Narrative:

I had just landed at frederick airport to drop off 2 passenger on the return leg of a late night flight. This flight was conducted IFR due to WX across the route and its late hour. After the passenger disembarked, I had 1 short leg to fly back to my home field at hagerstown. At this time, I decided to try and do this short trip VFR, as on the approach to fdk the ceiling was 3500 ft MSL. In addition to this, I was able to pick up the hgr AWOS which also stated that the ceiling there was 3000 ft and visibilities were 5 mi in mist. At fdk, however, the visibilities seem to be somewhat less, and so I decided to fly northeast upon departing fdk so that I could intercept the 323 degree radial of westminster/EMI and then on to haigs (IAF) for the ILS at hgr. This aircraft is not equipped with a GPS, and so I was flying a northward course in order to intercept a radial from EMI which I could fly to haigs. After a period of time, I calculated that I should have crossed the radial given my airspeed. Furthermore, I felt that a light fog was beginning to develop making ground referencing more difficult. In short, I felt lost. So I dialed in the fdk VOR and reversed course. Upon sighting the field (fdk) I circled and called up dulles approach for an IFR clearance to hgr. It was at this time that the controller informed me that I had twice violated P40 on my outbound and inbound legs! Contributing factors for this event were pilot fatigue, MVFR conditions, less than 70 hours in type. This situation could have been avoided had I filed for an IFR clearance from the beginning and flown a more standard procedure. There was a false sense of security due to the fact that the destination airport was only 10 mins away.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BEECH BARON PLT WAS INFORMED THAT THE RESTR AREA P40 HAD BEEN VIOLATED TWICE NEAR FDK.

Narrative: I HAD JUST LANDED AT FREDERICK ARPT TO DROP OFF 2 PAX ON THE RETURN LEG OF A LATE NIGHT FLT. THIS FLT WAS CONDUCTED IFR DUE TO WX ACROSS THE RTE AND ITS LATE HR. AFTER THE PAX DISEMBARKED, I HAD 1 SHORT LEG TO FLY BACK TO MY HOME FIELD AT HAGERSTOWN. AT THIS TIME, I DECIDED TO TRY AND DO THIS SHORT TRIP VFR, AS ON THE APCH TO FDK THE CEILING WAS 3500 FT MSL. IN ADDITION TO THIS, I WAS ABLE TO PICK UP THE HGR AWOS WHICH ALSO STATED THAT THE CEILING THERE WAS 3000 FT AND VISIBILITIES WERE 5 MI IN MIST. AT FDK, HOWEVER, THE VISIBILITIES SEEM TO BE SOMEWHAT LESS, AND SO I DECIDED TO FLY NE UPON DEPARTING FDK SO THAT I COULD INTERCEPT THE 323 DEG RADIAL OF WESTMINSTER/EMI AND THEN ON TO HAIGS (IAF) FOR THE ILS AT HGR. THIS ACFT IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH A GPS, AND SO I WAS FLYING A NORTHWARD COURSE IN ORDER TO INTERCEPT A RADIAL FROM EMI WHICH I COULD FLY TO HAIGS. AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME, I CALCULATED THAT I SHOULD HAVE CROSSED THE RADIAL GIVEN MY AIRSPD. FURTHERMORE, I FELT THAT A LIGHT FOG WAS BEGINNING TO DEVELOP MAKING GND REFING MORE DIFFICULT. IN SHORT, I FELT LOST. SO I DIALED IN THE FDK VOR AND REVERSED COURSE. UPON SIGHTING THE FIELD (FDK) I CIRCLED AND CALLED UP DULLES APCH FOR AN IFR CLRNC TO HGR. IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT THE CTLR INFORMED ME THAT I HAD TWICE VIOLATED P40 ON MY OUTBOUND AND INBOUND LEGS! CONTRIBUTING FACTORS FOR THIS EVENT WERE PLT FATIGUE, MVFR CONDITIONS, LESS THAN 70 HRS IN TYPE. THIS SIT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED HAD I FILED FOR AN IFR CLRNC FROM THE BEGINNING AND FLOWN A MORE STANDARD PROC. THERE WAS A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE DEST ARPT WAS ONLY 10 MINS AWAY.

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.