Narrative:

We flew into sfm on the afternoon of aug/fri/06. I called FSS to get a briefing about our flight for sunday. Specifically; I ask for: 1) taf for lum. 2) information about flying across canadian airspace. 3) tfr for sanford airport (sfm) on sunday. I ask if there was going to be any problem getting out of sfm on sunday morning. The response from FSS was it depended on what time I was leaving. If I left before XA00 it wouldn't be a problem otherwise the tfr was going to move from its present position over kennebunkport to the center of sfm; and the airport was going to be closed for approximately 2-3 hours. Our departure was scheduled at XB00 at which the FSS controller said it would not be a problem. On sunday; I started calling clearance delivery for our IFR clearance on 126.05 at approximately XA30. Keep in mind that sanford airport is uncontrolled with no control tower. I made multiple calls at intervals for 15 mins. At approximately XA45 I called FSS and requested our IFR clearance. The controller told me to get my clearance on 126.05. I told him I had been trying for some time on that frequency with no response. I asked again if I could get it from him. He hesitated a bit then told me he'd rather not but to keep trying on 126.05. I was told that by taxi if I couldn't get my clearance on 126.05 to try 122.25. On taxi out; I was able to get someone on 122.25 but they were very weak and scratchy. Since I made multiple attempts and was having a difficult time obtaining my IFR clearance; I made the decision to take off VFR from runway 25 and head wbound. The WX was VFR and the tfr area (kennebunkport) that we were aware of was behind us to the east. We made our required radio calls on the CTAF frequency 122.8 and took off successfully from runway 25. After airborne; we contacted ZBW to pick up our IFR clearance to lum. This is when we were first told of the possible flight deviation. After landing; I spoke with and filed my information with the FAA. I was asked if I was aware of the expanded tfr. I said no. On my prebrief with portland FSS we discussed the tfr over kennebunkport that was going to move to sfm on sunday. It was the expanded tfr information that was not clear/communicated to me that could have been on the prebrief with FSS the night before or when I called via telephone line again to get my clearance the day of. Although I do not blame them; it seems there were multiple times that someone could have warned (break the chain?) me to not to take off out of there without getting a squawk. This brings home the importance of all of us in communicating details through pilot reports; ASRS; lounge talk; etc; to prevent accidents; incidents or just plain information to help our fellow pilots; controllers; mechanics and all others that work in the aviation field. What could I have done in hindsight? When I face this situation again (arriving/departing/or near a tfr); I will ask the specific question; can I depart VFR from xyz on this date at this time? Probably more important is to not depart VFR around any tfr! Although I was aware of this; it's important for us to understand that the center of tfr's can and often; as in this case; move around slightly. Don't assume that the tfr center today will be at the same coordinates tomorrow. It's just like WX. We don't check the WX forecast today; then get up in the morning and take off without getting an updated brief. Although I was unaware of the expanded tfr; this could have been prevented by either getting my IFR clearance on the weak frequency or calling back the FSS and obtaining it through them.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C550 VIOLATED A TFR WHEN THEY HAD TROUBLE CONTACTING ATC ON THE GND AT SFM AND TOOK OFF VFR.

Narrative: WE FLEW INTO SFM ON THE AFTERNOON OF AUG/FRI/06. I CALLED FSS TO GET A BRIEFING ABOUT OUR FLT FOR SUNDAY. SPECIFICALLY; I ASK FOR: 1) TAF FOR LUM. 2) INFO ABOUT FLYING ACROSS CANADIAN AIRSPACE. 3) TFR FOR SANFORD ARPT (SFM) ON SUNDAY. I ASK IF THERE WAS GOING TO BE ANY PROB GETTING OUT OF SFM ON SUNDAY MORNING. THE RESPONSE FROM FSS WAS IT DEPENDED ON WHAT TIME I WAS LEAVING. IF I LEFT BEFORE XA00 IT WOULDN'T BE A PROB OTHERWISE THE TFR WAS GOING TO MOVE FROM ITS PRESENT POS OVER KENNEBUNKPORT TO THE CTR OF SFM; AND THE ARPT WAS GOING TO BE CLOSED FOR APPROX 2-3 HRS. OUR DEP WAS SCHEDULED AT XB00 AT WHICH THE FSS CTLR SAID IT WOULD NOT BE A PROB. ON SUNDAY; I STARTED CALLING CLRNC DELIVERY FOR OUR IFR CLRNC ON 126.05 AT APPROX XA30. KEEP IN MIND THAT SANFORD ARPT IS UNCTLED WITH NO CTL TWR. I MADE MULTIPLE CALLS AT INTERVALS FOR 15 MINS. AT APPROX XA45 I CALLED FSS AND REQUESTED OUR IFR CLRNC. THE CTLR TOLD ME TO GET MY CLRNC ON 126.05. I TOLD HIM I HAD BEEN TRYING FOR SOME TIME ON THAT FREQ WITH NO RESPONSE. I ASKED AGAIN IF I COULD GET IT FROM HIM. HE HESITATED A BIT THEN TOLD ME HE'D RATHER NOT BUT TO KEEP TRYING ON 126.05. I WAS TOLD THAT BY TAXI IF I COULDN'T GET MY CLRNC ON 126.05 TO TRY 122.25. ON TAXI OUT; I WAS ABLE TO GET SOMEONE ON 122.25 BUT THEY WERE VERY WEAK AND SCRATCHY. SINCE I MADE MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS AND WAS HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME OBTAINING MY IFR CLRNC; I MADE THE DECISION TO TAKE OFF VFR FROM RWY 25 AND HEAD WBOUND. THE WX WAS VFR AND THE TFR AREA (KENNEBUNKPORT) THAT WE WERE AWARE OF WAS BEHIND US TO THE E. WE MADE OUR REQUIRED RADIO CALLS ON THE CTAF FREQ 122.8 AND TOOK OFF SUCCESSFULLY FROM RWY 25. AFTER AIRBORNE; WE CONTACTED ZBW TO PICK UP OUR IFR CLRNC TO LUM. THIS IS WHEN WE WERE FIRST TOLD OF THE POSSIBLE FLT DEV. AFTER LNDG; I SPOKE WITH AND FILED MY INFO WITH THE FAA. I WAS ASKED IF I WAS AWARE OF THE EXPANDED TFR. I SAID NO. ON MY PREBRIEF WITH PORTLAND FSS WE DISCUSSED THE TFR OVER KENNEBUNKPORT THAT WAS GOING TO MOVE TO SFM ON SUNDAY. IT WAS THE EXPANDED TFR INFO THAT WAS NOT CLR/COMMUNICATED TO ME THAT COULD HAVE BEEN ON THE PREBRIEF WITH FSS THE NIGHT BEFORE OR WHEN I CALLED VIA TELEPHONE LINE AGAIN TO GET MY CLRNC THE DAY OF. ALTHOUGH I DO NOT BLAME THEM; IT SEEMS THERE WERE MULTIPLE TIMES THAT SOMEONE COULD HAVE WARNED (BREAK THE CHAIN?) ME TO NOT TO TAKE OFF OUT OF THERE WITHOUT GETTING A SQUAWK. THIS BRINGS HOME THE IMPORTANCE OF ALL OF US IN COMMUNICATING DETAILS THROUGH PLT RPTS; ASRS; LOUNGE TALK; ETC; TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS; INCIDENTS OR JUST PLAIN INFO TO HELP OUR FELLOW PLTS; CTLRS; MECHS AND ALL OTHERS THAT WORK IN THE AVIATION FIELD. WHAT COULD I HAVE DONE IN HINDSIGHT? WHEN I FACE THIS SITUATION AGAIN (ARRIVING/DEPARTING/OR NEAR A TFR); I WILL ASK THE SPECIFIC QUESTION; CAN I DEPART VFR FROM XYZ ON THIS DATE AT THIS TIME? PROBABLY MORE IMPORTANT IS TO NOT DEPART VFR AROUND ANY TFR! ALTHOUGH I WAS AWARE OF THIS; IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE CTR OF TFR'S CAN AND OFTEN; AS IN THIS CASE; MOVE AROUND SLIGHTLY. DON'T ASSUME THAT THE TFR CTR TODAY WILL BE AT THE SAME COORDINATES TOMORROW. IT'S JUST LIKE WX. WE DON'T CHK THE WX FORECAST TODAY; THEN GET UP IN THE MORNING AND TAKE OFF WITHOUT GETTING AN UPDATED BRIEF. ALTHOUGH I WAS UNAWARE OF THE EXPANDED TFR; THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY EITHER GETTING MY IFR CLRNC ON THE WEAK FREQ OR CALLING BACK THE FSS AND OBTAINING IT THROUGH THEM.

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.