Narrative:

Summary: on nov/fri/01 at around XA00 on the second leg of my trip I inadvertently violated the temporary flight restr (tfr) notice to airmen (NOTAM). Preflight: as pilot of a rented piper arrow, I filed two VFR flight plans for the two legs from ZZZ to ZZZ1 and from there to ZZZ2. Both flight plans included detail information about my flight path, specifically for the second leg 'joining victor airway at ZZZ3 intersection leading ZZZ4 VOR and ZZZ5 VOR.' I received a standard briefing for both flight plans. The briefing included WX and flight restr zones (generally around any power plant and 2 specific tfr's). The briefing included the unavailability of the ZZZ6 VOR signal coverage or lack thereof and the active status of restr area ZZZ8 among other information. The briefing lasted about 25 mins with no haste or time pressure and I perceived it as very thorough and complete. The briefing did not mention the tfr around ZZZ7 or if it did, it dropped my attention. This fact is insofar noteworthy as that my flight plan leads right over the ZZZ7 power plant. In flight: the first leg from ZZZ to ZZZ1 was uneventful. I received an updated WX briefing. After refueling I departed from ZZZ1 for the second leg, opened my flight plan and navigated under VFR. During the transition, I tried several times on a couple of frequencys -- unsuccessful -- to establish flight following with approach. Once established on victor airway sebound from ZZZ4 VOR a cruising descent from 11500 ft MSL to 5500 ft MSL, I left class C airspace underneath and behind. I started preparing my approach to ZZZ2. At about 25 DME northwest from ZZZ5 I switched from monitoring 121.5 to ZZZ2 ATIS, which is some 30 NM away from ZZZ5. It was the garbled ATIS through which I started learning about a 'tfr and the unavailability of VOR approachs.' already listening to the first three or four times to the constantly breaking-up ATIS, I sensed the unusual and turned 30 degrees right towards open water. I chose right because a left turn would have led me straight into restr area. After a few more times listening to the ATIS, I deciphered the tfr being the ZZZ7 tfr. By the time I located ZZZ7 power plant on the terminal chart and cross-checked it with my current position, I found myself about 5 NM right abeam the power plant I just was determined to avoid. I realized right then being in violation with a tfr -- a tfr I didn't know about previously. I realized that my suspicions about the first garbled ATIS words were justified, but my mitigation strategy (the 30-degree right turn) wasn't sufficient and didn't save me. I felt let down by the otherwise excellent services I received from the FSS so many times. As almost any direction would lead me out of the tfr from this point on, I decided to let ATC know that I do not intend to crash into a power plant. I continued the approach preparation by calling approach for flight following into ZZZ2. This idented me on their radar, being somewhere abeam ZZZ7 and maybe even still being in the tfr. So the subsequent announcement of ATC that a phone number to call will await me after landing, didn't come as too much a surprise. Analysis: of course ever since I ask myself: why did it happen? Obviously the main reason is that the complete content of the NOTAM didn't make it to my attention (at least not in time). Especially flying under single pilot VFR, I assumed sole responsibility to make myself aware of any information pertaining the flight. Of course it is impossible to learn something without ever seeing or hearing about it. So the most obvious reason is that I wasn't told or didn't listen to the one and most critical part of the nuclear power plant NOTAM: ZZZ7. Humans do err. I err and so might a FSS specialist. So let me focus for the remainder of this analysis on contributing factors and mitigation strategies for the future. Contributing factors listed in no particular order were: ZZZ7 isn't charted as nuclear power plant -- this didn't allow me to apply my knowledge of the general intent of the nuclear power plant NOTAM. A simple: stay away! I lacked common knowledge of ZZZ7 being a nuclear power plant -- see above. The nuclear power plant NOTAM did specify tfr's only by localizer name reference, not by '10 NM radius around XXX DME on the YYY radial' unlike other tfr NOTAMS do -- this made it difficult, if not impossible for a flight briefer (or computer) to match with my given flight path. Even if the briefer mentioned ZZZ7 I might have tuned it out because it wasn't a chkpoint on my flight plan. The coastline and VOR/DME provided enough chkpoints -- I thought. I didn't logon to the internet cross checking with duats -- a few days later after the flight I found a red-dotted map at aviation groups website with ZZZ7 tfr being the one prominent DOT. The tfr's weren't charted -- I guess this is an unrealistic expectation given the nature of a tfr by NOTAM on short notice. I didn't try harder establishing flight following earlier on -- using the help of ATC definitely would have helped me. Once I got suspicious I could have altered my course by circling or turning around -- this of course could also lead to aggravate a given situation. Imagine circling over the power plant or flying over it back and forth. Mitigation strategies are simple and proven: use all resources at hand (internet, duats, ...) -- not only the FSS. Fly IFR or at least use flight following. Summary: I'm a visual person and I didn't visualize the tfr. I didn't 'see' it in time, not in a briefing or on a map, not as a memory, not on a website or as blue-hatched lines in the sky -- not until an ATIS talked to me.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA-28 PLT ENTERED TFR AIRSPACE. A COMPLETE LIST OF TFR'S WAS NOT LISTED BY THE FSS BRIEFING.

Narrative: SUMMARY: ON NOV/FRI/01 AT AROUND XA00 ON THE SECOND LEG OF MY TRIP I INADVERTENTLY VIOLATED THE TEMPORARY FLT RESTR (TFR) NOTICE TO AIRMEN (NOTAM). PREFLT: AS PLT OF A RENTED PIPER ARROW, I FILED TWO VFR FLT PLANS FOR THE TWO LEGS FROM ZZZ TO ZZZ1 AND FROM THERE TO ZZZ2. BOTH FLT PLANS INCLUDED DETAIL INFO ABOUT MY FLT PATH, SPECIFICALLY FOR THE SECOND LEG 'JOINING VICTOR AIRWAY AT ZZZ3 INTXN LEADING ZZZ4 VOR AND ZZZ5 VOR.' I RECEIVED A STANDARD BRIEFING FOR BOTH FLT PLANS. THE BRIEFING INCLUDED WX AND FLT RESTR ZONES (GENERALLY AROUND ANY POWER PLANT AND 2 SPECIFIC TFR'S). THE BRIEFING INCLUDED THE UNAVAILABILITY OF THE ZZZ6 VOR SIGNAL COVERAGE OR LACK THEREOF AND THE ACTIVE STATUS OF RESTR AREA ZZZ8 AMONG OTHER INFO. THE BRIEFING LASTED ABOUT 25 MINS WITH NO HASTE OR TIME PRESSURE AND I PERCEIVED IT AS VERY THOROUGH AND COMPLETE. THE BRIEFING DID NOT MENTION THE TFR AROUND ZZZ7 OR IF IT DID, IT DROPPED MY ATTN. THIS FACT IS INSOFAR NOTEWORTHY AS THAT MY FLT PLAN LEADS RIGHT OVER THE ZZZ7 POWER PLANT. IN FLT: THE FIRST LEG FROM ZZZ TO ZZZ1 WAS UNEVENTFUL. I RECEIVED AN UPDATED WX BRIEFING. AFTER REFUELING I DEPARTED FROM ZZZ1 FOR THE SECOND LEG, OPENED MY FLT PLAN AND NAVIGATED UNDER VFR. DURING THE TRANSITION, I TRIED SEVERAL TIMES ON A COUPLE OF FREQS -- UNSUCCESSFUL -- TO ESTABLISH FLT FOLLOWING WITH APCH. ONCE ESTABLISHED ON VICTOR AIRWAY SEBOUND FROM ZZZ4 VOR A CRUISING DESCENT FROM 11500 FT MSL TO 5500 FT MSL, I LEFT CLASS C AIRSPACE UNDERNEATH AND BEHIND. I STARTED PREPARING MY APCH TO ZZZ2. AT ABOUT 25 DME NW FROM ZZZ5 I SWITCHED FROM MONITORING 121.5 TO ZZZ2 ATIS, WHICH IS SOME 30 NM AWAY FROM ZZZ5. IT WAS THE GARBLED ATIS THROUGH WHICH I STARTED LEARNING ABOUT A 'TFR AND THE UNAVAILABILITY OF VOR APCHS.' ALREADY LISTENING TO THE FIRST THREE OR FOUR TIMES TO THE CONSTANTLY BREAKING-UP ATIS, I SENSED THE UNUSUAL AND TURNED 30 DEGS RIGHT TOWARDS OPEN WATER. I CHOSE RIGHT BECAUSE A LEFT TURN WOULD HAVE LED ME STRAIGHT INTO RESTR AREA. AFTER A FEW MORE TIMES LISTENING TO THE ATIS, I DECIPHERED THE TFR BEING THE ZZZ7 TFR. BY THE TIME I LOCATED ZZZ7 POWER PLANT ON THE TERMINAL CHART AND CROSS-CHECKED IT WITH MY CURRENT POS, I FOUND MYSELF ABOUT 5 NM RIGHT ABEAM THE POWER PLANT I JUST WAS DETERMINED TO AVOID. I REALIZED RIGHT THEN BEING IN VIOLATION WITH A TFR -- A TFR I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT PREVIOUSLY. I REALIZED THAT MY SUSPICIONS ABOUT THE FIRST GARBLED ATIS WORDS WERE JUSTIFIED, BUT MY MITIGATION STRATEGY (THE 30-DEG RIGHT TURN) WASN'T SUFFICIENT AND DIDN'T SAVE ME. I FELT LET DOWN BY THE OTHERWISE EXCELLENT SVCS I RECEIVED FROM THE FSS SO MANY TIMES. AS ALMOST ANY DIRECTION WOULD LEAD ME OUT OF THE TFR FROM THIS POINT ON, I DECIDED TO LET ATC KNOW THAT I DO NOT INTEND TO CRASH INTO A POWER PLANT. I CONTINUED THE APCH PREPARATION BY CALLING APCH FOR FLT FOLLOWING INTO ZZZ2. THIS IDENTED ME ON THEIR RADAR, BEING SOMEWHERE ABEAM ZZZ7 AND MAYBE EVEN STILL BEING IN THE TFR. SO THE SUBSEQUENT ANNOUNCEMENT OF ATC THAT A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL WILL AWAIT ME AFTER LNDG, DIDN'T COME AS TOO MUCH A SURPRISE. ANALYSIS: OF COURSE EVER SINCE I ASK MYSELF: WHY DID IT HAPPEN? OBVIOUSLY THE MAIN REASON IS THAT THE COMPLETE CONTENT OF THE NOTAM DIDN'T MAKE IT TO MY ATTN (AT LEAST NOT IN TIME). ESPECIALLY FLYING UNDER SINGLE PLT VFR, I ASSUMED SOLE RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE MYSELF AWARE OF ANY INFO PERTAINING THE FLT. OF COURSE IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO LEARN SOMETHING WITHOUT EVER SEEING OR HEARING ABOUT IT. SO THE MOST OBVIOUS REASON IS THAT I WASN'T TOLD OR DIDN'T LISTEN TO THE ONE AND MOST CRITICAL PART OF THE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT NOTAM: ZZZ7. HUMANS DO ERR. I ERR AND SO MIGHT A FSS SPECIALIST. SO LET ME FOCUS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THIS ANALYSIS ON CONTRIBUTING FACTORS AND MITIGATION STRATEGIES FOR THE FUTURE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS LISTED IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER WERE: ZZZ7 ISN'T CHARTED AS NUCLEAR POWER PLANT -- THIS DIDN'T ALLOW ME TO APPLY MY KNOWLEDGE OF THE GENERAL INTENT OF THE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT NOTAM. A SIMPLE: STAY AWAY! I LACKED COMMON KNOWLEDGE OF ZZZ7 BEING A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT -- SEE ABOVE. THE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT NOTAM DID SPECIFY TFR'S ONLY BY LOC NAME REF, NOT BY '10 NM RADIUS AROUND XXX DME ON THE YYY RADIAL' UNLIKE OTHER TFR NOTAMS DO -- THIS MADE IT DIFFICULT, IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE FOR A FLT BRIEFER (OR COMPUTER) TO MATCH WITH MY GIVEN FLT PATH. EVEN IF THE BRIEFER MENTIONED ZZZ7 I MIGHT HAVE TUNED IT OUT BECAUSE IT WASN'T A CHKPOINT ON MY FLT PLAN. THE COASTLINE AND VOR/DME PROVIDED ENOUGH CHKPOINTS -- I THOUGHT. I DIDN'T LOGON TO THE INTERNET CROSS CHKING WITH DUATS -- A FEW DAYS LATER AFTER THE FLT I FOUND A RED-DOTTED MAP AT AVIATION GROUPS WEBSITE WITH ZZZ7 TFR BEING THE ONE PROMINENT DOT. THE TFR'S WEREN'T CHARTED -- I GUESS THIS IS AN UNREALISTIC EXPECTATION GIVEN THE NATURE OF A TFR BY NOTAM ON SHORT NOTICE. I DIDN'T TRY HARDER ESTABLISHING FLT FOLLOWING EARLIER ON -- USING THE HELP OF ATC DEFINITELY WOULD HAVE HELPED ME. ONCE I GOT SUSPICIOUS I COULD HAVE ALTERED MY COURSE BY CIRCLING OR TURNING AROUND -- THIS OF COURSE COULD ALSO LEAD TO AGGRAVATE A GIVEN SIT. IMAGINE CIRCLING OVER THE POWER PLANT OR FLYING OVER IT BACK AND FORTH. MITIGATION STRATEGIES ARE SIMPLE AND PROVEN: USE ALL RESOURCES AT HAND (INTERNET, DUATS, ...) -- NOT ONLY THE FSS. FLY IFR OR AT LEAST USE FLT FOLLOWING. SUMMARY: I'M A VISUAL PERSON AND I DIDN'T VISUALIZE THE TFR. I DIDN'T 'SEE' IT IN TIME, NOT IN A BRIEFING OR ON A MAP, NOT AS A MEMORY, NOT ON A WEBSITE OR AS BLUE-HATCHED LINES IN THE SKY -- NOT UNTIL AN ATIS TALKED TO ME.

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.