Narrative:

On 05/sat/03, I made a VFR practice cross country in my skylane 182. A route I had flown before, I left fws at XA40, flew southwest to mnz using my GPS for navigation. I made a touch-and-go landing and returned directly to fws. On the return leg an F16 descended from the clouds (ceiling 2500 ft AGL to 3000 ft), crossed my path from right to left, ascended and disappeared into the clouds. My first reaction was, 'wow! Cool!' maybe 30 to 60 seconds later, another F16 (or perhaps the same one) did the same thing. At that moment I realized I might have 'tangentially' entered the airspace for a tfr of the president's ranch in crawford. I continued to fws without incident. I was unaware the president was in crawford at the time. Prior to the flight, I failed to check specific NOTAMS that would have influenced my plans. Also while I gathered weather information from the computer and internet resources at fws during preflight, I did not obtain a weather brief from the FSS. Had I taken either of the two steps just mentioned, I would have known of the tfr and planned a different flight. Alternatively, had I filed a VFR flight plan or utilized flight following I would have avoided this problem. The difficulty with these last options was my relatively low altitude which would have made radio communication with approach and center difficult or impossible. Since this flight, I have learned to contact 121.5 on my radio if I encounter an F16 again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 PLT ENTERED A TFR IN ZFW CLASS E.

Narrative: ON 05/SAT/03, I MADE A VFR PRACTICE CROSS COUNTRY IN MY SKYLANE 182. A RTE I HAD FLOWN BEFORE, I LEFT FWS AT XA40, FLEW SW TO MNZ USING MY GPS FOR NAVIGATION. I MADE A TOUCH-AND-GO LNDG AND RETURNED DIRECTLY TO FWS. ON THE RETURN LEG AN F16 DESCENDED FROM THE CLOUDS (CEILING 2500 FT AGL TO 3000 FT), CROSSED MY PATH FROM R TO L, ASCENDED AND DISAPPEARED INTO THE CLOUDS. MY FIRST REACTION WAS, 'WOW! COOL!' MAYBE 30 TO 60 SECONDS LATER, ANOTHER F16 (OR PERHAPS THE SAME ONE) DID THE SAME THING. AT THAT MOMENT I REALIZED I MIGHT HAVE 'TANGENTIALLY' ENTERED THE AIRSPACE FOR A TFR OF THE PRESIDENT'S RANCH IN CRAWFORD. I CONTINUED TO FWS WITHOUT INCIDENT. I WAS UNAWARE THE PRESIDENT WAS IN CRAWFORD AT THE TIME. PRIOR TO THE FLT, I FAILED TO CHK SPECIFIC NOTAMS THAT WOULD HAVE INFLUENCED MY PLANS. ALSO WHILE I GATHERED WEATHER INFORMATION FROM THE COMPUTER AND INTERNET RESOURCES AT FWS DURING PREFLT, I DID NOT OBTAIN A WEATHER BRIEF FROM THE FSS. HAD I TAKEN EITHER OF THE TWO STEPS JUST MENTIONED, I WOULD HAVE KNOWN OF THE TFR AND PLANNED A DIFFERENT FLT. ALTERNATIVELY, HAD I FILED A VFR FLT PLAN OR UTILIZED FLT FOLLOWING I WOULD HAVE AVOIDED THIS PROBLEM. THE DIFFICULTY WITH THESE LAST OPTIONS WAS MY RELATIVELY LOW ALT WHICH WOULD HAVE MADE RADIO COM WITH APCH AND CTR DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE. SINCE THIS FLT, I HAVE LEARNED TO CONTACT 121.5 ON MY RADIO IF I ENCOUNTER AN F16 AGAIN.

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.