Small aircraft may have entered a temporary restricted area around a wild fire.

Attributes
ACN	90525
Time
Date	198807
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rap
State Reference	SD
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : rca
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time total : 5000
ASRS Report	90525
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

A fire started in the black hills of sd. I was flying in the area. I contacted FSS, ellsworth AFB approach control and ZDC to see what, if any, restrictions might apply. I got 3 different answers. I asked ellsworth approach for a flight following to avoid the restr airspace due to a defective DME and ATC being too busy with other traffic. I may have violated restrictive airspace. The situation occurred because of too much traffic for ATC to handle at one time. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter has 2 aircraft, a single and a twin. He included the second aircraft in the report in case he was called on either aircraft. He said he was being vectored around the temporary restr area and between vectors may have strayed into the area. A second controller came on the frequency and told him to vacate the area. He has heard nothing from the FAA so far.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA MAY HAVE ENTERED A TEMPORARY RESTRICTED AREA AROUND A WILD FIRE.

Narrative: A FIRE STARTED IN THE BLACK HILLS OF SD. I WAS FLYING IN THE AREA. I CONTACTED FSS, ELLSWORTH AFB APCH CTL AND ZDC TO SEE WHAT, IF ANY, RESTRICTIONS MIGHT APPLY. I GOT 3 DIFFERENT ANSWERS. I ASKED ELLSWORTH APCH FOR A FLT FOLLOWING TO AVOID THE RESTR AIRSPACE DUE TO A DEFECTIVE DME AND ATC BEING TOO BUSY WITH OTHER TFC. I MAY HAVE VIOLATED RESTRICTIVE AIRSPACE. THE SITUATION OCCURRED BECAUSE OF TOO MUCH TFC FOR ATC TO HANDLE AT ONE TIME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR HAS 2 ACFT, A SINGLE AND A TWIN. HE INCLUDED THE SECOND ACFT IN THE RPT IN CASE HE WAS CALLED ON EITHER ACFT. HE SAID HE WAS BEING VECTORED AROUND THE TEMPORARY RESTR AREA AND BTWN VECTORS MAY HAVE STRAYED INTO THE AREA. A SECOND CTLR CAME ON THE FREQ AND TOLD HIM TO VACATE THE AREA. HE HAS HEARD NOTHING FROM THE FAA SO FAR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.