Narrative:

I departed myf on aug/thu/04 at XA00, VFR, en route to prb for a business trip as I have routinely done 50+ times before. After climbing below san diego's class B airspace, I climbed to 14500 ft and proceeded direct, overflying the los angeles class B airspace. Upon reaching the torrance area, I saw a military jet pass my left wing and disappear into the horizon. I thought it was strange to see a military jet in that location over the los angeles basin and continued to fly to my destination. It wasn't until about 5 mins later that this same aircraft passed me again, this time on my right side. I was then at northern border of the los angeles class B still at 14500 ft. After the second pass I questioned whether he was trying to get my attention. My thoughts were that if I was being intercepted he would have flown next to me instead of flying past at a high rate of speed. Also, I was cruising at 240 KTS. He could have definitely slowed to my speed, but I decided to be safe and I switched my frequency to 121.5 and monitored it. I heard 1 transmission that read 'military change to my frequency 127.55.' I switched to the frequency and heard nothing. Upon landing, was puzzled about the incident and questioned if I had done something wrong, as I have made this exact same flight countless times before. The next day I called socal TRACON and was notified there was a tfr in effect over los angeles. I was also told that there were 32 violations and/or deviations for this same tfr. I routinely check a flight planning web site and there was no mention of this tfr. In addition, there was no mention of a tfr on the myf ATIS upon departure. How is it possible that an ATIS will broadcast flow control or WX airmets and sigmets over the whole socal area, but it won't announce a pop-up tfr that presumably protects our national security? Also, why is there no common frequency that pilots could listen to that would provide a recorded message of all the tfr's in effect for a particular region? And finally, why are there tfr's that have been in effect for yrs not listed on a VFR sectional? It seems that if there were 32 infractions in 1 day on the same tfr that someone failed to notify the public in an effective manner. I don't know of any pilot, including myself, that would purposely violate any airspace without permission. There needs to be a better way to inform pilots of these pop-up anywhere/anytime tfr's. The only alternative is to file IFR everywhere you go, which would put an unbearable strain on the ATC system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA IS INTERCEPTED WITHIN TFR IN VICINITY OF LGB.

Narrative: I DEPARTED MYF ON AUG/THU/04 AT XA00, VFR, ENRTE TO PRB FOR A BUSINESS TRIP AS I HAVE ROUTINELY DONE 50+ TIMES BEFORE. AFTER CLBING BELOW SAN DIEGO'S CLASS B AIRSPACE, I CLBED TO 14500 FT AND PROCEEDED DIRECT, OVERFLYING THE LOS ANGELES CLASS B AIRSPACE. UPON REACHING THE TORRANCE AREA, I SAW A MIL JET PASS MY L WING AND DISAPPEAR INTO THE HORIZON. I THOUGHT IT WAS STRANGE TO SEE A MIL JET IN THAT LOCATION OVER THE LOS ANGELES BASIN AND CONTINUED TO FLY TO MY DEST. IT WASN'T UNTIL ABOUT 5 MINS LATER THAT THIS SAME ACFT PASSED ME AGAIN, THIS TIME ON MY R SIDE. I WAS THEN AT NORTHERN BORDER OF THE LOS ANGELES CLASS B STILL AT 14500 FT. AFTER THE SECOND PASS I QUESTIONED WHETHER HE WAS TRYING TO GET MY ATTN. MY THOUGHTS WERE THAT IF I WAS BEING INTERCEPTED HE WOULD HAVE FLOWN NEXT TO ME INSTEAD OF FLYING PAST AT A HIGH RATE OF SPD. ALSO, I WAS CRUISING AT 240 KTS. HE COULD HAVE DEFINITELY SLOWED TO MY SPD, BUT I DECIDED TO BE SAFE AND I SWITCHED MY FREQ TO 121.5 AND MONITORED IT. I HEARD 1 XMISSION THAT READ 'MIL CHANGE TO MY FREQ 127.55.' I SWITCHED TO THE FREQ AND HEARD NOTHING. UPON LNDG, WAS PUZZLED ABOUT THE INCIDENT AND QUESTIONED IF I HAD DONE SOMETHING WRONG, AS I HAVE MADE THIS EXACT SAME FLT COUNTLESS TIMES BEFORE. THE NEXT DAY I CALLED SOCAL TRACON AND WAS NOTIFIED THERE WAS A TFR IN EFFECT OVER LOS ANGELES. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THERE WERE 32 VIOLATIONS AND/OR DEVS FOR THIS SAME TFR. I ROUTINELY CHK A FLT PLANNING WEB SITE AND THERE WAS NO MENTION OF THIS TFR. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS NO MENTION OF A TFR ON THE MYF ATIS UPON DEP. HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT AN ATIS WILL BROADCAST FLOW CTL OR WX AIRMETS AND SIGMETS OVER THE WHOLE SOCAL AREA, BUT IT WON'T ANNOUNCE A POP-UP TFR THAT PRESUMABLY PROTECTS OUR NATIONAL SECURITY? ALSO, WHY IS THERE NO COMMON FREQ THAT PLTS COULD LISTEN TO THAT WOULD PROVIDE A RECORDED MESSAGE OF ALL THE TFR'S IN EFFECT FOR A PARTICULAR REGION? AND FINALLY, WHY ARE THERE TFR'S THAT HAVE BEEN IN EFFECT FOR YRS NOT LISTED ON A VFR SECTIONAL? IT SEEMS THAT IF THERE WERE 32 INFRACTIONS IN 1 DAY ON THE SAME TFR THAT SOMEONE FAILED TO NOTIFY THE PUBLIC IN AN EFFECTIVE MANNER. I DON'T KNOW OF ANY PLT, INCLUDING MYSELF, THAT WOULD PURPOSELY VIOLATE ANY AIRSPACE WITHOUT PERMISSION. THERE NEEDS TO BE A BETTER WAY TO INFORM PLTS OF THESE POP-UP ANYWHERE/ANYTIME TFR'S. THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE IS TO FILE IFR EVERYWHERE YOU GO, WHICH WOULD PUT AN UNBEARABLE STRAIN ON THE ATC SYS.

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.