Narrative:

I flew from broken bow, northeast (bbw), to harvard, northeast (08K). The ceilings were 1500 ft overcast in the broken bow area and the entire state was foggy the whole morning. I knew an air show was supposed to take place in harvard, but because I did not find a NOTAM via the system pertaining to harvard, I assumed it was canceled. Passing kearney, I tried to raise columbus radio, but got no response. Again near grand island I tried to raise columbus radio, but again no response. I was at 1000 ft AGL so altitude was probably a factor. Passing through grand island airspace, I contacted grand island tower for approval and asked the tower if they were aware of any current NOTAMS pertaining to the harvard airport or air show. He responded that he knew of none. He even asked for my acknowledgement that I heard him say 'he did not know of any.' closer to harvard, I attempted several times to raise any aircraft or ground station on both 122.9 and 122.8 for airport information. No response. I radioed my intentions to cross midfield at 1000 ft AGL. Upon crossing the field, I noted military aircraft pulling onto the taxiway in formation. It appeared as though an air show was about to start. I immediately turned away from the airport and proceeded back to grand island where I landed. Someone radioed from the harvard airport that I was in violation of airspace and was to leave immediately, which I had already started to do. I am not sure what else I could have done to find out about the activity of the airport. The only other thing I could have done was to call via land phone prior to takeoff, but that should not be necessary. Some things that would have helped the situation would be if the grand island tower would have had this information. They are only 15 mi from harvard, the only tower in central nebraska, and should have more information. Columbus radio should have better remote receivers in the central part of the state, and not just at the active airports. Radio frequencys should be monitored and responded to at such events. If someone at the airport would have responded to my calls earlier, I would have never approached the airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A PIPER ARCHER PA28 INADVERTENTLY FLEW INTO A CLOSED AIRSPACE FOR AN AIR SHOW AND IMMEDIATELY EXITED THE AREA WHEN HEARING THAT THE AIRSPACE WAS CLOSED.

Narrative: I FLEW FROM BROKEN BOW, NE (BBW), TO HARVARD, NE (08K). THE CEILINGS WERE 1500 FT OVCST IN THE BROKEN BOW AREA AND THE ENTIRE STATE WAS FOGGY THE WHOLE MORNING. I KNEW AN AIR SHOW WAS SUPPOSED TO TAKE PLACE IN HARVARD, BUT BECAUSE I DID NOT FIND A NOTAM VIA THE SYS PERTAINING TO HARVARD, I ASSUMED IT WAS CANCELED. PASSING KEARNEY, I TRIED TO RAISE COLUMBUS RADIO, BUT GOT NO RESPONSE. AGAIN NEAR GRAND ISLAND I TRIED TO RAISE COLUMBUS RADIO, BUT AGAIN NO RESPONSE. I WAS AT 1000 FT AGL SO ALT WAS PROBABLY A FACTOR. PASSING THROUGH GRAND ISLAND AIRSPACE, I CONTACTED GRAND ISLAND TWR FOR APPROVAL AND ASKED THE TWR IF THEY WERE AWARE OF ANY CURRENT NOTAMS PERTAINING TO THE HARVARD ARPT OR AIR SHOW. HE RESPONDED THAT HE KNEW OF NONE. HE EVEN ASKED FOR MY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT I HEARD HIM SAY 'HE DID NOT KNOW OF ANY.' CLOSER TO HARVARD, I ATTEMPTED SEVERAL TIMES TO RAISE ANY ACFT OR GND STATION ON BOTH 122.9 AND 122.8 FOR ARPT INFO. NO RESPONSE. I RADIOED MY INTENTIONS TO CROSS MIDFIELD AT 1000 FT AGL. UPON XING THE FIELD, I NOTED MIL ACFT PULLING ONTO THE TXWY IN FORMATION. IT APPEARED AS THOUGH AN AIR SHOW WAS ABOUT TO START. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED AWAY FROM THE ARPT AND PROCEEDED BACK TO GRAND ISLAND WHERE I LANDED. SOMEONE RADIOED FROM THE HARVARD ARPT THAT I WAS IN VIOLATION OF AIRSPACE AND WAS TO LEAVE IMMEDIATELY, WHICH I HAD ALREADY STARTED TO DO. I AM NOT SURE WHAT ELSE I COULD HAVE DONE TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE ACTIVITY OF THE ARPT. THE ONLY OTHER THING I COULD HAVE DONE WAS TO CALL VIA LAND PHONE PRIOR TO TKOF, BUT THAT SHOULD NOT BE NECESSARY. SOME THINGS THAT WOULD HAVE HELPED THE SIT WOULD BE IF THE GRAND ISLAND TWR WOULD HAVE HAD THIS INFO. THEY ARE ONLY 15 MI FROM HARVARD, THE ONLY TWR IN CENTRAL NEBRASKA, AND SHOULD HAVE MORE INFO. COLUMBUS RADIO SHOULD HAVE BETTER REMOTE RECEIVERS IN THE CENTRAL PART OF THE STATE, AND NOT JUST AT THE ACTIVE ARPTS. RADIO FREQS SHOULD BE MONITORED AND RESPONDED TO AT SUCH EVENTS. IF SOMEONE AT THE ARPT WOULD HAVE RESPONDED TO MY CALLS EARLIER, I WOULD HAVE NEVER APCHED THE ARPT.

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.