BE76 pilot flew in R2517 without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	473490
Time
Date	200005
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : vbg.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 5500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Duchess 76
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 450 flight time type : 20
ASRS Report	473490
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited penetrated airspace
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Departed san luis obispo heading south along the coast. Was in a warning area and confused the chart markings with the restr area. I then turned east to get clear of what I thought was a restr area, which actually took me into the true restr area R2517. If I would have continued south I would have remained in the warning area, but the same chart symbols are used to identify both the warning area and restr area. During this confusion, I decided to turn east to exit the area, which put me on a heading that crossed the restr area R2517. My turn to the east was driven by my confusion of the chart symbology. If the warning area was depicted differently (different color?) I wouldn't have confused it for a restr area and wouldn't have turned east to exit the area and wouldn't have crossed any restr airspace.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE76 PLT FLEW IN R2517 WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: DEPARTED SAN LUIS OBISPO HDG S ALONG THE COAST. WAS IN A WARNING AREA AND CONFUSED THE CHART MARKINGS WITH THE RESTR AREA. I THEN TURNED E TO GET CLR OF WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A RESTR AREA, WHICH ACTUALLY TOOK ME INTO THE TRUE RESTR AREA R2517. IF I WOULD HAVE CONTINUED S I WOULD HAVE REMAINED IN THE WARNING AREA, BUT THE SAME CHART SYMBOLS ARE USED TO IDENT BOTH THE WARNING AREA AND RESTR AREA. DURING THIS CONFUSION, I DECIDED TO TURN E TO EXIT THE AREA, WHICH PUT ME ON A HDG THAT CROSSED THE RESTR AREA R2517. MY TURN TO THE E WAS DRIVEN BY MY CONFUSION OF THE CHART SYMBOLOGY. IF THE WARNING AREA WAS DEPICTED DIFFERENTLY (DIFFERENT COLOR?) I WOULDN'T HAVE CONFUSED IT FOR A RESTR AREA AND WOULDN'T HAVE TURNED E TO EXIT THE AREA AND WOULDN'T HAVE CROSSED ANY RESTR AIRSPACE.

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.