Narrative:

I was planning a VFR flight in a light airplane. Part of my route would take me along interstate highway 24 in central tn. I received a standard VFR briefing with nashville flight service at approximately XA00 left, with the terrorist activity on and since 09/tue/01, I specifically asked about temporary flight restr (tfr) areas and fdc NOTAMS, and received a detailed update. Driving to the airport I heard on my car radio about an incident involving a bus and possible terrorist like activity near manchester, tn. At approximately XB30L (CDT) I called nashville FSS on the phone and specifically asked if there were any tfrs. Related to this event, the briefer replied there were none in effect, but he was aware of the incident and I should 'watch out for the news helicopter's.' enroute in hilly terrain, I was unable to get reliable signals from FSS or ATC sources. Instead I used tue airplane's single radio to 'FLIP' between the aim-recommended air-to-air frequencies (122.85 and 122.75), and to monitor 121.5 as per fdc NOTAM following the 09/tue/01 attack. As I approached the area of the bus crash I noticed two cessna single engine airplanes orbiting the incident scene, and a lone two-seat helicopter hovering overhead. The cessnas were at about 1000 ft AGL (level with my altitude) and the helicopter was slightly lower. Upon seeing this I changed heading to pass east of the area, and estimate I passed 2 to 3 miles from the bus itself, which I saw on the ground. I had to turn slightly further east to avoid one of the cessnas as it turned onto its northern leg of its orbit. All this time I heard nothing as I stepped through the three frequencies on my single radio. Only when I was about 12-13 mi away, and changed frequency to 122.8 (as I was overflying an airport with this CTAF) did I hear an aircraft using a callsign 'xyz' warning the airplanes in the area that a temporary flight restr existed 3 NM around the incident scene, extending upward to 4000 MSL. At my closest point I estimate I was no closer than 2 NM from the scene, at 2000 ft MSL. Normal see and avoid techniques were adequate for me to avoid an unsafe condition. Recommendation: as fdc NOTAMS already suggest we maintain a listening watch on 121.5, suggest controlling agencies transmit tfr information in the blind on that frequency at five minute intervals. To avoid triggering flight monitors, the transmission could be short, e.g. 'Temporary flight restr near shelbyville VOR, contact (frequency) for updates.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT PENETRATED A TEMPORARY FLT RESTR 'TFR' AREA AFTER HE WAS UNABLE TO GET THE NOTAM RESTR FROM FSS. THE ACFT BROADCASTING THE INFO WAS NOT ON THE CORRECT FREQUENCY.

Narrative: I WAS PLANNING A VFR FLT IN A LIGHT AIRPLANE. PART OF MY ROUTE WOULD TAKE ME ALONG INTERSTATE HWY 24 IN CENTRAL TN. I RECEIVED A STANDARD VFR BRIEFING WITH NASHVILLE FLT SERVICE AT APPROX XA00 L, WITH THE TERRORIST ACTIVITY ON AND SINCE 09/TUE/01, I SPECIFICALLY ASKED ABOUT TEMPORARY FLT RESTR (TFR) AREAS AND FDC NOTAMS, AND RECEIVED A DETAILED UPDATE. DRIVING TO THE ARPT I HEARD ON MY CAR RADIO ABOUT AN INCIDENT INVOLVING A BUS AND POSSIBLE TERRORIST LIKE ACTIVITY NEAR MANCHESTER, TN. AT APPROX XB30L (CDT) I CALLED NASHVILLE FSS ON THE PHONE AND SPECIFICALLY ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY TFRS. RELATED TO THIS EVENT, THE BRIEFER REPLIED THERE WERE NONE IN EFFECT, BUT HE WAS AWARE OF THE INCIDENT AND I SHOULD 'WATCH OUT FOR THE NEWS HELI'S.' ENROUTE IN HILLY TERRAIN, I WAS UNABLE TO GET RELIABLE SIGNALS FROM FSS OR ATC SOURCES. INSTEAD I USED TUE AIRPLANE'S SINGLE RADIO TO 'FLIP' BETWEEN THE AIM-RECOMMENDED AIR-TO-AIR FREQUENCIES (122.85 AND 122.75), AND TO MONITOR 121.5 AS PER FDC NOTAM FOLLOWING THE 09/TUE/01 ATTACK. AS I APCHED THE AREA OF THE BUS CRASH I NOTICED TWO CESSNA SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANES ORBITING THE INCIDENT SCENE, AND A LONE TWO-SEAT HELI HOVERING OVERHEAD. THE CESSNAS WERE AT ABOUT 1000 FT AGL (LEVEL WITH MY ALTITUDE) AND THE HELI WAS SLIGHTLY LOWER. UPON SEEING THIS I CHANGED HEADING TO PASS E OF THE AREA, AND ESTIMATE I PASSED 2 TO 3 MILES FROM THE BUS ITSELF, WHICH I SAW ON THE GND. I HAD TO TURN SLIGHTLY FURTHER E TO AVOID ONE OF THE CESSNAS AS IT TURNED ONTO ITS NORTHERN LEG OF ITS ORBIT. ALL THIS TIME I HEARD NOTHING AS I STEPPED THROUGH THE THREE FREQUENCIES ON MY SINGLE RADIO. ONLY WHEN I WAS ABOUT 12-13 MI AWAY, AND CHANGED FREQUENCY TO 122.8 (AS I WAS OVERFLYING AN ARPT WITH THIS CTAF) DID I HEAR AN ACFT USING A CALLSIGN 'XYZ' WARNING THE AIRPLANES IN THE AREA THAT A TEMPORARY FLT RESTR EXISTED 3 NM AROUND THE INCIDENT SCENE, EXTENDING UPWARD TO 4000 MSL. AT MY CLOSEST POINT I ESTIMATE I WAS NO CLOSER THAN 2 NM FROM THE SCENE, AT 2000 FT MSL. NORMAL SEE AND AVOID TECHNIQUES WERE ADEQUATE FOR ME TO AVOID AN UNSAFE CONDITION. RECOMMENDATION: AS FDC NOTAMS ALREADY SUGGEST WE MAINTAIN A LISTENING WATCH ON 121.5, SUGGEST CONTROLLING AGENCIES TRANSMIT TFR INFO IN THE BLIND ON THAT FREQ AT FIVE MINUTE INTERVALS. TO AVOID TRIGGERING FLT MONITORS, THE TRANSMISSION COULD BE SHORT, E.G. 'TEMPORARY FLT RESTR NEAR SHELBYVILLE VOR, CONTACT (FREQUENCY) FOR UPDATES.'

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.