L12A PLT ENTERED DC ADIZ WITHOUT CLRNC OR A DISCRETE XPONDER CODE. HE WAS INTERCEPTED BY A MILITARY F16.

Date: 2003-04 · Aircraft: Lockheed Corp Undifferentiated or Other Model · Phase: cruise

Anomalies: airspace-violation-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|other-plt-had-no-knowledge-of-dc-adiz

Synopsis

L12A PLT ENTERED DC ADIZ WITHOUT CLRNC OR A DISCRETE XPONDER CODE. HE WAS INTERCEPTED BY A MILITARY F16.

Narrative

I WAS FLYING THE ACFT VFR TO REPOSITION FROM SHD TO N73. I WAS LEVEL CRUISING VFR AT 11500 FT MSL WHEN I NOTICED THE MILITARY F16. PRIOR TO DEP FROM SHD; I RECEIVED A FLT BRIEFING VIA COMPUTER AND PURCHASED A CURRENT WASHINGTON SECTIONAL FOR THE VFR TRIP. THE TRIP NEEDED TO BE CONDUCTED VFR DUE TO THE LACK OF ACFT COM RADIOS. AFTER REVIEWING THE WX AND WASHINGTON SECTIONAL CHART; WHICH CLRLY SHOWED THE CEILING OF THE CLASS B CTLED AIRSPACE AT 10000 FT MSL; I DEPARTED SHD FOR N73 AND CLBED TO THE APPROPRIATE ALT FOR DIRECTION OF FLT 11500 FT MSL. DUE TO THE INOPERATIVE ACFT COM RADIOS; I CARRIED A HAND HELD COM RADIO FOR COMS AT THE DEP AND LNDG ARPTS. THE XPONDER AND ENCODER WERE SQUAWKING 1200. AFTER SEEING THE F16; I TURNED ON THE HAND HELD AND TALKED USING 121.5 (GUARD) AND FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN BY THE F16 PLT TO PROCEED TO EASTON; MD; AND LAND. WITH THE LOWERING OF THE NATION'S TERRORIST ALERT STATUS RECENTLY; IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING HIGH ALT VEILS AROUND SELECTED MAJOR METROPOLITAN AREA WERE ALSO LOWERED. THEREFORE; THERE WAS NO CONCERN FOR A VFR FLT AT 11500 FT AS LONG AS I REMAINED CLR OF ALL RESTR AREAS; WHICH I DID. FINALLY; IF THE FAA IS GOING TO CONTINUE THE VEIL AROUND THE WASHINGTON; DC AREA; THEN THAT INFO SHOULD BE PRESENTED ON THE VFR SECTIONALS. AN EXAMPLE WOULD BE TO PRESENT THE ALT ABOVE WASHINGTON; DC CLASS B AIRSPACE AS THE WARNING OR ALERT AREAS ARE CURRENTLY SHOWN; THAT WAY; EVERYONE WOULD HAVE THE SAME INFO. IN MY CASE; NONE OF THIS REGRETTABLE OCCURRENCE WOULD HAVE OCCURRED.

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