Narrative:

I have been taking lessons in order to obtain my instrument rating. My instrument has been encouraging me to use the low level instrument charts with the idea that when I finally obtain the rating I will be more familiar with them. On 8/wed/88 a pleasure trip was planned from martin state airport to bader field in atlantic city. To the north of the departure path from runway 14 out of martin is a restr zone, R4001. I asked the tower if this zone was open and the reply was that it was. I departed martins and turned to a heading that would take me to kenton VOR. I flew from kenton to bader and called the bader tower about 12 mi out when I was advised that bader was landing runway 11. I made the request for a straight in approach to runway 11 which was granted. After landing I found out that I had made a number of unintentional mistakes that day. 1) I flew into the restr area R4001A which was not open. 2) even though I was not in the control zone for the dover AFB, it was suggested that I should have had radio communication with them. 3) I entered the atlantic city arsa west/O contacting approach control even though I had contacted bader tower. I believe that the reasons for these nondeliberate mistakes are: 1) information that R4001 was open when only R4001B was open. Apparently miscom caused this first problem. R4001 is divided into 2 sections, a and B. On that day, a was closed and B was open. 2) I think now that it would have been a good idea to contact dover AFB. This would have solved 2 problems. A) they would have known where I was, and B) they probably would have handed me off to atlantic city for arsa clearance. 3) the misconception that to contact bader is not the same as contacting the approach control at the atlantic city arsa. I feel that using the low level charts during VFR flight probably contributed to my actions. The reason that I say this is that the arsa is not marked on these charts like the TCA's. I know that the chart makers do not like to add items to the charts, but it is now my experience that a large number of VFR pilots use those charts and they should show all the restr areas on the charts. I would also think that the procedure for the incursion into an arsa where there are more than one communication facility should be better defined. If a pilot calls a tower operator the tower (if it is not considered a communication facility for the arsa) should immediately upon contact ask the pilot if he has been in touch with approach control. The incursion into R4001 and the incursion into the atlantic city arsa was not done with intent to violate the rules, but was a pure mistake. Piloting in this area is becoming very complex and there should be a way to simplify the procedures. In my opinion, simplicity is the easiest method to improve safety.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I HAVE BEEN TAKING LESSONS IN ORDER TO OBTAIN MY INSTRUMENT RATING. MY INSTR HAS BEEN ENCOURAGING ME TO USE THE LOW LEVEL INSTRUMENT CHARTS WITH THE IDEA THAT WHEN I FINALLY OBTAIN THE RATING I WILL BE MORE FAMILIAR WITH THEM. ON 8/WED/88 A PLEASURE TRIP WAS PLANNED FROM MARTIN STATE ARPT TO BADER FIELD IN ATLANTIC CITY. TO THE N OF THE DEP PATH FROM RWY 14 OUT OF MARTIN IS A RESTR ZONE, R4001. I ASKED THE TWR IF THIS ZONE WAS OPEN AND THE REPLY WAS THAT IT WAS. I DEPARTED MARTINS AND TURNED TO A HDG THAT WOULD TAKE ME TO KENTON VOR. I FLEW FROM KENTON TO BADER AND CALLED THE BADER TWR ABOUT 12 MI OUT WHEN I WAS ADVISED THAT BADER WAS LNDG RWY 11. I MADE THE REQUEST FOR A STRAIGHT IN APCH TO RWY 11 WHICH WAS GRANTED. AFTER LNDG I FOUND OUT THAT I HAD MADE A NUMBER OF UNINTENTIONAL MISTAKES THAT DAY. 1) I FLEW INTO THE RESTR AREA R4001A WHICH WAS NOT OPEN. 2) EVEN THOUGH I WAS NOT IN THE CTL ZONE FOR THE DOVER AFB, IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT I SHOULD HAVE HAD RADIO COM WITH THEM. 3) I ENTERED THE ATLANTIC CITY ARSA W/O CONTACTING APCH CTL EVEN THOUGH I HAD CONTACTED BADER TWR. I BELIEVE THAT THE REASONS FOR THESE NONDELIBERATE MISTAKES ARE: 1) INFO THAT R4001 WAS OPEN WHEN ONLY R4001B WAS OPEN. APPARENTLY MISCOM CAUSED THIS FIRST PROB. R4001 IS DIVIDED INTO 2 SECTIONS, A AND B. ON THAT DAY, A WAS CLOSED AND B WAS OPEN. 2) I THINK NOW THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A GOOD IDEA TO CONTACT DOVER AFB. THIS WOULD HAVE SOLVED 2 PROBS. A) THEY WOULD HAVE KNOWN WHERE I WAS, AND B) THEY PROBABLY WOULD HAVE HANDED ME OFF TO ATLANTIC CITY FOR ARSA CLRNC. 3) THE MISCONCEPTION THAT TO CONTACT BADER IS NOT THE SAME AS CONTACTING THE APCH CTL AT THE ATLANTIC CITY ARSA. I FEEL THAT USING THE LOW LEVEL CHARTS DURING VFR FLT PROBABLY CONTRIBUTED TO MY ACTIONS. THE REASON THAT I SAY THIS IS THAT THE ARSA IS NOT MARKED ON THESE CHARTS LIKE THE TCA'S. I KNOW THAT THE CHART MAKERS DO NOT LIKE TO ADD ITEMS TO THE CHARTS, BUT IT IS NOW MY EXPERIENCE THAT A LARGE NUMBER OF VFR PLTS USE THOSE CHARTS AND THEY SHOULD SHOW ALL THE RESTR AREAS ON THE CHARTS. I WOULD ALSO THINK THAT THE PROC FOR THE INCURSION INTO AN ARSA WHERE THERE ARE MORE THAN ONE COM FAC SHOULD BE BETTER DEFINED. IF A PLT CALLS A TWR OPERATOR THE TWR (IF IT IS NOT CONSIDERED A COM FAC FOR THE ARSA) SHOULD IMMEDIATELY UPON CONTACT ASK THE PLT IF HE HAS BEEN IN TOUCH WITH APCH CTL. THE INCURSION INTO R4001 AND THE INCURSION INTO THE ATLANTIC CITY ARSA WAS NOT DONE WITH INTENT TO VIOLATE THE RULES, BUT WAS A PURE MISTAKE. PILOTING IN THIS AREA IS BECOMING VERY COMPLEX AND THERE SHOULD BE A WAY TO SIMPLIFY THE PROCS. IN MY OPINION, SIMPLICITY IS THE EASIEST METHOD TO IMPROVE SAFETY.

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.