Narrative:

The trip and WX was planned using duats. An IFR trip seemed appropriate and was filed for XD00 on aug/sun/02 for mmv rawer bottl rdm at 13000 ft. The WX brief was not printed out as it was 32 pages in length but was downloaded and saved. The departure and destination WX and NOTAMS were checked for the trip but the fdc temporary flight restrs for fire fighting locations off the deschutes VOR accidentally missed scrutiny. On the morning of aug/sun/02 at XA30, duats was accessed again to verify the IFR WX. On this WX check, the departure, en route and destination WX was reported as 10 mi visibility, clear below FL250 so due to the 12500 ft MEA, the trip reverted to VFR at 9500 ft. During the climb out from mmv, VFR flight following was requested of ZSE and approved so I was issued a transponder code. During the transit over the cascade mountains at about 45 mins from rdm, the controller asked if I was aware of the tfr for deschutes VOR, 286 degree radial at 43.8 mi, 13000 ft and below. I reported I was not and he suggested a 10 degree left or right turn to avoid it. I turned 10 degrees left but was aimed direct for mount jefferson so continued the turn to about 30 degrees left to clear the mountain. At about 55 mi from rdm, at 9500 ft, I asked if I was well clear of the tfr and was told I was 4 mi north of the tfr boundary. At about the 40 mi DME from rdm and clear of mount jefferson, I contacted center and reported I was beginning my VFR descent for rdm. I was asked if I had the 'other' tfr's. I reported I did not. The center controller gave me 'tfr, deschutes VOR 275 degree radial at 21 DME, 9800 ft and below and tfr, deschutes VOR 317 degree radial at 14 DME; and told me he would be losing me on radar shortly so 'change to advisory frequency and transponder to 1200.' I requested to monitor the frequency due to the tfr's and was told I couldn't be seen anyway and he repeated 'change to advisory frequency and transponder to 1200.' I did so and monitored rdm ASOS and then rdm tower while drawing my navigation diagrams on my kneeboard to avoid the tfr's. I drew a 317 degree radial on my kneeboard from the west end of rdm and thought it was 'no factor' as I was heading 095 degrees from the west parallel and about 8-10 mi from the center of tfr to miss it and the 317 degree radial seemed to be well northwest of my position. There was tremendous smoke, so I stayed very focused on the outside for traffic rather than pull sectionals from the back seat to plot the course. Likewise I did not program my GPS with the tfr's due to 'head down' requirement for programming. I descended slowly to remain high and was still above 6000 ft at 5.2 mi from rdm so increased descent to 1000 FPM to land. I was told by the tower that I 'may' have been in a tfr and was called by center at the FBO after parking. I checked my sectional and my kneeboard drawing of the 3 tfr's and decided that it was indeed possible I got too close or possibly penetrated tfr. The purpose of this report is to examine how the possible airspace incursion could have been avoided completely. First, obviously, I should have seen the tfr report on the rdc NOTAMS to begin with as I poured through the 32 page report. I had them available but didn't recognize them as part of my planned flight as even my IFR flight plan did not mention the deschutes VOR. Second, the controller could have (and I believe should have) requested me to remain on frequency since my direction of flight at the time of my request to remain on frequency was direct rdm, close to 2 more tfr's and he was made aware I was descending direct for rdm. It was not his job or responsibility I know but he did have me on frequency at that time and on radar, prior to the possible incursion and could certainly see me in relation to the tfr's on his screen had it been critical to inform me to remain clear. Duats suggestion: all duats temporary flight avoidance information be given specifically due to a flight plan at the last of the report like the departure and destination WX forecast is instead of amongst all the rdc NOTAM information for the entire 5 state west coast area. These tfr's were listed along with tfr's for washington state, southern oregon, idaho, etc.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA24 PLT VIOLATED A TFR ISSUED TO PROTECT AIRSPACE OVER AND AROUND FOREST FIRE ACTIVITY.

Narrative: THE TRIP AND WX WAS PLANNED USING DUATS. AN IFR TRIP SEEMED APPROPRIATE AND WAS FILED FOR XD00 ON AUG/SUN/02 FOR MMV RAWER BOTTL RDM AT 13000 FT. THE WX BRIEF WAS NOT PRINTED OUT AS IT WAS 32 PAGES IN LENGTH BUT WAS DOWNLOADED AND SAVED. THE DEP AND DEST WX AND NOTAMS WERE CHKED FOR THE TRIP BUT THE FDC TEMPORARY FLT RESTRS FOR FIRE FIGHTING LOCATIONS OFF THE DESCHUTES VOR ACCIDENTALLY MISSED SCRUTINY. ON THE MORNING OF AUG/SUN/02 AT XA30, DUATS WAS ACCESSED AGAIN TO VERIFY THE IFR WX. ON THIS WX CHK, THE DEP, ENRTE AND DEST WX WAS RPTED AS 10 MI VISIBILITY, CLR BELOW FL250 SO DUE TO THE 12500 FT MEA, THE TRIP REVERTED TO VFR AT 9500 FT. DURING THE CLBOUT FROM MMV, VFR FLT FOLLOWING WAS REQUESTED OF ZSE AND APPROVED SO I WAS ISSUED A XPONDER CODE. DURING THE TRANSIT OVER THE CASCADE MOUNTAINS AT ABOUT 45 MINS FROM RDM, THE CTLR ASKED IF I WAS AWARE OF THE TFR FOR DESCHUTES VOR, 286 DEG RADIAL AT 43.8 MI, 13000 FT AND BELOW. I RPTED I WAS NOT AND HE SUGGESTED A 10 DEG L OR R TURN TO AVOID IT. I TURNED 10 DEGS L BUT WAS AIMED DIRECT FOR MOUNT JEFFERSON SO CONTINUED THE TURN TO ABOUT 30 DEGS L TO CLR THE MOUNTAIN. AT ABOUT 55 MI FROM RDM, AT 9500 FT, I ASKED IF I WAS WELL CLR OF THE TFR AND WAS TOLD I WAS 4 MI N OF THE TFR BOUNDARY. AT ABOUT THE 40 MI DME FROM RDM AND CLR OF MOUNT JEFFERSON, I CONTACTED CTR AND RPTED I WAS BEGINNING MY VFR DSCNT FOR RDM. I WAS ASKED IF I HAD THE 'OTHER' TFR'S. I RPTED I DID NOT. THE CTR CTLR GAVE ME 'TFR, DESCHUTES VOR 275 DEG RADIAL AT 21 DME, 9800 FT AND BELOW AND TFR, DESCHUTES VOR 317 DEG RADIAL AT 14 DME; AND TOLD ME HE WOULD BE LOSING ME ON RADAR SHORTLY SO 'CHANGE TO ADVISORY FREQ AND XPONDER TO 1200.' I REQUESTED TO MONITOR THE FREQ DUE TO THE TFR'S AND WAS TOLD I COULDN'T BE SEEN ANYWAY AND HE REPEATED 'CHANGE TO ADVISORY FREQ AND XPONDER TO 1200.' I DID SO AND MONITORED RDM ASOS AND THEN RDM TWR WHILE DRAWING MY NAV DIAGRAMS ON MY KNEEBOARD TO AVOID THE TFR'S. I DREW A 317 DEG RADIAL ON MY KNEEBOARD FROM THE W END OF RDM AND THOUGHT IT WAS 'NO FACTOR' AS I WAS HDG 095 DEGS FROM THE W PARALLEL AND ABOUT 8-10 MI FROM THE CTR OF TFR TO MISS IT AND THE 317 DEG RADIAL SEEMED TO BE WELL NW OF MY POS. THERE WAS TREMENDOUS SMOKE, SO I STAYED VERY FOCUSED ON THE OUTSIDE FOR TFC RATHER THAN PULL SECTIONALS FROM THE BACK SEAT TO PLOT THE COURSE. LIKEWISE I DID NOT PROGRAM MY GPS WITH THE TFR'S DUE TO 'HEAD DOWN' REQUIREMENT FOR PROGRAMMING. I DSNDED SLOWLY TO REMAIN HIGH AND WAS STILL ABOVE 6000 FT AT 5.2 MI FROM RDM SO INCREASED DSCNT TO 1000 FPM TO LAND. I WAS TOLD BY THE TWR THAT I 'MAY' HAVE BEEN IN A TFR AND WAS CALLED BY CTR AT THE FBO AFTER PARKING. I CHKED MY SECTIONAL AND MY KNEEBOARD DRAWING OF THE 3 TFR'S AND DECIDED THAT IT WAS INDEED POSSIBLE I GOT TOO CLOSE OR POSSIBLY PENETRATED TFR. THE PURPOSE OF THIS RPT IS TO EXAMINE HOW THE POSSIBLE AIRSPACE INCURSION COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED COMPLETELY. FIRST, OBVIOUSLY, I SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE TFR RPT ON THE RDC NOTAMS TO BEGIN WITH AS I POURED THROUGH THE 32 PAGE RPT. I HAD THEM AVAILABLE BUT DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THEM AS PART OF MY PLANNED FLT AS EVEN MY IFR FLT PLAN DID NOT MENTION THE DESCHUTES VOR. SECOND, THE CTLR COULD HAVE (AND I BELIEVE SHOULD HAVE) REQUESTED ME TO REMAIN ON FREQ SINCE MY DIRECTION OF FLT AT THE TIME OF MY REQUEST TO REMAIN ON FREQ WAS DIRECT RDM, CLOSE TO 2 MORE TFR'S AND HE WAS MADE AWARE I WAS DSNDING DIRECT FOR RDM. IT WAS NOT HIS JOB OR RESPONSIBILITY I KNOW BUT HE DID HAVE ME ON FREQ AT THAT TIME AND ON RADAR, PRIOR TO THE POSSIBLE INCURSION AND COULD CERTAINLY SEE ME IN RELATION TO THE TFR'S ON HIS SCREEN HAD IT BEEN CRITICAL TO INFORM ME TO REMAIN CLR. DUATS SUGGESTION: ALL DUATS TEMPORARY FLT AVOIDANCE INFO BE GIVEN SPECIFICALLY DUE TO A FLT PLAN AT THE LAST OF THE RPT LIKE THE DEP AND DEST WX FORECAST IS INSTEAD OF AMONGST ALL THE RDC NOTAM INFO FOR THE ENTIRE 5 STATE WEST COAST AREA. THESE TFR'S WERE LISTED ALONG WITH TFR'S FOR WASHINGTON STATE, SOUTHERN OREGON, IDAHO, ETC.

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.