Narrative:

Departed W05 at XX15 en route to roa. Initial planning was to climb to cruise at 6500 ft MSL to meet VFR regulations on a 235 degree heading so as to fly over monterey, md, and using a golf course north of the town as a VFR chkpoint. Upon climb out, the decision was made to cruise at 4500 ft MSL as the WX was calm, yet a wind northwest to southeast crosswind. Also at this time, the PIC made the decision to check the sectional to determine if 4500 ft would allow for adequate obstacle clearance upon reaching the higher mountains. The route of flight should have allowed us to pass slightly north of P40, passing over monterey, and at appropriate VFR altitude as well as south of the hgr class D airspace. Then we would turn southwest down the valley to roa. Upon arrival at roa, we were instructed to contact the roa tower due to a reported pilot deviation of P40 as reported by ZDC. Upon calling roa tower, we advised them that we had checked our sectional, were aware of P40 and R4009 and that according to our sighting of the golf course to our northwest and the position of monterey at our 1 O'clock position, that we should have been on course and north and clear of P40, but a crosswind might have actually caused us to inadvertently pass through the P40 area! We also advised the roa tower that all future trips anywhere near prohibited or restr areas would allow for a wider berth as well as a greater crosswind allowance so as to avoid any problems for them or us due to violating those areas.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF AN SMA SEL PENETRATED A PROHIBITED AIRSPACE DURING A VFR XCOUNTRY FLT.

Narrative: DEPARTED W05 AT XX15 ENRTE TO ROA. INITIAL PLANNING WAS TO CLB TO CRUISE AT 6500 FT MSL TO MEET VFR REGS ON A 235 DEG HDG SO AS TO FLY OVER MONTEREY, MD, AND USING A GOLF COURSE N OF THE TOWN AS A VFR CHKPOINT. UPON CLBOUT, THE DECISION WAS MADE TO CRUISE AT 4500 FT MSL AS THE WX WAS CALM, YET A WIND NW TO SE XWIND. ALSO AT THIS TIME, THE PIC MADE THE DECISION TO CHK THE SECTIONAL TO DETERMINE IF 4500 FT WOULD ALLOW FOR ADEQUATE OBSTACLE CLRNC UPON REACHING THE HIGHER MOUNTAINS. THE RTE OF FLT SHOULD HAVE ALLOWED US TO PASS SLIGHTLY N OF P40, PASSING OVER MONTEREY, AND AT APPROPRIATE VFR ALT AS WELL AS S OF THE HGR CLASS D AIRSPACE. THEN WE WOULD TURN SW DOWN THE VALLEY TO ROA. UPON ARR AT ROA, WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT THE ROA TWR DUE TO A RPTED PLTDEV OF P40 AS RPTED BY ZDC. UPON CALLING ROA TWR, WE ADVISED THEM THAT WE HAD CHKED OUR SECTIONAL, WERE AWARE OF P40 AND R4009 AND THAT ACCORDING TO OUR SIGHTING OF THE GOLF COURSE TO OUR NW AND THE POS OF MONTEREY AT OUR 1 O'CLOCK POS, THAT WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON COURSE AND N AND CLR OF P40, BUT A XWIND MIGHT HAVE ACTUALLY CAUSED US TO INADVERTENTLY PASS THROUGH THE P40 AREA! WE ALSO ADVISED THE ROA TWR THAT ALL FUTURE TRIPS ANYWHERE NEAR PROHIBITED OR RESTR AREAS WOULD ALLOW FOR A WIDER BERTH AS WELL AS A GREATER XWIND ALLOWANCE SO AS TO AVOID ANY PROBS FOR THEM OR US DUE TO VIOLATING THOSE AREAS.

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.