMENTAL BIPLANES ENRTE FROM OSHKOSH, WI, TO TACOMA, WA, AREA. AS A FLT OF 4, ONE MEMBER CALLED FSS FOR A BRIEFING THE EVENING OF AUG/XX/94, AND ASKED SPECIFICALLY ABOUT FOREST FIRE NOTAMS AND WAS TOLD THERE WERE NONE. THE NEXT MORNING, ANOTHER MEMBER CALLED THE ARPT OPERATOR AT THOMPSON FALLS TO ASK ABOUT FUEL AVAILABILITY. THE ARPT OPERATOR DIDN'T MENTION THE FIRE EITHER. WE DIDN'T SEE ANY CLOSE CALLS OR CONFLICTS AS WE PASSED THROUGH THE AREA IN JUST A FEW MINS. WE OBSERVED 2 HELIS AND LATER A 182 IN THE AREA. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 279045: ON A VFR FLT WITH 3 FRIENDS IN EXPERIMENTAL BI-PLANES, FLT OF 4, WE UNINTENTIONALLY FLEW THROUGH A RESTR FOREST FIRE AREA. WE SAW A COUPLE OF HELIS WORKING AND CLBED HIGHER AND STAYED TO THE SIDE OF THE CANYON WITH THE HELIS IN SIGHT AT ALL TIMES. I HAD CHKED WX AND ASKED FOR NOTAMS THE NIGHT BEFORE FROM LAUREL, MT, FROM GREAT FALLS FLT SVC. HE DID NOT GIVE ME ANY NOTICE OF THIS RESTR AREA. WE ALSO CALLED THE ARPT OPERATOR AT THOMPSON FALLS, 25 MI W OF THE FIRE, FOR HIS OPERATING HRS AND FUEL STATUS AND HE NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT THE FIRE RESTR AREAS. HAD WE KNOWN, WE SURE WOULD NOT HAVE FLOWN THROUGH.

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.