Narrative:

The first factor contributing to the mistake was inadequate and hurried preflight planning. My goal was to make it to my final destination before XA00 so I needed to leave as soon as possible. From ZZZ airport I planned my flight using the online duats flight planner service, but never actually drew my route on the sectional charts. This allowed me to plan the flight quickly and accurately using up-to-date winds aloft information, but I failed to scan the route for special use airspace or tfr's. As I was approaching my fuel stop, from the north, I may have had the sectional folded so that I couldn't see the restr area. I was not following any VOR radial on this segment of the flight, I just was spotting landmarks and basing my course off of them. The last landmark that I positively recognized before entering the restr area was the ZZZ1 airport. After several minutes of flight over an area with few prominent landmarks, I realized that I had been persistently left of my desired heading for a few minutes. I scanned the ground for landmarks to determine my position and spotted military vehicles positioned in the forest below. I looked at the chart and determined that I was in restr area ZZZ and had already passed through restr area ZZZ1. I immediately made a turn to the west and exited the restr airspace. Then I continued south to just west of the restr area's edge. I believe one of the main causes of this incident, in addition to the hasty planning already mentioned, was complacency. Since this was just a VFR flight in good WX, I had a somewhat careless mindset. I wasn't holding my desired headings or altitudes very precisely and was allowing myself to daydream instead of looking for landmarks. This incident could have been prevented by two things. First, making a careful preflight plan including a course hand-drawn on the sectional chart, with careful searching for special use airspace to avoid. Second, having a desire for excellence and precision of every flight, regardless of how easy the flight seems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT INADVERTENTLY FLIES THROUGH RESTR AIRSPACE DURING A VFR CROSS COUNTRY FLT USING PILOTAGE AS NAVIGATION.

Narrative: THE FIRST FACTOR CONTRIBUTING TO THE MISTAKE WAS INADEQUATE AND HURRIED PREFLT PLANNING. MY GOAL WAS TO MAKE IT TO MY FINAL DEST BEFORE XA00 SO I NEEDED TO LEAVE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. FROM ZZZ ARPT I PLANNED MY FLT USING THE ONLINE DUATS FLT PLANNER SVC, BUT NEVER ACTUALLY DREW MY RTE ON THE SECTIONAL CHARTS. THIS ALLOWED ME TO PLAN THE FLT QUICKLY AND ACCURATELY USING UP-TO-DATE WINDS ALOFT INFO, BUT I FAILED TO SCAN THE ROUTE FOR SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE OR TFR'S. AS I WAS APCHING MY FUEL STOP, FROM THE N, I MAY HAVE HAD THE SECTIONAL FOLDED SO THAT I COULDN'T SEE THE RESTR AREA. I WAS NOT FOLLOWING ANY VOR RADIAL ON THIS SEGMENT OF THE FLT, I JUST WAS SPOTTING LANDMARKS AND BASING MY COURSE OFF OF THEM. THE LAST LANDMARK THAT I POSITIVELY RECOGNIZED BEFORE ENTERING THE RESTR AREA WAS THE ZZZ1 ARPT. AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES OF FLT OVER AN AREA WITH FEW PROMINENT LANDMARKS, I REALIZED THAT I HAD BEEN PERSISTENTLY L OF MY DESIRED HEADING FOR A FEW MINUTES. I SCANNED THE GND FOR LANDMARKS TO DETERMINE MY POSITION AND SPOTTED MILITARY VEHICLES POSITIONED IN THE FOREST BELOW. I LOOKED AT THE CHART AND DETERMINED THAT I WAS IN RESTR AREA ZZZ AND HAD ALREADY PASSED THROUGH RESTR AREA ZZZ1. I IMMEDIATELY MADE A TURN TO THE W AND EXITED THE RESTR AIRSPACE. THEN I CONTINUED S TO JUST W OF THE RESTR AREA'S EDGE. I BELIEVE ONE OF THE MAIN CAUSES OF THIS INCIDENT, IN ADDITION TO THE HASTY PLANNING ALREADY MENTIONED, WAS COMPLACENCY. SINCE THIS WAS JUST A VFR FLT IN GOOD WX, I HAD A SOMEWHAT CARELESS MINDSET. I WASN'T HOLDING MY DESIRED HEADINGS OR ALTITUDES VERY PRECISELY AND WAS ALLOWING MYSELF TO DAYDREAM INSTEAD OF LOOKING FOR LANDMARKS. THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY TWO THINGS. FIRST, MAKING A CAREFUL PREFLT PLAN INCLUDING A COURSE HAND-DRAWN ON THE SECTIONAL CHART, WITH CAREFUL SEARCHING FOR SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE TO AVOID. SECOND, HAVING A DESIRE FOR EXCELLENCE AND PRECISION OF EVERY FLT, REGARDLESS OF HOW EASY THE FLT SEEMS.

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.