Narrative:

This report will contain two parts: the first will deal with the facts; while the second will contain my observations and recommendations. This incident occurred on october xx 2008 at about XA00 mdt within the geographical confines of sua's designated R-6406A; R-6407 and R-6402A. When approximately 25 miles north of dta VOR I attempted to call clover control for flight following to env via the seiver B/D MOA's. (Clover control is the charted 1ST contact for traffic desiring to transit the sua's noted above.) when unable to contact clover control; I called slc center for flight following and the status of the above mentioned sua's. Center advised that all the restricted areas were inactive and available for transit. Well before entering the geographical bounds of said airspace I called slc center a second time to verify the inactivity (cold status) of all restricted areas along my intended route of flight. Upon being informed (a second time) that all the restricted areas were cold (inactive) I informed the center that I would traverse said airspace on a direct route to env. About 16 minutes out of env I commenced my decent from 12500 ft to the env traffic pattern altitude; when passing through 8000 ft center called to advise that I had entered restricted airspace that extended from the surface to 11000 ft. I questioned the controller how this could be since he was the one who informed me (twice) that all the restricted areas were inactive. He then informed me that the airspace below 11000 ft was always restricted; even when the restricted areas were inactive. Furthermore; he informed me that this information was noted on all navigational charts. To this day I have been unable to find any information on my WAC charts & through online sources (eg; real-time flight planners current and continually updated NOTAM database) concerning the alleged surface to 11000 ft full-time restricted airspace. All information that I have been able to access only indicates that flights through the sua's noted above are restricted from the surface to FL580 unless cleared by clover control or slc center. In addition; prior to my flight I had received a full briefing on the WX-brief 800# line which included my inquiry about all NOTAMS that would be applicable to my route of flight including my departure and destination airports. I was provided no information indicating flights were restricted at all times below 11000 ft regardless of the activity or inactivity of the above noted restricted areas. At this point I am less concerned with the legality issues as I am with the safety issues. I have a strong aversion to becoming a statistic (injury or fatality). I am at a loss to understand how any rational person could conclude that any part of the sua's in question could be at the same time both active and inactive when informed that all restricted areas are inactive. Even if the controller is correct (and I have no information that he is) it would seem prudent in the interest of safety to have answered my inquiry by saying restricted areas xwz are inactive above 11000 ft MSL or something similar to make it clear that flights below 11000 are not only prohibited but life threatening if one should intrude into that region. My second recommendation is that in cases such as this; the qualifying information should be included on WAC and sectional charts as well as through one's flight briefer when flights are being planned around/through restricted areas.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the pilot stated that in conversations with clover control; the owner of the airspace; the restricted areas R-6402A; R-6402B; R-6405; R-6406A; and R-6407 may be in use 11000 ft and below at any time for uav operations; weapons firing or other military use. Therefore the airspace 11000 ft and below is always hot. If ATC has been notified and is certain that the area is not in use and so is released; ATC has that airspace and may allow aircraft into it above 11000 ft. The issue is that the available salt lake city sectional chart and FAA JO7400.8P specify the restricted areas under discussion are always hot from either the surface or 100 ft up to FL580. Therefore when a pilot is told an area is cold or not in use the pilot may descend below 11000 ft. That means that his aircraft will descend into an airspace that is always hot. The chart does not make the demarcation between the always hot area and higher altitude scheduled hot area. The reporter is suggesting that available documentation and charts should reflect accurate airspace demarcations so that pilots do not descend into airspace that is restricted and that may be dangerous for them.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CORP PILOT DSNDING INTO ENV IS TOLD R-6406A IS NOT HOT. AT 8000 FT ATC STATED THAT SFC TO 11000 FT IS ALWAYS RESTRICTED. AVAILABLE PUBLICATIONS DO NOT STATE 11000 FT TO FL580 MAY BE RELEASED BY RANGE CTRL; BUT THAT SFC TO 11000 FT IS ALWAYS HOT.

Narrative: THIS REPORT WILL CONTAIN TWO PARTS: THE FIRST WILL DEAL WITH THE FACTS; WHILE THE SECOND WILL CONTAIN MY OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED ON OCTOBER XX 2008 AT ABOUT XA00 MDT WITHIN THE GEOGRAPHICAL CONFINES OF SUA'S DESIGNATED R-6406A; R-6407 AND R-6402A. WHEN APPROXIMATELY 25 MILES NORTH OF DTA VOR I ATTEMPTED TO CALL CLOVER CONTROL FOR FLIGHT FOLLOWING TO ENV VIA THE SEIVER B/D MOA'S. (CLOVER CONTROL IS THE CHARTED 1ST CONTACT FOR TRAFFIC DESIRING TO TRANSIT THE SUA'S NOTED ABOVE.) WHEN UNABLE TO CONTACT CLOVER CONTROL; I CALLED SLC CENTER FOR FLIGHT FOLLOWING AND THE STATUS OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED SUA'S. CENTER ADVISED THAT ALL THE RESTRICTED AREAS WERE INACTIVE AND AVAILABLE FOR TRANSIT. WELL BEFORE ENTERING THE GEOGRAPHICAL BOUNDS OF SAID AIRSPACE I CALLED SLC CENTER A SECOND TIME TO VERIFY THE INACTIVITY (COLD STATUS) OF ALL RESTRICTED AREAS ALONG MY INTENDED ROUTE OF FLIGHT. UPON BEING INFORMED (A SECOND TIME) THAT ALL THE RESTRICTED AREAS WERE COLD (INACTIVE) I INFORMED THE CENTER THAT I WOULD TRAVERSE SAID AIRSPACE ON A DIRECT ROUTE TO ENV. ABOUT 16 MINUTES OUT OF ENV I COMMENCED MY DECENT FROM 12500 FT TO THE ENV TRAFFIC PATTERN ALTITUDE; WHEN PASSING THROUGH 8000 FT CENTER CALLED TO ADVISE THAT I HAD ENTERED RESTRICTED AIRSPACE THAT EXTENDED FROM THE SURFACE TO 11000 FT. I QUESTIONED THE CONTROLLER HOW THIS COULD BE SINCE HE WAS THE ONE WHO INFORMED ME (TWICE) THAT ALL THE RESTRICTED AREAS WERE INACTIVE. HE THEN INFORMED ME THAT THE AIRSPACE BELOW 11000 FT WAS ALWAYS RESTRICTED; EVEN WHEN THE RESTRICTED AREAS WERE INACTIVE. FURTHERMORE; HE INFORMED ME THAT THIS INFORMATION WAS NOTED ON ALL NAVIGATIONAL CHARTS. TO THIS DAY I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FIND ANY INFORMATION ON MY WAC CHARTS & THROUGH ONLINE SOURCES (EG; REAL-TIME FLIGHT PLANNERS CURRENT AND CONTINUALLY UPDATED NOTAM DATABASE) CONCERNING THE ALLEGED SURFACE TO 11000 FT FULL-TIME RESTRICTED AIRSPACE. ALL INFORMATION THAT I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACCESS ONLY INDICATES THAT FLIGHTS THROUGH THE SUA'S NOTED ABOVE ARE RESTRICTED FROM THE SURFACE TO FL580 UNLESS CLEARED BY CLOVER CONTROL OR SLC CENTER. IN ADDITION; PRIOR TO MY FLIGHT I HAD RECEIVED A FULL BRIEFING ON THE WX-BRIEF 800# LINE WHICH INCLUDED MY INQUIRY ABOUT ALL NOTAMS THAT WOULD BE APPLICABLE TO MY ROUTE OF FLIGHT INCLUDING MY DEPARTURE AND DESTINATION AIRPORTS. I WAS PROVIDED NO INFORMATION INDICATING FLIGHTS WERE RESTRICTED AT ALL TIMES BELOW 11000 FT REGARDLESS OF THE ACTIVITY OR INACTIVITY OF THE ABOVE NOTED RESTRICTED AREAS. AT THIS POINT I AM LESS CONCERNED WITH THE LEGALITY ISSUES AS I AM WITH THE SAFETY ISSUES. I HAVE A STRONG AVERSION TO BECOMING A STATISTIC (INJURY OR FATALITY). I AM AT A LOSS TO UNDERSTAND HOW ANY RATIONAL PERSON COULD CONCLUDE THAT ANY PART OF THE SUA'S IN QUESTION COULD BE AT THE SAME TIME BOTH ACTIVE AND INACTIVE WHEN INFORMED THAT ALL RESTRICTED AREAS ARE INACTIVE. EVEN IF THE CONTROLLER IS CORRECT (AND I HAVE NO INFORMATION THAT HE IS) IT WOULD SEEM PRUDENT IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY TO HAVE ANSWERED MY INQUIRY BY SAYING RESTRICTED AREAS XWZ ARE INACTIVE ABOVE 11000 FT MSL OR SOMETHING SIMILAR TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT FLIGHTS BELOW 11000 ARE NOT ONLY PROHIBITED BUT LIFE THREATENING IF ONE SHOULD INTRUDE INTO THAT REGION. MY SECOND RECOMMENDATION IS THAT IN CASES SUCH AS THIS; THE QUALIFYING INFORMATION SHOULD BE INCLUDED ON WAC AND SECTIONAL CHARTS AS WELL AS THROUGH ONE'S FLIGHT BRIEFER WHEN FLIGHTS ARE BEING PLANNED AROUND/THROUGH RESTRICTED AREAS.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE PLT STATED THAT IN CONVERSATIONS WITH CLOVER CONTROL; THE OWNER OF THE AIRSPACE; THE RESTRICTED AREAS R-6402A; R-6402B; R-6405; R-6406A; AND R-6407 MAY BE IN USE 11000 FT AND BELOW AT ANY TIME FOR UAV OPERATIONS; WEAPONS FIRING OR OTHER MILITARY USE. THEREFORE THE AIRSPACE 11000 FT AND BELOW IS ALWAYS HOT. IF ATC HAS BEEN NOTIFIED AND IS CERTAIN THAT THE AREA IS NOT IN USE AND SO IS RELEASED; ATC HAS THAT AIRSPACE AND MAY ALLOW ACFT INTO IT ABOVE 11000 FT. THE ISSUE IS THAT THE AVAILABLE SALT LAKE CITY SECTIONAL CHART AND FAA JO7400.8P SPECIFY THE RESTRICTED AREAS UNDER DISCUSSION ARE ALWAYS HOT FROM EITHER THE SURFACE OR 100 FT UP TO FL580. THEREFORE WHEN A PLT IS TOLD AN AREA IS COLD OR NOT IN USE THE PLT MAY DESCEND BELOW 11000 FT. THAT MEANS THAT HIS ACFT WILL DESCEND INTO AN AIRSPACE THAT IS ALWAYS HOT. THE CHART DOES NOT MAKE THE DEMARCATION BETWEEN THE ALWAYS HOT AREA AND HIGHER ALT SCHEDULED HOT AREA. THE REPORTER IS SUGGESTING THAT AVAILABLE DOCUMENTATION AND CHARTS SHOULD REFLECT ACCURATE AIRSPACE DEMARCATIONS SO THAT PILOTS DO NOT DESCEND INTO AIRSPACE THAT IS RESTRICTED AND THAT MAY BE DANGEROUS FOR THEM.

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.