2003-04 · NASA ASRS report 579148
PLT OF C210 TOOK OFF FROM ARPT WITHIN DC ADIZ WITHOUT PROPER CLRNC.
AT APPROX XA40 LOCAL; I PLACED A CALL TO THE FSS VIA THE PHONE AT THE TIPTON ARPT FACILITY FLT PLANNING ROOM. I WAS ASKED BY THE BRIEFER; 'WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU?' I REPLIED I WANTED TO FILE A FLT PLAN. HE SAID IFR OR VFR? I REPLIED IFR AND WENT THROUGH THE PROCEDURE GIVING THE INFO IN THE FLT PLAN SEQUENCE; WITH MY PROPOSED OFF TIME OF XB15 LOCAL. MY ROUTING WAS FME; FDK; JVY. WITH NO QUERY AS TO MY RTEING I TOOK IT TO MEAN IT WAS ACCEPTED. HE THEN ASKED ME IF I HAD ANY OTHER QUESTIONS; I ASKED FOR THE WINDS ALOFT. WE GOT IN THE ACFT; A T210L; STARTED THE ENGINE AND TAXIED TO THE APCH END OF THE RWY. I CALLED BWI APCH 7 TO 8 TIMES AND NO RESPONSE. I HEARD OTHER ACFT TALKING TO THEM; AND I EVEN HEARD SOMEONE SAY 'SOMEONE'S CALLING YOU' TO BWI APCH. I STILL GOT NO RESPONSE. HAVING TRIED AND GOT NOWHERE; I TOOK OFF SQUAWKING 1200 AND CALLED ONCE AIRBORNE. I GOT TO MAYBE 1200 FT MSL TALKING TO THEM AND THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO RETURN IMMEDIATELY TO FME. I DID. HAVING DONE THIS I CALLED THE FSS AT LOU. I EXPLAINED MY SIT AND HE GAVE ME ANOTHER NUMBER TO CALL. I EXPLAINED THE SIT AND HE REMARKED 'I AM SORRY SIR BUT THAT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME.' I ASKED FOR HELP AND HE GAVE ME PCT APCH. I SPOKE TO YET ANOTHER FEDERAL EMPLOYEE WHO THEN TOLD ME THAT BWI MIGHT HAVE BEEN BUSY. HE HAD ME STAND BY FOR A MINUTE THEN HE TOLD ME HE HAD MY FLT PLAN IN FRONT OF HIM. I SAID I WOULD LIKE TO ACTIVATE IT. HE THEN TOLD ME THE ROUTING WAS INCORRECT AND HE RE-RTED ME ALONG WITH A DISCRETE SQUAWK. I THEN TOOK OFF AND FLEW AS DIRECTED AND GOT HOME SAFELY. THE NEXT MORNING 2 SECRET SERVICE AGENTS ARRIVED AT MY HOUSE TO INTERVIEW AND TAKE PICTURES OF ME ALONG WITH ID CHK AND OBSERVATIONS. IN SUMMARY; I REALIZE SEVERAL MISTAKES WERE MADE AND THERE ARE HOLES IN THE SYSTEM; BUT A SIMPLE 'STAND BY' OR 'CALL BACK IN 10 MINS' WOULD HAVE WORKED. THERE WERE NO SIGNS OR REMINDERS OF ANY SORT AT THE ARPT; IN THE FACILITY; OR AT THE ACTIVE RWYS TO FLAG YOU TO CALL A FREQUENCY PRIOR TO AIRSPACE PENETRATION. I SINCE CALLED BACK AND WAS TOLD THE ONLY WAY TO GET A CLRNC AT FME IS TO CALL PCT APCH. NOWHERE WAS THIS COM TO ME AT ANY TIME.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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