Narrative:

Mission was to carry news crew over train wreck/chemical spill for news video. A temporary flight restr was in effect -- approach was saying up to 2000 ft AGL. Terrain elevation was approximately 500-600 ft MSL. I orbited at 3000 ft MSL, but at one point got as low as 2900 ft MSL. Later I found out the temporary flight restr was up to 2500 ft AGL, therefore, I probably violated the top of the temporary flight restr airspace. ATC was putting out bad information on the size and limits of the temporary flight restr. Over the course of several days, there was a considerable degree of confusion, or lack of current information regarding this and a previous temporary flight restr over the same site, ie, 6 hours after the temporary flight restr had been canceled, crw approach was still holding the airspace restr. This is not my first difficulty with the implementation, administration and dissemination of information regarding temporary flight restrs. The system is broken.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ATX HELI PLT RPTS THAT HE RECEIVED INCORRECT INFO FROM AN APCH CTLR ABOUT A TEMPORARY FLT RESTR OVER A TRAIN WRECK. BECAUSE OF THE INCORRECT DESCRIPTION OF THE RESTR'S LIMITS, THE PLT DSNDED BELOW THE CEILING OF THE RESTR AREA.

Narrative: MISSION WAS TO CARRY NEWS CREW OVER TRAIN WRECK/CHEMICAL SPILL FOR NEWS VIDEO. A TEMPORARY FLT RESTR WAS IN EFFECT -- APCH WAS SAYING UP TO 2000 FT AGL. TERRAIN ELEVATION WAS APPROX 500-600 FT MSL. I ORBITED AT 3000 FT MSL, BUT AT ONE POINT GOT AS LOW AS 2900 FT MSL. LATER I FOUND OUT THE TEMPORARY FLT RESTR WAS UP TO 2500 FT AGL, THEREFORE, I PROBABLY VIOLATED THE TOP OF THE TEMPORARY FLT RESTR AIRSPACE. ATC WAS PUTTING OUT BAD INFO ON THE SIZE AND LIMITS OF THE TEMPORARY FLT RESTR. OVER THE COURSE OF SEVERAL DAYS, THERE WAS A CONSIDERABLE DEG OF CONFUSION, OR LACK OF CURRENT INFO REGARDING THIS AND A PREVIOUS TEMPORARY FLT RESTR OVER THE SAME SITE, IE, 6 HRS AFTER THE TEMPORARY FLT RESTR HAD BEEN CANCELED, CRW APCH WAS STILL HOLDING THE AIRSPACE RESTR. THIS IS NOT MY FIRST DIFFICULTY WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION, ADMINISTRATION AND DISSEMINATION OF INFO REGARDING TEMPORARY FLT RESTRS. THE SYS IS BROKEN.

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.