Narrative:

Despite a reasonable effort on my part to keep up with the FAA changes since 09/tue/01, email news letter and talking with FSS, I was not aware of the restrs on direct flts from the us to the turks and caicos islands on 12/fri/01 when this incident occurred. Before leaving I obtained WX via the internet. Flew to xyz for fuel and filed international VFR flight plan in flight planning office to fort lauderdale. No mention was made of the restr. I was unable to call ZZZ FSS because, as I discovered that morning, the WX brief number is not available in the turks and caicos as it had been in the bahamas. I departed and was immediately handed off to miami center. I asked miami to confirm that my flight plan had been opened and the controller responded affirmatively. I squawked the assigned code and because of our low cruise altitude of 6500 ft, lost miami center over mayaguana, but established contact again near stella morris, was handed over to nassau, and then back to miami. I descended to 1500 ft over bamini island to get under a cloud layer and at that altitude lost miami center. Soon thereafter, I contacted miami approach control and was handed off to fll tower about 10 miles out. The tower then informed me that flight service had been looking for me and who I then contacted immediately. The controller who responded asked me if I had landed in nassau and I informed controller that 'no, that was my alternate airport.' controller mentioned something about me being late -- the flight had taken about 45 mins more than the 4 hours 15 mins duration I had filed. Controller then informed me that I was not supposed to go direct to fll without going through the bahamas. Controller then said 'well its too late now' and I switched back to fll tower and landed. I of course felt stupid for not knowing this, but what struck me as odd, is that I had been able to file in the first place and that throughout the 5 hour flight no one had notified me of my mistake.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PIPER PA28 FLEW IFR DIRECT FROM THE CARIBBEAN TO THE US IN NON COMPLIANCE. PLT UNAWARE OF RESTR ON DIRECT FLT.

Narrative: DESPITE A REASONABLE EFFORT ON MY PART TO KEEP UP WITH THE FAA CHANGES SINCE 09/TUE/01, EMAIL NEWS LETTER AND TALKING WITH FSS, I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE RESTRS ON DIRECT FLTS FROM THE US TO THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS ON 12/FRI/01 WHEN THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED. BEFORE LEAVING I OBTAINED WX VIA THE INTERNET. FLEW TO XYZ FOR FUEL AND FILED INTERNATIONAL VFR FLT PLAN IN FLT PLANNING OFFICE TO FORT LAUDERDALE. NO MENTION WAS MADE OF THE RESTR. I WAS UNABLE TO CALL ZZZ FSS BECAUSE, AS I DISCOVERED THAT MORNING, THE WX BRIEF NUMBER IS NOT AVAILABLE IN THE TURKS AND CAICOS AS IT HAD BEEN IN THE BAHAMAS. I DEPARTED AND WAS IMMEDIATELY HANDED OFF TO MIAMI CTR. I ASKED MIAMI TO CONFIRM THAT MY FLT PLAN HAD BEEN OPENED AND THE CTLR RESPONDED AFFIRMATIVELY. I SQUAWKED THE ASSIGNED CODE AND BECAUSE OF OUR LOW CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 6500 FT, LOST MIAMI CTR OVER MAYAGUANA, BUT ESTABLISHED CONTACT AGAIN NEAR STELLA MORRIS, WAS HANDED OVER TO NASSAU, AND THEN BACK TO MIAMI. I DESCENDED TO 1500 FT OVER BAMINI ISLAND TO GET UNDER A CLOUD LAYER AND AT THAT ALTITUDE LOST MIAMI CTR. SOON THEREAFTER, I CONTACTED MIAMI APCH CTL AND WAS HANDED OFF TO FLL TWR ABOUT 10 MILES OUT. THE TWR THEN INFORMED ME THAT FLT SERVICE HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR ME AND WHO I THEN CONTACTED IMMEDIATELY. THE CTLR WHO RESPONDED ASKED ME IF I HAD LANDED IN NASSAU AND I INFORMED CTLR THAT 'NO, THAT WAS MY ALTERNATE ARPT.' CTLR MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT ME BEING LATE -- THE FLT HAD TAKEN ABOUT 45 MINS MORE THAN THE 4 HRS 15 MINS DURATION I HAD FILED. CTLR THEN INFORMED ME THAT I WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO GO DIRECT TO FLL WITHOUT GOING THROUGH THE BAHAMAS. CTLR THEN SAID 'WELL ITS TOO LATE NOW' AND I SWITCHED BACK TO FLL TWR AND LANDED. I OF COURSE FELT STUPID FOR NOT KNOWING THIS, BUT WHAT STRUCK ME AS ODD, IS THAT I HAD BEEN ABLE TO FILE IN THE FIRST PLACE AND THAT THROUGHOUT THE 5 HR FLT NO ONE HAD NOTIFIED ME OF MY MISTAKE.

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.