PLT OF PA18 TRANSGRESSED DC ADIZ AFTER RECEIVING INACCURATE BRIEFING FROM FSS AND BEING REFUSED RADAR SVC AND FLT FOLLOWING WHEN REQUESTED.

Date: 2003-07 · Aircraft: PA-18/19 Super Cub · Phase: cruise

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

Synopsis

PLT OF PA18 TRANSGRESSED DC ADIZ AFTER RECEIVING INACCURATE BRIEFING FROM FSS AND BEING REFUSED RADAR SVC AND FLT FOLLOWING WHEN REQUESTED.

Narrative

ON JUL/MON/03; I RETURNED FROM MY VACATION IN MAINE IN A PA18 ON FLOATS. UPON LNDG IN GORDONSVILLE; GVE; I WAS NOTIFIED THAT I WAS INVOLVED IN AN INCIDENT WITH THE WASHINGTON; DC ADIZ. THIS NEWS TOOK ME BY COMPLETE SURPRISE BECAUSE I HAD MADE CERTAIN I WAS THE PROPER DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE DCA ARPT. I WAS INFORMED THAT I WAS 32 MI FROM THE ARPT; AND THE SECTOR I WAS IN HAD BOUNDARIES THAT EXTENDED OUT 40 MI. ON JUL/TUE/03; I RECEIVED A BRIEFING REGARDING TFR'S ALONG THE EASTERN COAST. THE BRIEFER ADVISED ME OF THE TFR SAYING THERE WAS A 30 MI RADIUS AROUND THE DCA ARPT. THIS IS WHERE THE MISUNDERSTANDING BTWN HE AND I OCCURRED. FROM THAT POINT; I UNDERSTOOD IT TO BE A 30 MI RADIUS AROUND THE DCA ARPT. IF I HAD RECEIVED THE CORRECT INFO; I WOULD HAVE MADE ABSOLUTE CERTAIN THAT I STAYED CLR OF THE WASHINGTON; DC AIRSPACE. I DID NOT TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE BALTIMORE AND DULLES ARPTS BECAUSE I DID NOT THINK THEY WERE INCLUDED. I KNEW WHERE I WAS THE ENTIRE RTE OF FLT. I BLAME MYSELF FOR NOT LOOKING UP THE EXACT DIMENSIONS BEFORE THE FLT. FURTHERMORE; I TAKE THE BLAME FOR NOT CONTACTING A CTLR AND ESTABLISHING COMS ALONG THE RTE. THEY WOULD HAVE INFORMED ME OF MY INACCURATE INSTRUCTIONS; AND THEY WOULD HAVE HELPED ME STAY CLR. ON THE FLT TO MAINE; I TRIED TO RECEIVE FLT FOLLOWING SEVERAL TIMES; AND I WAS REJECTED DUE TO THEIR INABILITY TO FIND ME ON RADAR. I FIND THIS HARD TO BELIEVE NOW SINCE I WAS FOLLOWED TO THE GORDONSVILLE ARPT. I HAVE A FEW SUGGESTIONS THAT COULD HAVE HELPED ME AVOID THIS INCIDENT. THE REJECTION FROM THE FLT FOLLOWING ON THURSDAY WAS SUBSTANDARD. I AM NOT SAYING THAT THEY HAVE TO TALK TO EVERYONE; BUT I WOULD LIKE THEM TO AT LEAST ACKNOWLEDGE US OR SAY SOMETHING THAT WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE THAN THE FACT THAT THEY COULDN'T FIND ME ON RADAR. REGARDING SECTIONALS; SINCE THEY ARE PRINTED ABOUT EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS; I THINK THAT TFR'S SHOULD BE INCLUDED ON THEM. THAT IS THE WAY I WAS DOING MY NAV; AND A VISUAL OF THE TFR ON THE SECTIONAL ITSELF WOULD HAVE BROUGHT TO MY ATTN THE DISCREPANCY BTWN WHAT I BELIEVED TO BE TRUE AND WHAT WERE THE TRUE ACTUAL DIMENSIONS OF THE ADIZ. THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE PROCESS; I HAVE LEARNED THAT MY VFR FLT PLANNING NEEDS TO BE MORE IN DEPTH ON A FLT ACROSS COUNTRY AND ESPECIALLY BESIDE SUCH A MAJOR AIRSPACE. I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND NOW HOW SERIOUS IT IS TO VIOLATE AIRSPACE; AND I HAVE LEARNED THAT IT IS NECESSARY TO GO TO ALL MEASURES TO MAKE SURE THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.

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