PLT OF A PIPER PA23C WAS MET BY A GOV HELI UPON LNDG BACK AT THEIR DEP ARPT AFTER A NON STOP PHOTO FLT BELOW THE UNITED STATES ADIZ BOUNDARY. WHEN 100 MI S OF KEY WEST; FL; COMS WERE LOST WITH CTR WHILE THEY DSNDED TO TAKE PHOTOS AND WAS NOT RE-ESTABLISHED UNTIL REACHING A FEW MI S OF THE ADIZ. THIS CAUSED UNITED STATES GOV OFFICIALS TO NOT FULLY KNOW WHERE THE FLT HAD GONE OR ITS PURPOSE UNTIL AFTER THE ACFT HAD LANDED AND COULD BE CHKED.

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A PA23C DEPARTED FXE ON DEC/TUE/96 AT XA00 PM LCL TIME. CONTACTED FLL TWR (119.3); REQUESTED TRANSITION S ALONG THE COAST AND VFR FLT FOLLOWING. ADVISED RTE OF FLT; TYPE ACFT AND SOULS ON BOARD AND FUEL. THE FLT WAS A PHOTOGRAPHY FLT WITH NO LNDGS OUTSIDE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. HDG 190 DEGS; DEST CAY SAL ISLAND; BAHAMAS. ALT 2500 FT TO STAY BELOW 3500 FT; ADVISED TO SQUAWK AND CONTACT MIA APCH ON 124.7. I GAVE MIA MY RTE OF FLT AS WELL. 100 MI S OF VIRGINIA KEY; I LOST XMISSION. ADVISED BY AN ACR FLT TO SQUAWK VFR 1200 AND CALL MIA ON 124.7 ON MY WAY BACK FROM CAY SAL. I DSNDED AND MY PAX TOOK PHOTOS ON SEVERAL PASSES AROUND CAY SAL WHICH IS ABOUT 14 MI S OF THE 24TH PARALLEL. I MADE MY HDG OF 315 DEGS AND PROCEEDED DIRECT MTH NDB AT 5500 FT AND CALLED MIA ON 124.7. I RECEIVED NO ANSWER. AT 75 FT OUT ON THE 120 DEG RADIAL FROM EYW VOR; I CALLED KEY WEST APCH ON 119.25. THEY GAVE ME A SQUAWK CODE; THEN CHANGED TO 1200 AND TOLD ME TO CALL MIA ON 122.20. I ADVISED THEM OF TYPE; DEST; ALT; RTE; SOULS AND FUEL. I WAS GIVEN A CUSTOMS SQUAWK FOR ADIZ PENETRATION. I PROCEEDED DIRECT 500 FT AND FOLLOWED THE KEYS TO RETURN TO FXE. UPON LNDG; I WAS GREETED BY THE CUSTOMS BLACK HAWK HELI AND SEARCHED. I AWAIT A LETTER FROM CUSTOMS AND OR THE FAA ADVISING ME OF MY STATUS.