Narrative:

Right-2601 penetration. Descending into cos, first officer flying received heading to intercept brk 168 degree radial inbound. Saw first officer correctly set up FMS and raw data and navigation engaged. I left cockpit briefly. On return was briefed on altitude change. First officer had some difficulty stowing oxygen mask. While briefing WX, terrain, and approach received traffic call from ZDV low sector and flew through radial, while searching for traffic, and briefing terrain ahead. After an inquiry about the radial center issued a right turn. Turn started on autoplt gave less than 20 degree bank. Turn rate increased when next call sounded more urgent. Was some confusion about if another heading had been given after intercept. We were both aware of the restr area but not of its status (hot or not). At the time the traffic and terrain were the higher priorities. We had entered R-2601 approximately 1.8 NM. I believe that the failure to intercept was a combination of uncertainty of the clearance and an undesired loss of navigation mode engagement. Most likely during an altitude change, the heading knob was bumped. What to do differently next time: make sure of a complete briefing upon returning to the cockpit even if interrupted. Rechk FMA indications more frequently even if no change, be more assertive as the PNF/captain and quicker to take over controls when more aggressive maneuver is needed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FK10 CREW PENETRATED RESTR AIRSPACE (R-2601).

Narrative: R-2601 PENETRATION. DSNDING INTO COS, FO FLYING RECEIVED HEADING TO INTERCEPT BRK 168 DEG RADIAL INBOUND. SAW FO CORRECTLY SET UP FMS AND RAW DATA AND NAV ENGAGED. I LEFT COCKPIT BRIEFLY. ON RETURN WAS BRIEFED ON ALT CHANGE. FO HAD SOME DIFFICULTY STOWING OXYGEN MASK. WHILE BRIEFING WX, TERRAIN, AND APCH RECEIVED TFC CALL FROM ZDV LOW SECTOR AND FLEW THROUGH RADIAL, WHILE SEARCHING FOR TFC, AND BRIEFING TERRAIN AHEAD. AFTER AN INQUIRY ABOUT THE RADIAL CTR ISSUED A R TURN. TURN STARTED ON AUTOPLT GAVE LESS THAN 20 DEG BANK. TURN RATE INCREASED WHEN NEXT CALL SOUNDED MORE URGENT. WAS SOME CONFUSION ABOUT IF ANOTHER HEADING HAD BEEN GIVEN AFTER INTERCEPT. WE WERE BOTH AWARE OF THE RESTR AREA BUT NOT OF ITS STATUS (HOT OR NOT). AT THE TIME THE TFC AND TERRAIN WERE THE HIGHER PRIORITIES. WE HAD ENTERED R-2601 APPROX 1.8 NM. I BELIEVE THAT THE FAILURE TO INTERCEPT WAS A COMBINATION OF UNCERTAINTY OF THE CLRNC AND AN UNDESIRED LOSS OF NAV MODE ENGAGEMENT. MOST LIKELY DURING AN ALT CHANGE, THE HEADING KNOB WAS BUMPED. WHAT TO DO DIFFERENTLY NEXT TIME: MAKE SURE OF A COMPLETE BRIEFING UPON RETURNING TO THE COCKPIT EVEN IF INTERRUPTED. RECHK FMA INDICATIONS MORE FREQUENTLY EVEN IF NO CHANGE, BE MORE ASSERTIVE AS THE PNF/CAPT AND QUICKER TO TAKE OVER CTLS WHEN MORE AGGRESSIVE MANEUVER IS NEEDED.

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.