Narrative:

I fly a cpr piston and turboprop, 99% IFR. IFR briefings do not include tfr's. This day, I was in the piston for the 1ST time in 4 months. I departed VFR with the plan of VFR flight following. Indianapolis approach -- I couldn't reach on the frequency I had been assigned arriving IFR earlier that day. As I departed hfy (bearing 227 degrees to destination) I headed 190 degrees for a few mi to avoid indianapolis class C airspace while trying to contact them. A charted restr area, R3401B lies about 14 mi south of hfy. I turned southwest to avoid R3401B at 2000 ft MSL. An unusually strong northwest wind for august and that altitude was pushing me closer to R3401B, so I climbed to 4500 ft MSL on a heading of 240 degrees. As I left indianapolis approach airspace, I tried terre haute (hullman approach), but didn't get through and was close to edge of their airspace anyway, so I continued in a climb to 6500 ft MSL and contacted evansville approach, who instructed me to telephone terra haute once on the ground. The telephone conversation was how I discovered the tfr incursion. Being mostly an IFR pilot, I haven't given much thought to tfr's. Of course I have heard of the major ones, but when WX and an unexpected route pop up, in conjunction with a computer WX briefing, tfr's are very difficult to picture, especially with the textual description. I understand the need for tfr's. Maybe it would help IFR pilots if tfr's were charted on IFR en route charts. Most approachs and arrs involve some VFR. After all, R3404 is depicted on an IFR chart and it looks to be about 8-10 mi from the crane tfr. A pilot trying to stay north of R3404 goes right into the crane tfr (5 mi in radius). I will definitely give tfr's much more thought. However, this incident will probably result in no more VFR flying for me, even on a spectacular day. Being a paid pilot, I just cannot afford trouble. I think another small contributing factor is that although I read 7 flying pubs per month, my choices mainly deal with IFR flying skills/techniques, or safety of flight issues. The subject of tfr's just doesn't come up in the professional pilot/IFR environment.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE55 PLT ENTERED R-3401B WHILE ON NO FLT PLAN.

Narrative: I FLY A CPR PISTON AND TURBOPROP, 99% IFR. IFR BRIEFINGS DO NOT INCLUDE TFR'S. THIS DAY, I WAS IN THE PISTON FOR THE 1ST TIME IN 4 MONTHS. I DEPARTED VFR WITH THE PLAN OF VFR FLT FOLLOWING. INDIANAPOLIS APCH -- I COULDN'T REACH ON THE FREQ I HAD BEEN ASSIGNED ARRIVING IFR EARLIER THAT DAY. AS I DEPARTED HFY (BEARING 227 DEGS TO DEST) I HEADED 190 DEGS FOR A FEW MI TO AVOID INDIANAPOLIS CLASS C AIRSPACE WHILE TRYING TO CONTACT THEM. A CHARTED RESTR AREA, R3401B LIES ABOUT 14 MI S OF HFY. I TURNED SW TO AVOID R3401B AT 2000 FT MSL. AN UNUSUALLY STRONG NW WIND FOR AUGUST AND THAT ALT WAS PUSHING ME CLOSER TO R3401B, SO I CLBED TO 4500 FT MSL ON A HEADING OF 240 DEGS. AS I LEFT INDIANAPOLIS APCH AIRSPACE, I TRIED TERRE HAUTE (HULLMAN APCH), BUT DIDN'T GET THROUGH AND WAS CLOSE TO EDGE OF THEIR AIRSPACE ANYWAY, SO I CONTINUED IN A CLB TO 6500 FT MSL AND CONTACTED EVANSVILLE APCH, WHO INSTRUCTED ME TO TELEPHONE TERRA HAUTE ONCE ON THE GND. THE TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WAS HOW I DISCOVERED THE TFR INCURSION. BEING MOSTLY AN IFR PLT, I HAVEN'T GIVEN MUCH THOUGHT TO TFR'S. OF COURSE I HAVE HEARD OF THE MAJOR ONES, BUT WHEN WX AND AN UNEXPECTED RTE POP UP, IN CONJUNCTION WITH A COMPUTER WX BRIEFING, TFR'S ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO PICTURE, ESPECIALLY WITH THE TEXTUAL DESCRIPTION. I UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR TFR'S. MAYBE IT WOULD HELP IFR PLTS IF TFR'S WERE CHARTED ON IFR ENRTE CHARTS. MOST APCHS AND ARRS INVOLVE SOME VFR. AFTER ALL, R3404 IS DEPICTED ON AN IFR CHART AND IT LOOKS TO BE ABOUT 8-10 MI FROM THE CRANE TFR. A PLT TRYING TO STAY N OF R3404 GOES RIGHT INTO THE CRANE TFR (5 MI IN RADIUS). I WILL DEFINITELY GIVE TFR'S MUCH MORE THOUGHT. HOWEVER, THIS INCIDENT WILL PROBABLY RESULT IN NO MORE VFR FLYING FOR ME, EVEN ON A SPECTACULAR DAY. BEING A PAID PLT, I JUST CANNOT AFFORD TROUBLE. I THINK ANOTHER SMALL CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IS THAT ALTHOUGH I READ 7 FLYING PUBS PER MONTH, MY CHOICES MAINLY DEAL WITH IFR FLYING SKILLS/TECHNIQUES, OR SAFETY OF FLT ISSUES. THE SUBJECT OF TFR'S JUST DOESN'T COME UP IN THE PROFESSIONAL PLT/IFR ENVIRONMENT.

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.