Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Commercial
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 100; Flight Crew Total 635; Flight Crew Type 100
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
Airspace Violation All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Airspace Structure; Procedure
I was flying a peninsula tour to Crystal Springs reservoir; and then proceeding south to Stanford stadium via the Santa Cruz mountains (west of SQL) with two passengers. Prior to the flight; I had checked Sky Vector for any active TFRs as I usually do. There was a game that day at Stanford stadium; which I thought had ended; as it no longer showed up in a Sky Vector; and it was past the proposed end time. Typically; when there is a TFR over Stanford stadium we will stay at least 3 NM from the stadium and above 3;000 MSL; or we will take a different route entirely. However; this time I did not because to my knowledge the TFR was no longer active. As I was approaching the stadium at 2400 feet (well above Palo Alto's; PAO; airspace) I noticed that the stadium was still about half full of people. At that point I attempted to make a turn towards the south to try and put as much distance from my aircraft and the stadium as possible. I then contacted San Carlos tower for a clearance to approach and land on runway 30. It was after I landed that I was informed by San Carlos that Palo Alto tower wished for me to call a phone number in response to a possible pilot deviation. From what I have learned; the game may have gone into overtime or was in some other way extended; thereby rendering the TFR still active. Through my typical means of checking TFRs; I was unable to discover this prior to the flight.
PA28 pilot reports inadvertently entering a stadium TFR which had apparently been extended and did not show up on Sky Vector.