Narrative:

While in tus; I checked NOTAMS and was made aware of the tfr in effect in the phoenix area and plotted what I understood to be the tfr limits on my chart. I asked for further clarification from FSS by telephone and was given minimal assistance by the briefer as he was having trouble with the tfr description himself. He stated that cgz was not in the tfr and a flight into and out of cgz should not present a problem. On the first leg of the flight; I was passed from tus approach to ZAB and given a transponder code and the flight into cgz was uneventful. ZAB released me from radar handling on the descent into cgz at approximately 1000 ft AGL and about 3 mi from the airport. I was talking clearly with ZAB down to about 1000 ft AGL. It was my understanding that I was to contact ZAB on climb out from cgz to pick up my transponder code and to receive radar handling for the next leg of my flight. It is common and normal practice to communicate with the last controling agency you talked to to pick up further clrncs. If not; they usually will inform you that you should contact another controling agency upon departure. After landing at cgz and refueling the aircraft; I called FSS and opened the second leg of my flight plan. He was unsure where he was to send the strip and I informed him that he should notify both ZAB and phx approach that I would be lifting off of cgz and would be requesting a new transponder code. On liftoff from cgz; I immediately attempted to contact ZAB. Not getting them to respond; I increased my rate of climb and attempted to contact them 3 additional times. I commented to my mechanic that it was strange that I could communication so well with them on the approach into cgz and was now having difficulty contacting them. On the fourth attempt; I was able to contact them and check on with my altitude. ZAB then fails to respond and again I check on with my altitude. I believe it was at this point that ZAB passes me to phx approach and on initial contact; phx approach issues me a transponder code. After about 15 mins on this heading; I am passed off to luke approach. After about 10 mins on this heading; the luke AFB controller contacts me with a telephone number to call upon landing at blythe; ca. It took the luke controller several attempts to pass me the information because of the very poor delivery of the message and the backgnd static I was receiving from his headset. Upon calling phx TRACON with the number supplied me by the luke AFB controller; I was informed that I had violated the tfr and was under investigation. It is my feeling that there are several factors at work that contributed to this unsafe condition. 1) the fact that the FAA has contracted out its flight service functions. In most cases; the aviator is in contact with an FSS agent that is not from the part of the country in which the flight will occur and the agent does not know the area well. This often leads to important information being left out of the briefing or important services for the aviator being omitted. 2) tfr NOTAMS in many cases are not being clearly written; so that the pilot; who is the end user; can quickly and clearly determine the tfr's limits and how to safely comply with the sua. If the FSS technicians; some personnel at the ATC level and pilots are having difficulties interpreting these special tfr's because of the confusing way in which they are written; the problems with these tfr's will continue. The goal of the agency should be 100% compliance just as the aviator's goal is 100% compliance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELICOPTER PILOT LAMENTS POOR BRIEFING RECEIVED FROM FSS CONCERNING A TFR ALONG HIS ROUTE. TFR IS PENETRATED AND ENFORCEMENT ACTION IS PENDING.

Narrative: WHILE IN TUS; I CHKED NOTAMS AND WAS MADE AWARE OF THE TFR IN EFFECT IN THE PHOENIX AREA AND PLOTTED WHAT I UNDERSTOOD TO BE THE TFR LIMITS ON MY CHART. I ASKED FOR FURTHER CLARIFICATION FROM FSS BY TELEPHONE AND WAS GIVEN MINIMAL ASSISTANCE BY THE BRIEFER AS HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE TFR DESCRIPTION HIMSELF. HE STATED THAT CGZ WAS NOT IN THE TFR AND A FLT INTO AND OUT OF CGZ SHOULD NOT PRESENT A PROB. ON THE FIRST LEG OF THE FLT; I WAS PASSED FROM TUS APCH TO ZAB AND GIVEN A XPONDER CODE AND THE FLT INTO CGZ WAS UNEVENTFUL. ZAB RELEASED ME FROM RADAR HANDLING ON THE DSCNT INTO CGZ AT APPROX 1000 FT AGL AND ABOUT 3 MI FROM THE ARPT. I WAS TALKING CLEARLY WITH ZAB DOWN TO ABOUT 1000 FT AGL. IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT I WAS TO CONTACT ZAB ON CLBOUT FROM CGZ TO PICK UP MY XPONDER CODE AND TO RECEIVE RADAR HANDLING FOR THE NEXT LEG OF MY FLT. IT IS COMMON AND NORMAL PRACTICE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE LAST CTLING AGENCY YOU TALKED TO TO PICK UP FURTHER CLRNCS. IF NOT; THEY USUALLY WILL INFORM YOU THAT YOU SHOULD CONTACT ANOTHER CTLING AGENCY UPON DEP. AFTER LNDG AT CGZ AND REFUELING THE ACFT; I CALLED FSS AND OPENED THE SECOND LEG OF MY FLT PLAN. HE WAS UNSURE WHERE HE WAS TO SEND THE STRIP AND I INFORMED HIM THAT HE SHOULD NOTIFY BOTH ZAB AND PHX APCH THAT I WOULD BE LIFTING OFF OF CGZ AND WOULD BE REQUESTING A NEW XPONDER CODE. ON LIFTOFF FROM CGZ; I IMMEDIATELY ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT ZAB. NOT GETTING THEM TO RESPOND; I INCREASED MY RATE OF CLB AND ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THEM 3 ADDITIONAL TIMES. I COMMENTED TO MY MECH THAT IT WAS STRANGE THAT I COULD COM SO WELL WITH THEM ON THE APCH INTO CGZ AND WAS NOW HAVING DIFFICULTY CONTACTING THEM. ON THE FOURTH ATTEMPT; I WAS ABLE TO CONTACT THEM AND CHK ON WITH MY ALT. ZAB THEN FAILS TO RESPOND AND AGAIN I CHK ON WITH MY ALT. I BELIEVE IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT ZAB PASSES ME TO PHX APCH AND ON INITIAL CONTACT; PHX APCH ISSUES ME A XPONDER CODE. AFTER ABOUT 15 MINS ON THIS HDG; I AM PASSED OFF TO LUKE APCH. AFTER ABOUT 10 MINS ON THIS HDG; THE LUKE AFB CTLR CONTACTS ME WITH A TELEPHONE NUMBER TO CALL UPON LNDG AT BLYTHE; CA. IT TOOK THE LUKE CTLR SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO PASS ME THE INFO BECAUSE OF THE VERY POOR DELIVERY OF THE MESSAGE AND THE BACKGND STATIC I WAS RECEIVING FROM HIS HEADSET. UPON CALLING PHX TRACON WITH THE NUMBER SUPPLIED ME BY THE LUKE AFB CTLR; I WAS INFORMED THAT I HAD VIOLATED THE TFR AND WAS UNDER INVESTIGATION. IT IS MY FEELING THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL FACTORS AT WORK THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS UNSAFE CONDITION. 1) THE FACT THAT THE FAA HAS CONTRACTED OUT ITS FLT SVC FUNCTIONS. IN MOST CASES; THE AVIATOR IS IN CONTACT WITH AN FSS AGENT THAT IS NOT FROM THE PART OF THE COUNTRY IN WHICH THE FLT WILL OCCUR AND THE AGENT DOES NOT KNOW THE AREA WELL. THIS OFTEN LEADS TO IMPORTANT INFO BEING LEFT OUT OF THE BRIEFING OR IMPORTANT SVCS FOR THE AVIATOR BEING OMITTED. 2) TFR NOTAMS IN MANY CASES ARE NOT BEING CLEARLY WRITTEN; SO THAT THE PLT; WHO IS THE END USER; CAN QUICKLY AND CLEARLY DETERMINE THE TFR'S LIMITS AND HOW TO SAFELY COMPLY WITH THE SUA. IF THE FSS TECHNICIANS; SOME PERSONNEL AT THE ATC LEVEL AND PLTS ARE HAVING DIFFICULTIES INTERPRETING THESE SPECIAL TFR'S BECAUSE OF THE CONFUSING WAY IN WHICH THEY ARE WRITTEN; THE PROBS WITH THESE TFR'S WILL CONTINUE. THE GOAL OF THE AGENCY SHOULD BE 100% COMPLIANCE JUST AS THE AVIATOR'S GOAL IS 100% COMPLIANCE.

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.