M20P PLT; ENRTE TO JYO; IS INTERCEPTED BY F16 AND AFTER LNDG; IS INTERVIEWED BY US CUSTOMS. FURTHER DISCUSSIONS WITH PCT SUPVR EDUCATED PLT ABOUT DC ADIZ VIOLATION.

2003-04 · NASA ASRS report 579092

Date: 2003-04 · Aircraft: Mooney Aircraft Undifferentiated or Other Model · Phase: descent

Anomalies: airspace-violation-all-types|conflict-airborne-conflict|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy

Synopsis

M20P PLT; ENRTE TO JYO; IS INTERCEPTED BY F16 AND AFTER LNDG; IS INTERVIEWED BY US CUSTOMS. FURTHER DISCUSSIONS WITH PCT SUPVR EDUCATED PLT ABOUT DC ADIZ VIOLATION.

Narrative

SUNDAY MORNING; I PLANNED A SHORT FLT TO JYO. WX WAS CLR AND SUNNY. THIS WAS TO BE A STRAIGHT FLT OF ABOUT 35 MINS; FROM N57 TO JYO; AND RETURN. I HAVE FLOWN THIS RTE ONLY ONCE BEFORE; ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO. I WAS UNAWARE OF THE RECENT RESTRS IN THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AROUND THE BWI AND WASHINGTON ARPTS. I PLOTTED MY INTENDED LINE OF FLT ON A CURRENT VFR TERMINAL AREA CHART. AWARE OF THE RESTR AIR SPACE WITHIN 15 NM OF WASHINGTON; DC; I DID NOT ANTICIPATE ANY PROBS AS LONG AS I STAYED BELOW THE CLASS B AIRSPACE FLOORS. I DEPARTED AND FLEW A DIRECT RTE TO JYO. I USED A GPS COUPLED AUTOPLT FOR THE ENTIRE TRIP; FLYING AT 2500 TO 3000 FT; REDUCED TO 2250 FT AS I APCHED THE BWI 15 NM RING. AS I APCHED JYO; ABOUT 10 MILES OUT; I NOTICED AN F16 FIGHTER CLOSE OFF MY L WING. THIS WAS DISTRACTING. I THEN COMPLETED A L HAND TFC LNDG AT JYO. ON LNDG I WAS INFORMED BY UNICOM AT JYO TO PULL OFF TO OPEN PARKING AREA TO AWAIT 'COMPANY.' MINUTES LATER A LARGE US CUSTOMS HELI ARRIVED. CUSTOMS AGENTS TALKED WITH ME CHECKED MY PAPERS; INSPECTED MY ACFT; ASKED QUESTIONS; FILLED OUT PAPERWORK; AND THEN INSTRUCTED ME TO CALL THE SECRET SERVICE. THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO CALL ATC. THEY RPTED THE CURRENT RULES AND EXACT NATURE OF THE AIR SPACE VIOLATION. AFTER ALL THIS WAS OVER; I FILED A FLT PLAN FOR DEP. I DEPARTED 'LEGALLY' AND TURNED E FOR HOME. CLEARLY; HAD I CHECKED WITH AN FSS; OR EVEN CHKED CURRENT NOTAMS ON THE FAA WEB SITE PRIOR TO MY DEP; ALL OF THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED. I HAD INCORRECTLY RELIED ENTIRELY ON MY CHART FOR CURRENT INFO; AND LEARNED THIS LESSON IN PERHAPS THE MOST DRAMATIC AND MEMORABLE WAY THAT ANY PLT CAN LEARN SUCH A LESSON; SHORT OF CRASHING AN AIRPLANE. I DOUBT I WILL EVER LOSE THE IMAGE OF THE UNDERSIDE OF THAT F16 AS IT SOFTLY BANKED AND DREW UP ALONG SIDE ME. IN 15 YEARS OF FLYING; ALWAYS VFR; I HAVE NEVER ACTUALLY HAD A SIT WHERE A NOTAM HAD AN IMPACT ON MY FLT PLAN.

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

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