PA28 ENRTE TO JYO EXPERIENCED CONFUSION WITH PCT REGARDING CLASS B; ADIZ CLRNC.

Narrative

PIPER CHEROKEE 180 (P28A/G) DEPARTED TANGIER ISLAND; VA (TGI) AT APPROX CHK TIMES EDT ON JUL/SUN/03. A DVFR FLT PLAN (FOR ADIZ ENTRY) WAS FILED WITH LEESBURG AFSS TO INITIATE AT THE BROOKE VOR (BRV) STARTING AT XA30 LCL; DEST LEESBURG; VA (JYO). VFR FLT FOLLOWING WAS OBTAINED FROM PATUXENT RIVER APCH FOR THE INITIAL PHASE OF THE FLT BY DEPARTING TGI ON RWY 20; CIRCLING OVER THE FIELD CLBING TO 2500 FT; AND INITIATING CONTACT PRIOR TO ENTERING NHK RESTR AREAS. AFTER RECEIVING NOTICE OF RADAR CONTACT; ACFT X; PROCEEDED ON COURSE. DURING THIS PHASE OF THE FLT; ACFT X ADVISED NHK 'CLBING TO 4500 FT;' AND RECEIVED THE RESPONSE 'VFR ALT YOUR DISCRETION.' UNABLE TO MAINTAIN VFR AT 4500 FT; ACFT X DSNDED TO 3000 FT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT. PRIOR TO ARR AT BRV; ACFT X ADVISED NHK APCH THAT ACFT X HAD AN ADIZ FLT PLAN ON FILE AND THE FINAL DEST WAS JYO. NHK COORDINATED WITH POTOMAC TRACON AND A NEW XPONDER CODE WAS RECEIVED BY ACFT X FROM NHK APCH. NHK APCH THEN HANDED OFF ACFT X TO POTOMAC APCH IN THE VICINITY OF THE BRV VOR SOMETIME AROUND XA10 LCL. ON HDOF; ACFT X ESTABLISHED 2-WAY COMS WITH POTOMAC TRACON AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO ENTER THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. WHEN QUERIED FOR THE DESIRED RTE OF FLT; ACFT X RESPONDED 'REMAIN E OF THE DEMO RESTR AREA; DOWNWIND TRANSITION AT DULLES.' POTOMAC TRACON ACKNOWLEDGED THIS XMISSION. THEN PROCEEDED N; REMAINING CLR OF THE DEMO1 AREA; AND FLEW THE TYPICAL IAD DOWNWIND TRANSITION; MONITORING POTOMAC APCH. THE SECTOR CTLR WAS WORKING MULTIPLE HVY DEPS FROM DULLES OFF RWYS 19L/R IN A VERY COMPRESSED TIME. DURING THIS PERIOD; ACFT X MAINTAINED THE INTERCOM ON ISOLATE (KEEPING PAX CONVERSATIONS OUT OF THE PLT'S HEADSET) AND MONITORED THE RADIO CAREFULLY; AS PREVIOUS TRIPS DOWN THIS FLT PATH HAVE RESULTED IN MULTIPLE TFC CALLS; SOME WITH ONLY 1 MI SEPARATION. WHEN ABEAM DULLES; AND HAVING HEARD NO FURTHER COM (A RARITY ON THE MANY TIMES ACFT X HAS MADE THIS TRIP); ACFT X REQUESTED; 'DIRECT JYO WHEN ABLE;' KNOWING FULL WELL THIS PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE APPROVED. 'TYPICALLY; THE ARR SECTOR CTLR (TO WHOM ACFT X WAS NOT YET SPEAKING) WILL REQUIRE VFR ACFT TO DSND OUT OF THE CLASS B; THEN ON-COURSE WBOUND ALONG THE POTOMAC RIVER TO LEESBURG; TO AVOID HVY ARRS TO RWY 19. THE CALL PRIMARILY WAS MADE TO PROMPT A HDOF TO THE ARR SECTOR CTLR. AT THIS POINT; THE CTLR ADVISED IN AN EXCITED TONE OF VOICE 'I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS WORKING YOU; EVERYONE'S BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU; WE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE YOU WERE (OR WORDS TO THAT EFFECT) CONTACT POTOMAC ON 125.8.' AFTER SWITCHING; ACFT X WAS DIRECTED TO 'REMAIN AT OR ABOVE 3000 FT; TURN L HEADING 270 DEGS.' AFTER SEVERAL OTHER VECTORS; AND ADVISING APCH THAT THE DEST ARPT WAS IN SIGHT; ACFT X WAS DIRECTED TO CHANGE TO LEESBURG ADVISORY AND REMAIN ON ASSIGNED CODE. NO DIRECTION WAS RECEIVED TO CONTACT ANYONE REGARDING THE INCIDENT. THE MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THIS INCIDENT IS; IN MY OPINION; THE EXCESSIVE WORKLOAD PUSHED ONTO POTOMAC TRACON BY NOTAM 3-0853 (SFAR-94; THE WASHINGTON; DC FLT RESTR ZONE); AND NOTAM 3/2126 (THE WASHINGTON; DC AIR DEFENSE IDENT ZONE). THESE ADMINISTRATIVE SECURITY MEASURES; DESIGNED BY NON-AVIATION PEOPLE; HAVE CREATED A BURDEN ON THE LEESBURG AUTOMATED FLT SVC STATION AND POTOMAC TRACON THAT HAVE RELEGATED VFR PLTS TO SECOND-CLASS CITIZEN STATUS. BY REG; FAA CTLRS GIVE ACFT X SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER SVC UNDER IFR FLT PLANS; AND THIS PUTS VFR FLTS AT A DISADVANTAGE. 1 ACFT HAS ALREADY CRASHED; INJURING 3 OCCUPANTS; BECAUSE THEY RAN OUT OF FUEL TRYING TO COORDINATE ADIZ ENTRY.