Narrative:

On aug/xx/94 at approximately YY15 hours local, the author, flying as PIC of an EMS helicopter, lifted from the helipad at the ab helipad responding to an inter-hospital emergency transfer, to clearance delivery. The usual route and altitude, is to split the 2 prohibited areas on a heading of 240-245 degrees and at an altitude from 500 ft AGL to 200 ft. AGL maximum when crossing the river. Upon crossing the river turning south along the river, until reaching a point just north of the visual reporting point, picking up interstate highway, then climbing to 1300 maximum, and proceeding on course. On this occasion, because of the early hour (YY15), ZZZ was closed to arriving traffic. A clearance was requested from the tower to deviate from the normal altitudes and fly at 1300 ft. Clearance was given and executed. Approximately 5 mins later author received call from zz dispatch to contact them upon arrival. It was then learned that security observers had reported the aircraft penetrating the prohibited area. The author then contacted the controling agency and informed them that they had indeed flown in the vicinity of prohibited area, but, that any penetration had been totally inadvertent, and that possibly, the observers, not accustomed to seeing aircraft flying that route at that altitude, had misjudged its distance. An apology was registered with agency personnel by the author and the author told in the future to inform them before we enter the area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PENETRATION OF PROHIBITED AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ON AUG/XX/94 AT APPROX YY15 HRS LCL, THE AUTHOR, FLYING AS PIC OF AN EMS HELI, LIFTED FROM THE HELIPAD AT THE AB HELIPAD RESPONDING TO AN INTER-HOSPITAL EMER TRANSFER, TO CD. THE USUAL RTE AND ALT, IS TO SPLIT THE 2 PROHIBITED AREAS ON A HDG OF 240-245 DEGS AND AT AN ALT FROM 500 FT AGL TO 200 FT. AGL MAX WHEN XING THE RIVER. UPON XING THE RIVER TURNING S ALONG THE RIVER, UNTIL REACHING A POINT JUST N OF THE VISUAL RPTING POINT, PICKING UP INTERSTATE HWY, THEN CLBING TO 1300 MAX, AND PROCEEDING ON COURSE. ON THIS OCCASION, BECAUSE OF THE EARLY HR (YY15), ZZZ WAS CLOSED TO ARRIVING TFC. A CLRNC WAS REQUESTED FROM THE TWR TO DEVIATE FROM THE NORMAL ALTS AND FLY AT 1300 FT. CLRNC WAS GIVEN AND EXECUTED. APPROX 5 MINS LATER AUTHOR RECEIVED CALL FROM ZZ DISPATCH TO CONTACT THEM UPON ARR. IT WAS THEN LEARNED THAT SECURITY OBSERVERS HAD RPTED THE ACFT PENETRATING THE PROHIBITED AREA. THE AUTHOR THEN CONTACTED THE CTLING AGENCY AND INFORMED THEM THAT THEY HAD INDEED FLOWN IN THE VICINITY OF PROHIBITED AREA, BUT, THAT ANY PENETRATION HAD BEEN TOTALLY INADVERTENT, AND THAT POSSIBLY, THE OBSERVERS, NOT ACCUSTOMED TO SEEING ACFT FLYING THAT RTE AT THAT ALT, HAD MISJUDGED ITS DISTANCE. AN APOLOGY WAS REGISTERED WITH AGENCY PERSONNEL BY THE AUTHOR AND THE AUTHOR TOLD IN THE FUTURE TO INFORM THEM BEFORE WE ENTER THE AREA.

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.