A B06 pilot and a B407 pilot violated a tfr involving a power plant.

Attributes
ACN	529476
Time
Date	200111
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Bell 47
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : zzz.tower
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	529476
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 6800 flight time type : 6500
ASRS Report	529590
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Airspace Structure FAA
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On 11/mon/01 approximately XA30 local, I was flying a news helicopter and was dispatched to a police chase that was traveling sbound heading towards ZZZ airport. I caught up with the chase nine mi north of ZZZ airport at 700 ft AGL. At that time I contacted ZZZ tower and requested a transition sbound on the turnpike. The tower approved the sbound transition and gave me a transponder code. I was also told to stay west of the airport at all times during the transition. Because the highway is around three mi west of the airport I continued following the police chase sbound. The chase ended 50 mi south of ZZZ airport. On that day there was a tfr set up around the power plant which extended out to ten miles. This power plant is 4 to 5 mi southeast of ZZZ airport. During the chase and while in ZZZ airspace I later realized I flew within 7 miles of the power plant. It was not intentional and at no time did I fly directly towards the power plant. I was told the next day that ZZZ tower is not the controlling agency. Because I was in contact with the tower and was given a transponder code my understanding was that I could continue the transition south on the turnpike. It was also very difficult to determine the ten mile ring because no coordinates were given to identify the power plant. Supplemental information from acn 529590: while on a news flight in class D airspace we were sent south to find a car chase in progress. When we found the car it was in a residential neighborhood and drove onto the highway going south. Not knowing the exact location of power plant I called ZZZ tower and asked for a south transition along the highway to follow the car, about the same time the police helicopter came on scene. The controller gave police, myself, and another helicopter permission to proceed with squawk codes, asking that we stay west of the airport. Going south I realized we were inside 10 mi of power plant. I think NOTAMS for tfrs should have latitude and longitude included in them.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B06 PLT AND A B407 PLT VIOLATED A TFR INVOLVING A PWR PLANT.

Narrative: ON 11/MON/01 APPROX XA30 LCL, I WAS FLYING A NEWS HELI AND WAS DISPATCHED TO A POLICE CHASE THAT WAS TRAVELING SBOUND HEADING TOWARDS ZZZ ARPT. I CAUGHT UP WITH THE CHASE NINE MI N OF ZZZ ARPT AT 700 FT AGL. AT THAT TIME I CONTACTED ZZZ TWR AND REQUESTED A TRANSITION SBOUND ON THE TURNPIKE. THE TWR APPROVED THE SBOUND TRANSITION AND GAVE ME A TRANSPONDER CODE. I WAS ALSO TOLD TO STAY W OF THE ARPT AT ALL TIMES DURING THE TRANSITION. BECAUSE THE HWY IS AROUND THREE MI W OF THE ARPT I CONTINUED FOLLOWING THE POLICE CHASE SBOUND. THE CHASE ENDED 50 MI S OF ZZZ ARPT. ON THAT DAY THERE WAS A TFR SET UP AROUND THE PWR PLANT WHICH EXTENDED OUT TO TEN MILES. THIS PWR PLANT IS 4 TO 5 MI SE OF ZZZ ARPT. DURING THE CHASE AND WHILE IN ZZZ AIRSPACE I LATER REALIZED I FLEW WITHIN 7 MILES OF THE PWR PLANT. IT WAS NOT INTENTIONAL AND AT NO TIME DID I FLY DIRECTLY TOWARDS THE PWR PLANT. I WAS TOLD THE NEXT DAY THAT ZZZ TWR IS NOT THE CONTROLLING AGENCY. BECAUSE I WAS IN CONTACT WITH THE TWR AND WAS GIVEN A TRANSPONDER CODE MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT I COULD CONTINUE THE TRANSITION S ON THE TURNPIKE. IT WAS ALSO VERY DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE THE TEN MILE RING BECAUSE NO COORDINATES WERE GIVEN TO IDENTIFY THE PWR PLANT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 529590: WHILE ON A NEWS FLT IN CLASS D AIRSPACE WE WERE SENT S TO FIND A CAR CHASE IN PROGRESS. WHEN WE FOUND THE CAR IT WAS IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD AND DROVE ONTO THE HWY GOING S. NOT KNOWING THE EXACT LOCATION OF PWR PLANT I CALLED ZZZ TWR AND ASKED FOR A S TRANSITION ALONG THE HWY TO FOLLOW THE CAR, ABOUT THE SAME TIME THE POLICE HELI CAME ON SCENE. THE CTLR GAVE POLICE, MYSELF, AND ANOTHER HELI PERMISSION TO PROCEED WITH SQUAWK CODES, ASKING THAT WE STAY W OF THE ARPT. GOING S I REALIZED WE WERE INSIDE 10 MI OF POWER PLANT. I THINK NOTAMS FOR TFRS SHOULD HAVE LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE INCLUDED IN THEM.

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.