Narrative:

While traveling in my BE35 from ZZZ to ZZZ1 I stopped short for a minor difficulty in ZZZ2 and was given a phone number and told to call the FAA. I was informed I had flown into P40 airspace and was then debriefed by federal agents. I thought that I had circumnavigated the airspace to the east, but was told I was just inside the airspace. This incursion was serious. I had only been flying in the washington dc area for several months, and had circled the P40 area on my en route map as I knew it was a factor in the general area. Looked ok as my route as planned went easily to the east of P40. I tried to check WX and NOTAMS using duats. I called ZZZ FSS to file. The WX briefing was good, but somehow both the briefer and I missed going over the NOTAMS. He was good enough to call me back just a few mins after to ask me to call back and get the NOTAMS. I told the new person I had missed getting the NOTAMS and asked for and received the NOTAMS that focused on runway conditions, but to the best of my memory did not include the en route P40 extensions. I assumed that anything important would have been provided in the briefing. Specific knowledge of the notamed P40 extension in briefing would have helped prevent this incursion. I flew the route proceeding VFR and monitored dulles approach while circumnavigating the class B airspace. I did not request flight following. My limited experience has been that washington controllers are kept so busy that they will answer or provide flight following only very infrequently. I was monitoring guard, 121.5. The actual flight was proceeding west of the P40 airspace, and I made a correction to the east. I was vaguely aware of some additional restrs, so I flew east of what I thought was a rough buffer, doubling of the P40 area. In fact the area had been expanded from a 3 mile radius to an 8 mile radius. Here are my recommendations for improvements: put a quick reminder message on the outgoing message of the ZZZ FSS voice response system. Please add 'pilots are reminded to stay clear of the expanded P40 airspace.' make the NOTAM more readable and break it out from other most conventional or routine NOTAMS. I'd like to see a human factors person review the NOTAM for readability. Most pilots would understand camp david and the significance of the restr, but wouldn't get it when referred to as 'thurmont, md.' give a url for an actual picture. Send depictions and pictures of the extended airspace to local FBO's and flight schools. The NOTAM extension for P40 seems to be permanent.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: P40 AREA NOTAM NOT BRIEFED BY FSS SPECIALIST. AN INCURSION INTO THE AIRSPACE OCCURS.

Narrative: WHILE TRAVELING IN MY BE35 FROM ZZZ TO ZZZ1 I STOPPED SHORT FOR A MINOR DIFFICULTY IN ZZZ2 AND WAS GIVEN A PHONE NUMBER AND TOLD TO CALL THE FAA. I WAS INFORMED I HAD FLOWN INTO P40 AIRSPACE AND WAS THEN DEBRIEFED BY FEDERAL AGENTS. I THOUGHT THAT I HAD CIRCUMNAVIGATED THE AIRSPACE TO THE E, BUT WAS TOLD I WAS JUST INSIDE THE AIRSPACE. THIS INCURSION WAS SERIOUS. I HAD ONLY BEEN FLYING IN THE WASHINGTON DC AREA FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, AND HAD CIRCLED THE P40 AREA ON MY ENRTE MAP AS I KNEW IT WAS A FACTOR IN THE GENERAL AREA. LOOKED OK AS MY RTE AS PLANNED WENT EASILY TO THE E OF P40. I TRIED TO CHK WX AND NOTAMS USING DUATS. I CALLED ZZZ FSS TO FILE. THE WX BRIEFING WAS GOOD, BUT SOMEHOW BOTH THE BRIEFER AND I MISSED GOING OVER THE NOTAMS. HE WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO CALL ME BACK JUST A FEW MINS AFTER TO ASK ME TO CALL BACK AND GET THE NOTAMS. I TOLD THE NEW PERSON I HAD MISSED GETTING THE NOTAMS AND ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED THE NOTAMS THAT FOCUSED ON RWY CONDITIONS, BUT TO THE BEST OF MY MEMORY DID NOT INCLUDE THE ENRTE P40 EXTENSIONS. I ASSUMED THAT ANYTHING IMPORTANT WOULD HAVE BEEN PROVIDED IN THE BRIEFING. SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE OF THE NOTAMED P40 EXTENSION IN BRIEFING WOULD HAVE HELPED PREVENT THIS INCURSION. I FLEW THE ROUTE PROCEEDING VFR AND MONITORED DULLES APCH WHILE CIRCUMNAVIGATING THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. I DID NOT REQUEST FLT FOLLOWING. MY LIMITED EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN THAT WASHINGTON CTLRS ARE KEPT SO BUSY THAT THEY WILL ANSWER OR PROVIDE FLT FOLLOWING ONLY VERY INFREQUENTLY. I WAS MONITORING GUARD, 121.5. THE ACTUAL FLT WAS PROCEEDING W OF THE P40 AIRSPACE, AND I MADE A CORRECTION TO THE E. I WAS VAGUELY AWARE OF SOME ADDITIONAL RESTRS, SO I FLEW E OF WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A ROUGH BUFFER, DOUBLING OF THE P40 AREA. IN FACT THE AREA HAD BEEN EXPANDED FROM A 3 MILE RADIUS TO AN 8 MILE RADIUS. HERE ARE MY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENTS: PUT A QUICK REMINDER MESSAGE ON THE OUTGOING MESSAGE OF THE ZZZ FSS VOICE RESPONSE SYSTEM. PLEASE ADD 'PLTS ARE REMINDED TO STAY CLR OF THE EXPANDED P40 AIRSPACE.' MAKE THE NOTAM MORE READABLE AND BREAK IT OUT FROM OTHER MOST CONVENTIONAL OR ROUTINE NOTAMS. I'D LIKE TO SEE A HUMAN FACTORS PERSON REVIEW THE NOTAM FOR READABILITY. MOST PLTS WOULD UNDERSTAND CAMP DAVID AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RESTR, BUT WOULDN'T GET IT WHEN REFERRED TO AS 'THURMONT, MD.' GIVE A URL FOR AN ACTUAL PICTURE. SEND DEPICTIONS AND PICTURES OF THE EXTENDED AIRSPACE TO LOCAL FBO'S AND FLT SCHOOLS. THE NOTAM EXTENSION FOR P40 SEEMS TO BE PERMANENT.

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.