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A police operation with a hughes 500 enters the stadium tfr near downtown houston on frequency with ATC at tower in hou, tx.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 598215 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200310 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : hou.tower |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl single value : 500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : hou&.tower tower : den.tower |
| Operator | Other |
| Make Model Name | MD Helicopter 500/C/D/E/L |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 3500 |
| ASRS Report | 598215 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government other |
| Function | observation : observer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | airspace violation : entry non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Chart Or Publication Flight Crew Human Performance Airspace Structure ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Ambiguous |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation Inter Facility Coordination Failure |
Narrative:
On a scheduled police patrol flight at dusk, we were dispatched to a point outside class B airspace, approximately 2 mi from the toyota center (nba). While searching for the suspect and monitoring the police radios, I heard traffic control activity around the stadium area. Neither myself nor my observer knew anything about a game or the time it would start. Nothing was said by FSS on receiving preflight WX briefing. I squawked my pre-assigned transponder code and called hobby tower to advise him of our presence on a police mission inside the stadium tfr. He acted as if he did not know what I was talking about, nor did he say whether or not the tfr was in effect. I learned later that the scheduled start time was at our present local time. At the end of the search we left the area. If pilots are to comply with these blanket tfr's, a single call point must be established. We should be told a stadium tfr is or is not going to be in effect. Pilots cannot comply if they don't know.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A POLICE OP WITH A HUGHES 500 ENTERS THE STADIUM TFR NEAR DOWNTOWN HOUSTON ON FREQ WITH ATC AT TWR IN HOU, TX.
Narrative: ON A SCHEDULED POLICE PATROL FLT AT DUSK, WE WERE DISPATCHED TO A POINT OUTSIDE CLASS B AIRSPACE, APPROX 2 MI FROM THE TOYOTA CTR (NBA). WHILE SEARCHING FOR THE SUSPECT AND MONITORING THE POLICE RADIOS, I HEARD TFC CTL ACTIVITY AROUND THE STADIUM AREA. NEITHER MYSELF NOR MY OBSERVER KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT A GAME OR THE TIME IT WOULD START. NOTHING WAS SAID BY FSS ON RECEIVING PREFLT WX BRIEFING. I SQUAWKED MY PRE-ASSIGNED XPONDER CODE AND CALLED HOBBY TWR TO ADVISE HIM OF OUR PRESENCE ON A POLICE MISSION INSIDE THE STADIUM TFR. HE ACTED AS IF HE DID NOT KNOW WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT, NOR DID HE SAY WHETHER OR NOT THE TFR WAS IN EFFECT. I LEARNED LATER THAT THE SCHEDULED START TIME WAS AT OUR PRESENT LCL TIME. AT THE END OF THE SEARCH WE LEFT THE AREA. IF PLTS ARE TO COMPLY WITH THESE BLANKET TFR'S, A SINGLE CALL POINT MUST BE ESTABLISHED. WE SHOULD BE TOLD A STADIUM TFR IS OR IS NOT GOING TO BE IN EFFECT. PLTS CANNOT COMPLY IF THEY DON'T KNOW.
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.