Narrative:

I received 2 formal telephone WX briefings through bangor flight service, one on saturday afternoon the day before the flight, the other morning of the flight. I also received 3 WX updates during the flight. In my first telephone briefing saturday afternoon with a briefer at bangor flight service I was warned of the prohibited airspaces P-40 and R-4009. I asked for their locations but the briefer was unable to give me a distance and radial from a known VOR or city. I told her my route would be north and west of martinsburg (mrb) and frederick (fdk) vors, and my recollection and written notes clearly indicate her advice that routing north and west of these vors would keep me clear of P-40. Unfortunately, this was incorrect, but was information I had in mind as I unknowingly and unintentionally approached P-40. Between lancaster (lns) and york (thv), PA, and well within 20 mi of harrisburg international, I requested flight following with harrisburg approach, who unfortunately did not comply with my request nor did they warn me of the upcoming P-40. I recall giving them my position, heading, destination and altitude. Harrisburg approach advised instead that I 'contact ZDC in about 20 mi.' I believe that I did make that call before entering P-40. ZDC did not notify me of any airspace violation at any time and instructed me to contact potomac approach on frequency 126.10. On first hailing potomac, the controller appeared unaware of any handoff from washington, advising that he would assign a squawk code. I informed him that I was already squawking 'XXXX' assigned by washington. After a short time, the potomac controller advised that I would need to contact potomac TRACON once on the ground. In response to my inquiry, potomac reported to me that ZDC observed my passage through P-40 squawking '1200' which later changed to 'XXXX,' the code washington assigned to me after a considerable delay from my first contact with them. After potomac approach informed me of the airspace incursion and gave me a telephone number for potomac TRACON, I freely gave them my name, address, home base, pilot certificate number and all information requested. Several important factors occurred in the mins prior to the airspace incursion. First, my reduced altitude necessitated occasional heading changes to allow safe vertical separation from hills, antennas, and urban development. Second, I was at a point shared by 3 different sectional maps: new york, washington and cincinnati. I was, therefore, juggling maps and looking hardest at 'cincinnati' as I've been taught to 'keep ahead of the aircraft.' while cincinnati overlaps washington it does not include P-40. Third, the setting sun was directly straight ahead on our 255 degree course to elkins! Map reading visibility was very poor, and overuse of my 2 hardwired map lights or 3 on board flashlights would threaten to diminish my nighttime visual tasks which soon would be of critical importance. Typically, my longer cross country flts are in aircraft with autoplts, moving map GPS receivers, and utilize a competent current copilot. I realize that fatigue can begin after just a few hours of flight even in good conditions, but is increased when the cockpit workload is increased. Flying in unfamiliar areas in mountainous terrain increases the risk of errors in judgement. The lessons I've learned from this experience are numerous. I need to perform even more thorough flight planning including the avoidance of special airspace, especially when flight following may be unavailable, or when there are altitude, coverage, and/or time constraints. I need to be heedful of the direction of the sun in relation to my on course heading. I will expect greater fatigue with lesser avionics, and without a reliable autoplt or competent, licensed copilot. I will try to not be so far 'ahead of the airplane' as to not consider the importance of every mi I am currently flying. I now have specific plans to upgrade the avionics of this aircraft which will increase safety and improve recognition of special use airspace.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF C180 ENTERS P-40 WHILE ON XCOUNTRY FLT.

Narrative: I RECEIVED 2 FORMAL TELEPHONE WX BRIEFINGS THROUGH BANGOR FLT SVC, ONE ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON THE DAY BEFORE THE FLT, THE OTHER MORNING OF THE FLT. I ALSO RECEIVED 3 WX UPDATES DURING THE FLT. IN MY FIRST TELEPHONE BRIEFING SATURDAY AFTERNOON WITH A BRIEFER AT BANGOR FLT SVC I WAS WARNED OF THE PROHIBITED AIRSPACES P-40 AND R-4009. I ASKED FOR THEIR LOCATIONS BUT THE BRIEFER WAS UNABLE TO GIVE ME A DISTANCE AND RADIAL FROM A KNOWN VOR OR CITY. I TOLD HER MY RTE WOULD BE N AND W OF MARTINSBURG (MRB) AND FREDERICK (FDK) VORS, AND MY RECOLLECTION AND WRITTEN NOTES CLRLY INDICATE HER ADVICE THAT ROUTING N AND W OF THESE VORS WOULD KEEP ME CLR OF P-40. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS WAS INCORRECT, BUT WAS INFO I HAD IN MIND AS I UNKNOWINGLY AND UNINTENTIONALLY APCHED P-40. BTWN LANCASTER (LNS) AND YORK (THV), PA, AND WELL WITHIN 20 MI OF HARRISBURG INTL, I REQUESTED FLT FOLLOWING WITH HARRISBURG APCH, WHO UNFORTUNATELY DID NOT COMPLY WITH MY REQUEST NOR DID THEY WARN ME OF THE UPCOMING P-40. I RECALL GIVING THEM MY POS, HDG, DEST AND ALT. HARRISBURG APCH ADVISED INSTEAD THAT I 'CONTACT ZDC IN ABOUT 20 MI.' I BELIEVE THAT I DID MAKE THAT CALL BEFORE ENTERING P-40. ZDC DID NOT NOTIFY ME OF ANY AIRSPACE VIOLATION AT ANY TIME AND INSTRUCTED ME TO CONTACT POTOMAC APCH ON FREQ 126.10. ON FIRST HAILING POTOMAC, THE CTLR APPEARED UNAWARE OF ANY HDOF FROM WASHINGTON, ADVISING THAT HE WOULD ASSIGN A SQUAWK CODE. I INFORMED HIM THAT I WAS ALREADY SQUAWKING 'XXXX' ASSIGNED BY WASHINGTON. AFTER A SHORT TIME, THE POTOMAC CTLR ADVISED THAT I WOULD NEED TO CONTACT POTOMAC TRACON ONCE ON THE GND. IN RESPONSE TO MY INQUIRY, POTOMAC RPTED TO ME THAT ZDC OBSERVED MY PASSAGE THROUGH P-40 SQUAWKING '1200' WHICH LATER CHANGED TO 'XXXX,' THE CODE WASHINGTON ASSIGNED TO ME AFTER A CONSIDERABLE DELAY FROM MY FIRST CONTACT WITH THEM. AFTER POTOMAC APCH INFORMED ME OF THE AIRSPACE INCURSION AND GAVE ME A TELEPHONE NUMBER FOR POTOMAC TRACON, I FREELY GAVE THEM MY NAME, ADDRESS, HOME BASE, PLT CERTIFICATE NUMBER AND ALL INFO REQUESTED. SEVERAL IMPORTANT FACTORS OCCURRED IN THE MINS PRIOR TO THE AIRSPACE INCURSION. FIRST, MY REDUCED ALT NECESSITATED OCCASIONAL HDG CHANGES TO ALLOW SAFE VERT SEPARATION FROM HILLS, ANTENNAS, AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT. SECOND, I WAS AT A POINT SHARED BY 3 DIFFERENT SECTIONAL MAPS: NEW YORK, WASHINGTON AND CINCINNATI. I WAS, THEREFORE, JUGGLING MAPS AND LOOKING HARDEST AT 'CINCINNATI' AS I'VE BEEN TAUGHT TO 'KEEP AHEAD OF THE ACFT.' WHILE CINCINNATI OVERLAPS WASHINGTON IT DOES NOT INCLUDE P-40. THIRD, THE SETTING SUN WAS DIRECTLY STRAIGHT AHEAD ON OUR 255 DEG COURSE TO ELKINS! MAP READING VISIBILITY WAS VERY POOR, AND OVERUSE OF MY 2 HARDWIRED MAP LIGHTS OR 3 ON BOARD FLASHLIGHTS WOULD THREATEN TO DIMINISH MY NIGHTTIME VISUAL TASKS WHICH SOON WOULD BE OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE. TYPICALLY, MY LONGER XCOUNTRY FLTS ARE IN ACFT WITH AUTOPLTS, MOVING MAP GPS RECEIVERS, AND UTILIZE A COMPETENT CURRENT COPLT. I REALIZE THAT FATIGUE CAN BEGIN AFTER JUST A FEW HRS OF FLT EVEN IN GOOD CONDITIONS, BUT IS INCREASED WHEN THE COCKPIT WORKLOAD IS INCREASED. FLYING IN UNFAMILIAR AREAS IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN INCREASES THE RISK OF ERRORS IN JUDGEMENT. THE LESSONS I'VE LEARNED FROM THIS EXPERIENCE ARE NUMEROUS. I NEED TO PERFORM EVEN MORE THOROUGH FLT PLANNING INCLUDING THE AVOIDANCE OF SPECIAL AIRSPACE, ESPECIALLY WHEN FLT FOLLOWING MAY BE UNAVAILABLE, OR WHEN THERE ARE ALT, COVERAGE, AND/OR TIME CONSTRAINTS. I NEED TO BE HEEDFUL OF THE DIRECTION OF THE SUN IN RELATION TO MY ON COURSE HDG. I WILL EXPECT GREATER FATIGUE WITH LESSER AVIONICS, AND WITHOUT A RELIABLE AUTOPLT OR COMPETENT, LICENSED COPLT. I WILL TRY TO NOT BE SO FAR 'AHEAD OF THE AIRPLANE' AS TO NOT CONSIDER THE IMPORTANCE OF EVERY MI I AM CURRENTLY FLYING. I NOW HAVE SPECIFIC PLANS TO UPGRADE THE AVIONICS OF THIS ACFT WHICH WILL INCREASE SAFETY AND IMPROVE RECOGNITION OF SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE.

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.