Narrative:

I was returning from a cross country with friends. The friends asked to see san francisco from the air. I naved north of the sfo class B airspace and called norcal approach for clearance to pao. The standard route is 'south and west of highway 101 at 2000 ft,' which is what I received. I entered the class B and had descended to 2400 ft when I was handed to sfo tower. Tower told me to make an immediate turn to 270 degrees because I was approaching a tfr. They vectored me around the tfr and I believe that I did not violate the tfr. ATC didn't mention it further. Issues: 1) approach control did not mention the tfr even though I was under positive control in class B. 2) I had received a WX brief several hours earlier and the tfr was not mentioned. (I'm familiar with the stadium tfr, but see below.) 3) the tfr was the result of a special event. Upon further research, I was able to figure out when the special event started, but it was not, of course, part of the briefing. I believe it is absurd that a pilot must check for web pages (for all type special events) before every flight to discover which stadiums are in use. This is not even possible if away from a computer. The lack of easy access to this information almost resulted in my violation of a tfr. I believe the FAA needs to provide an easy way to get this information as part of a standard brief -- especially through WX briefings.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF PA32 ON BAY TOUR CLRNC THROUGH THE SFO CLASS B NEARLY PENETRATES STADIUM TFR OVER CANDLESTICK PARK. SFO LCL CTLR PROVIDED WARNING THAT WAS NOT GIVEN BY NCT WHEN RPTR WAS CLRED FOR CLASS B CLRNC.

Narrative: I WAS RETURNING FROM A XCOUNTRY WITH FRIENDS. THE FRIENDS ASKED TO SEE SAN FRANCISCO FROM THE AIR. I NAVED N OF THE SFO CLASS B AIRSPACE AND CALLED NORCAL APCH FOR CLRNC TO PAO. THE STANDARD RTE IS 'S AND W OF HWY 101 AT 2000 FT,' WHICH IS WHAT I RECEIVED. I ENTERED THE CLASS B AND HAD DSNDED TO 2400 FT WHEN I WAS HANDED TO SFO TWR. TWR TOLD ME TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE TURN TO 270 DEGS BECAUSE I WAS APCHING A TFR. THEY VECTORED ME AROUND THE TFR AND I BELIEVE THAT I DID NOT VIOLATE THE TFR. ATC DIDN'T MENTION IT FURTHER. ISSUES: 1) APCH CTL DID NOT MENTION THE TFR EVEN THOUGH I WAS UNDER POSITIVE CTL IN CLASS B. 2) I HAD RECEIVED A WX BRIEF SEVERAL HRS EARLIER AND THE TFR WAS NOT MENTIONED. (I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE STADIUM TFR, BUT SEE BELOW.) 3) THE TFR WAS THE RESULT OF A SPECIAL EVENT. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH, I WAS ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHEN THE SPECIAL EVENT STARTED, BUT IT WAS NOT, OF COURSE, PART OF THE BRIEFING. I BELIEVE IT IS ABSURD THAT A PLT MUST CHK FOR WEB PAGES (FOR ALL TYPE SPECIAL EVENTS) BEFORE EVERY FLT TO DISCOVER WHICH STADIUMS ARE IN USE. THIS IS NOT EVEN POSSIBLE IF AWAY FROM A COMPUTER. THE LACK OF EASY ACCESS TO THIS INFO ALMOST RESULTED IN MY VIOLATION OF A TFR. I BELIEVE THE FAA NEEDS TO PROVIDE AN EASY WAY TO GET THIS INFO AS PART OF A STANDARD BRIEF -- ESPECIALLY THROUGH WX BRIEFINGS.

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.