Small aircraft penetrated restr area.

Attributes
ACN	343160
Time
Date	199608
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : vgt
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8500 msl bound upper : 8500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : lvs tracon : den
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 700 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	343160
Person 2
Affiliation	government : military
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

VFR return flight from rno to vgt nightfall occurring 10 NM north bty VOR moonless night. Unusual route of flight over highway allows terrain clearance from mount charleston and prevents penetration of restr airspace. At night, this requires cars on the highway. This night, there were no cars and I misidented the auxiliary airfield, in the restr area, as indian springs prison, outside the restr airspace. This led to unintentional penetration observed by nellis approach, as they gave me vectors to exit the restr area. Major causes: left my GPS at home on this trip, so I had no electronic moving map. Moonless night prevented visualization of high terrain. Delayed warning by ATC (nellis approach) on flight following of impending encroachment until it was too late. Coincidence of no moon, no cars on highway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PENETRATED RESTR AREA.

Narrative: VFR RETURN FLT FROM RNO TO VGT NIGHTFALL OCCURRING 10 NM N BTY VOR MOONLESS NIGHT. UNUSUAL RTE OF FLT OVER HWY ALLOWS TERRAIN CLRNC FROM MOUNT CHARLESTON AND PREVENTS PENETRATION OF RESTR AIRSPACE. AT NIGHT, THIS REQUIRES CARS ON THE HWY. THIS NIGHT, THERE WERE NO CARS AND I MISIDENTED THE AUX AIRFIELD, IN THE RESTR AREA, AS INDIAN SPRINGS PRISON, OUTSIDE THE RESTR AIRSPACE. THIS LED TO UNINTENTIONAL PENETRATION OBSERVED BY NELLIS APCH, AS THEY GAVE ME VECTORS TO EXIT THE RESTR AREA. MAJOR CAUSES: LEFT MY GPS AT HOME ON THIS TRIP, SO I HAD NO ELECTRONIC MOVING MAP. MOONLESS NIGHT PREVENTED VISUALIZATION OF HIGH TERRAIN. DELAYED WARNING BY ATC (NELLIS APCH) ON FLT FOLLOWING OF IMPENDING ENCROACHMENT UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE. COINCIDENCE OF NO MOON, NO CARS ON HWY.

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.