UNAUTHORIZED UNCOORDINATED PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE. PROX OF ADIZ. WRONG ACFT IDENT USED IN APCH LNDG PROC.

Date: 1992-05 · Aircraft: Light Transport

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|other-unspecified|other-airspace-violation-entry-or-exit

Synopsis

UNAUTHORIZED UNCOORDINATED PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE. PROX OF ADIZ. WRONG ACFT IDENT USED IN APCH LNDG PROC.

Narrative

DEPARTED GLS AT APPROX PM30 LCL; FLEW NBOUND TO JOIN GULF RTE 26; TO LEV TO WITHIN 30 MI OF SRQ TO FXE. A FEW MINS AFTER LNDG THE CUSTOMS PEOPLE SHOWED UP IN AN APACHE HELI ARMED WITH HELMETS; FLACK JACKETS; AND MACHINE GUNS DRAWN AND FLASHING THEM AROUND AT EVERYBODY. I HAD BEEN IN THE HANGAR CHARGING THE BATTERY ON MY CAR; GOT THE BATTERY CHARGED; AND DROVE OUT OF THE HANGAR. AS I DROVE BY THE HELI ONE OF THE GUYS HAD ASKED ME SOMETHING; WHICH I DIDN'T HEAR AND I NODDED MY HEAD AND DROVE OFF. UPON REACHING HOME I WAS CALLED BY MY GENERAL MGR SAYING THAT CUSTOMS WAS HERE WANTING TO KNOW WHO OWNED THE TWIN LTT. I CALLED THE GUY AND IMMEDIATELY CAME BACK OUT HERE. AT THAT POINT; HE INFORMED ME THAT WE HAD PENETRATED THE ADIZ AT SARASOTA AND ALSO USED THE WRONG ACFT IDENT NUMBER. WHEN THEY FIRST SHOWED UP HERE THEY WERE LOOKING FOR AN SMT. WE WERE A LITTLE CONFUSED BY THAT. AFTER TALKING TO THEM MORE THEY WERE A LITTLE EMBARRASSED THAT THEY HAD THE WRONG AIRPLANE AND THAT THE AIR FORCE AND NAVY HAD BEEN CHASING THE AIRPLANE. THE PLTS HAD IDENTED US AS A TWIN SMT AND INFORMED CUSTOMS; AND THAT IS WHAT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR. AFTER FURTHER DISCUSSION; THEY DECIDED NOT TO SEIZE THE AIRPLANE AND THEY WOULD NOTIFY ME OF OTHER ACTION. ONE PROBLEM BEING USING THE WRONG ACFT IDENT. THE SECOND PROBLEM BEING WE PENETRATED THE ADIZ. REF N NUMBER: AT THAT TIME THE ACFT NUMBER WAS NOT POSTED ANYWHERE ON THE INSIDE; I HAD MISTAKEN IT FOR ANOTHER AIRPLANE. WITHIN THAT SAME WK I HAD FLOWN AT LEAST 7 DIFFERENT AIRPLANES WITH 7 DIFFERENT NUMBERS. IN ADDITION; I HAD JUST LOOKED AT 75 AIRPLANES WHICH ALL HAD DIFFERENT NUMBERS. I HAD NO EARTHLY IDEA WHAT THE NUMBER WAS WHICH WAS MY MISTAKE. AT THIS TIME WE HAVE POSTED THE NUMBER ON THE PANEL SO THAT MISTAKE WILL NOT OCCUR AGAIN. AS FAR AS THE ADIZ PENETRATION THERE AGAIN IT WAS JUST A CLR MISTAKE; I HAVE FLOWN THAT RTE MANY; MANY TIMES WITHIN THE LAST 10-15 YRS IN JETS AND VARIOUS OTHER AIRPLANES WHICH WERE ALL IFR'S. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE HAD MADE A VFR FLT LIKE THAT AND I WAS UNAWARE THAT WE HAD PENETRATED THE ADIZ. LOOKING AT THE CHART NOW I SEE WHERE IT WAS JUST OUTSIDE LEV; AND THEN AGAIN IN SARASOTA. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE REGS CALL FOR ON THAT; BUT WE WILL LOOK IT UP AND LEARN IT.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.