Narrative:

The mission was to relocate a newly refurbished EMS aircraft to our company maintenance facility to have radios and GPS's programmed with updated frequencys and data. The 2 GPS's on board were a garmin 430 and a garmin 396. All flight plans and flight following were to be conducted through the company communications center. I departed at XA34 with the first fuel stop at ZZZ1. The second leg was to ZZZ2. I departed ZZZ2 at XF31 with a destination of ZZZ3. This straight line leg would have taken me through the southeast corner of a tfr. Approximately 10 mins after departing; I attempted to contact ZZZ approach on my communication #2 radio numerous times. Both GPS's were not showing tfr and I wanted to get clearance through the extreme southeast corner of the tfr. When it was apparent that I had no communication with ZZZ approach; I started drifting more south to avoid the tfr while navigating off the VFR sectional and continuing to try to contact approach. While switching radio frequencys; radios and navigating off the VFR sectional; I recognized the interstate off my nose and knew I had accidentally penetrated the tfr while in this heavy pilot workload. I immediately started a left turn to the southeast; with an approximately heading of 150 degrees to exit the tfr while still trying to contact ZZZ or ZZZ4 approach. Once outside and south of the tfr; I was able to contact ZZZ4 approach through communication #1 radio. This is also when I realized that my communication #2 radio was no longer operational. ZZZ4 accepted my flight following to my destination of ZZZ3 and advised me to contact ZZZ approach; on the given phone number; upon my arrival. I contacted ZZZ and gave them the requested information. They also said they tried to contact me on the guard frequency. I then departed ZZZ3 for the company maintenance facility at XH17 and arrived at XI05 to find that my communication #2 radio was not operational due to the antenna coaxial cable being cut by chafing the tail rotor drive shaft. The drive shaft was condemned and replaced and the radio coaxial cable was also replaced. It was at this time that I learned that the GPS's had not been updated since oct/07 and that the communication radios had no guard capability. I believe that the radio malfunction; GPS's not showing the tfr; pilot workload; and no VHF guard capability were all contributing factors in my accidental penetration of the tfr.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BELL 206 DRIFTED INTO TFR. CONTACT WITH APCH CONTROL HAD BEEN ATTEMPTED; BUT THE PLT LATER REALIZED THAT THE RADIO WAS INOP.

Narrative: THE MISSION WAS TO RELOCATE A NEWLY REFURBISHED EMS ACFT TO OUR COMPANY MAINT FACILITY TO HAVE RADIOS AND GPS'S PROGRAMMED WITH UPDATED FREQS AND DATA. THE 2 GPS'S ON BOARD WERE A GARMIN 430 AND A GARMIN 396. ALL FLT PLANS AND FLT FOLLOWING WERE TO BE CONDUCTED THROUGH THE COMPANY COMS CTR. I DEPARTED AT XA34 WITH THE FIRST FUEL STOP AT ZZZ1. THE SECOND LEG WAS TO ZZZ2. I DEPARTED ZZZ2 AT XF31 WITH A DEST OF ZZZ3. THIS STRAIGHT LINE LEG WOULD HAVE TAKEN ME THROUGH THE SE CORNER OF A TFR. APPROX 10 MINS AFTER DEPARTING; I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT ZZZ APCH ON MY COM #2 RADIO NUMEROUS TIMES. BOTH GPS'S WERE NOT SHOWING TFR AND I WANTED TO GET CLRNC THROUGH THE EXTREME SE CORNER OF THE TFR. WHEN IT WAS APPARENT THAT I HAD NO COM WITH ZZZ APCH; I STARTED DRIFTING MORE S TO AVOID THE TFR WHILE NAVING OFF THE VFR SECTIONAL AND CONTINUING TO TRY TO CONTACT APCH. WHILE SWITCHING RADIO FREQS; RADIOS AND NAVING OFF THE VFR SECTIONAL; I RECOGNIZED THE INTERSTATE OFF MY NOSE AND KNEW I HAD ACCIDENTALLY PENETRATED THE TFR WHILE IN THIS HVY PLT WORKLOAD. I IMMEDIATELY STARTED A L TURN TO THE SE; WITH AN APPROX HDG OF 150 DEGS TO EXIT THE TFR WHILE STILL TRYING TO CONTACT ZZZ OR ZZZ4 APCH. ONCE OUTSIDE AND S OF THE TFR; I WAS ABLE TO CONTACT ZZZ4 APCH THROUGH COM #1 RADIO. THIS IS ALSO WHEN I REALIZED THAT MY COM #2 RADIO WAS NO LONGER OPERATIONAL. ZZZ4 ACCEPTED MY FLT FOLLOWING TO MY DEST OF ZZZ3 AND ADVISED ME TO CONTACT ZZZ APCH; ON THE GIVEN PHONE NUMBER; UPON MY ARR. I CONTACTED ZZZ AND GAVE THEM THE REQUESTED INFO. THEY ALSO SAID THEY TRIED TO CONTACT ME ON THE GUARD FREQ. I THEN DEPARTED ZZZ3 FOR THE COMPANY MAINT FACILITY AT XH17 AND ARRIVED AT XI05 TO FIND THAT MY COM #2 RADIO WAS NOT OPERATIONAL DUE TO THE ANTENNA COAXIAL CABLE BEING CUT BY CHAFING THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT. THE DRIVE SHAFT WAS CONDEMNED AND REPLACED AND THE RADIO COAXIAL CABLE WAS ALSO REPLACED. IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT I LEARNED THAT THE GPS'S HAD NOT BEEN UPDATED SINCE OCT/07 AND THAT THE COM RADIOS HAD NO GUARD CAPABILITY. I BELIEVE THAT THE RADIO MALFUNCTION; GPS'S NOT SHOWING THE TFR; PLT WORKLOAD; AND NO VHF GUARD CAPABILITY WERE ALL CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN MY ACCIDENTAL PENETRATION OF THE TFR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.