Pilot of small aircraft enters tfr near act due to reliance on unfamiliar hand-held GPS.

Attributes
ACN	655295
Time
Date	200504
Place
Locale Reference	airport : act.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl single value : 5500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : act.tracon tower : act.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft Low Wing 1 Eng Fixed Gear
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 590
ASRS Report	655295
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry non adherence : far
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : panel mounted gps other controllerb other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew faa : investigated
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airspace Structure Flight Crew Human Performance Navigational Facility
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

My aircraft was on autoplt tracking to act. The panel mounted GPS/communication was in map mode to verify the proper track was being flown. I was using a new hand-held GPS for situational awareness. I brought up the waco communication page to set in waco approach frequency in order to contact waco approach for a discrete code; flight clearance; and flight following through the waco area and the tfr in effect. I hit a key to remove the communication frequency page and the unit reverted back to map. I thought it was still on act; in fact it was not! I was monitoring approach and heard them talk to another aircraft. I called them to make what I thought was early contact to get transponder code and clearance. The controller asked for my position. I read the distance off the hand-held GPS as 130 miles I think (check tape). The controller said to contact him in 45 miles. My gut told me something was wrong. I knew that I could not be that far from act. I began to investigate what was wrong. I changed the panel mounted GPS/communication; which was tracking to act; to a different page to read distance to act. To my shock I was 25 miles from act. I called waco approach and told them I was looking at the wrong GPS and that I was now 22 miles from act. They gave me a transponder code and got radar contact with me. Later; they informed me of the tfr incursion and gave me a phone number to contact them. Later; they asked me to land at act in the name of national security. Of course; I agreed and turned around and landed back at act; and was debriefed by the local tower chief and later by the secret service. In my mind; I had tried to contact them over 100 miles out. But because of my error on the new hand-held GPS; I failed to contact them before the 30 mile arc. Note: I left home for the airport without the hand-held; but returned home to grab the new GPS. If I had left it at home; this incident would not have happened. Flying into a tfr; I should have only used the panel mounted unit that I was totally proficient with.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA ENTERS TFR NEAR ACT DUE TO RELIANCE ON UNFAMILIAR HAND-HELD GPS.

Narrative: MY ACFT WAS ON AUTOPLT TRACKING TO ACT. THE PANEL MOUNTED GPS/COM WAS IN MAP MODE TO VERIFY THE PROPER TRACK WAS BEING FLOWN. I WAS USING A NEW HAND-HELD GPS FOR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. I BROUGHT UP THE WACO COM PAGE TO SET IN WACO APCH FREQ IN ORDER TO CONTACT WACO APCH FOR A DISCRETE CODE; FLT CLRNC; AND FLT FOLLOWING THROUGH THE WACO AREA AND THE TFR IN EFFECT. I HIT A KEY TO REMOVE THE COM FREQ PAGE AND THE UNIT REVERTED BACK TO MAP. I THOUGHT IT WAS STILL ON ACT; IN FACT IT WAS NOT! I WAS MONITORING APCH AND HEARD THEM TALK TO ANOTHER ACFT. I CALLED THEM TO MAKE WHAT I THOUGHT WAS EARLY CONTACT TO GET XPONDER CODE AND CLRNC. THE CTLR ASKED FOR MY POSITION. I READ THE DISTANCE OFF THE HAND-HELD GPS AS 130 MILES I THINK (CHK TAPE). THE CTLR SAID TO CONTACT HIM IN 45 MILES. MY GUT TOLD ME SOMETHING WAS WRONG. I KNEW THAT I COULD NOT BE THAT FAR FROM ACT. I BEGAN TO INVESTIGATE WHAT WAS WRONG. I CHANGED THE PANEL MOUNTED GPS/COM; WHICH WAS TRACKING TO ACT; TO A DIFFERENT PAGE TO READ DISTANCE TO ACT. TO MY SHOCK I WAS 25 MILES FROM ACT. I CALLED WACO APCH AND TOLD THEM I WAS LOOKING AT THE WRONG GPS AND THAT I WAS NOW 22 MILES FROM ACT. THEY GAVE ME A XPONDER CODE AND GOT RADAR CONTACT WITH ME. LATER; THEY INFORMED ME OF THE TFR INCURSION AND GAVE ME A PHONE NUMBER TO CONTACT THEM. LATER; THEY ASKED ME TO LAND AT ACT IN THE NAME OF NATIONAL SECURITY. OF COURSE; I AGREED AND TURNED AROUND AND LANDED BACK AT ACT; AND WAS DEBRIEFED BY THE LOCAL TWR CHIEF AND LATER BY THE SECRET SERVICE. IN MY MIND; I HAD TRIED TO CONTACT THEM OVER 100 MILES OUT. BUT BECAUSE OF MY ERROR ON THE NEW HAND-HELD GPS; I FAILED TO CONTACT THEM BEFORE THE 30 MILE ARC. NOTE: I LEFT HOME FOR THE ARPT WITHOUT THE HAND-HELD; BUT RETURNED HOME TO GRAB THE NEW GPS. IF I HAD LEFT IT AT HOME; THIS INCIDENT WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. FLYING INTO A TFR; I SHOULD HAVE ONLY USED THE PANEL MOUNTED UNIT THAT I WAS TOTALLY PROFICIENT WITH.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.