A katana pilot inadvertently entered the P49 airspace.

Attributes
ACN	522930
Time
Date	200108
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	special use airspace : p49.prohibited
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl single value : 4500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : grk.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : student
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 14.4 flight time total : 37 flight time type : 37
ASRS Report	522930
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry non adherence : far
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : exited penetrated airspace
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airspace Structure Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I penetrated area P49 (restr airspace). I was given a vector to fly by waco approach and handed off to houston gray at the same time. The aircraft I was flying did not have a functioning directional gyro. By the time I had attempted to find my heading using onboard GPS and compass I was already in the restricted area. The controller at gray gave me a vector to fly and follow that vector, but I was already in the restr area.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A KATANA PLT INADVERTENTLY ENTERED THE P49 AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I PENETRATED AREA P49 (RESTR AIRSPACE). I WAS GIVEN A VECTOR TO FLY BY WACO APCH AND HANDED OFF TO HOUSTON GRAY AT THE SAME TIME. THE ACFT I WAS FLYING DID NOT HAVE A FUNCTIONING DIRECTIONAL GYRO. BY THE TIME I HAD ATTEMPTED TO FIND MY HDG USING ONBOARD GPS AND COMPASS I WAS ALREADY IN THE RESTRICTED AREA. THE CTLR AT GRAY GAVE ME A VECTOR TO FLY AND FOLLOW THAT VECTOR, BUT I WAS ALREADY IN THE RESTR AREA.

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.