INSTRUCTOR PLT AND STUDENT ABOARD C172 FAIL TO ESTABLISH RADAR CONTACT WITH PCT PRIOR TO ENTERING THE DC ADIZ. RPTR INCORRECTLY ASSERTS THAT OBTAINING THE DISCREET CODE CONSTITUTED CLRNC INTO THE ADIZ.
Synopsis
INSTRUCTOR PLT AND STUDENT ABOARD C172 FAIL TO ESTABLISH RADAR CONTACT WITH PCT PRIOR TO ENTERING THE DC ADIZ. RPTR INCORRECTLY ASSERTS THAT OBTAINING THE DISCREET CODE CONSTITUTED CLRNC INTO THE ADIZ.
Narrative
WAS COMING IN ON A DVFR FLT PLAN. I CALLED POTOMAC 16 MI E OF W29 ARPT TO RECEIVE MY CLRNC AND SQUAWK CODE PRIOR TO ENTERING THE ADIZ FOR MY FLT TO FME. I RECEIVED MY DISCREET SQUAWK CODE AND PROCEEDED TO ANP THEN TO FME TO AVOID THE BWI 7 NM RING. AROUND THE ANP ARPT; I HEARD POTOMAC ASK AN AIRPLANE TO IDENT A TARGET. SOON; A C172 FLEW CLOSE BY AND RPTED A C172 AT 1200 FT AGL. MY ALT! I IMMEDIATELY CALLED POTOMAC TRACON AND ASKED IF THE CTLR WAS LOOKING FOR MY AIRPLANE. CTLR THEN ASKED ME TO RECYCLE MY SQUAWK CODE. I LOOKED AT THE XPONDER AND IT WAS ON STANDBY; SO I SWITCHED IT BACK TO ALT POS. PLT THEN SAID THAT NEXT TIME; I MUST RECEIVE ADIZ CLRNC PRIOR TO ENTERING THE ADIZ. IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE SQUAWK CODE IS MY CLRNC; WHICH I KNOW IS TRUE; BECAUSE I FLY IN AND OUT OF THE ADIZ MANY TIMES A DAY WITH MY STUDENTS. THE FACT THAT WHEN I TOLD THE CTLR THAT I THOUGHT THE SQUAWK WAS MY ADIZ CLRNC; THE CTLR REPEATED VERBATIM 'THE NEXT TIME I MUST RECEIVE ADIZ CLRNC' BOTHERED ME. I FEEL LIKE SHE GOT BUSY AND NEVER CHKED TO SEE THE UNIDENTED RADAR TRACK WAS ONE OF THE FEW VFR ADIZ PLANES COMING IN FROM THE E. ALTHOUGH I MADE A DUMB MISTAKE OF NOT CHKING THE XPONDER; I FEEL LIKE THE CTLR DID NOT DO THEIR BEST TO CATCH THE PROB. 10 NM INTO THE ADIZ SEEMS LIKE A LONG AMOUNT OF TIME TO BRING IT UP. NEXT TIME; I WILL DIVIDE MY ATTN BETTER BTWN THE XPONDER; ATC; AND MY STUDENT; WHO IS TRYING HIS HARDEST TO STAY STRAIGHT AND LEVEL. I WON'T BE SURPRISED IF THE CTLR SUBMITS A VIOLATION ON ME -- WHICH I DON'T THINK IS FAIR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR INDICATES THAT IN THE 4 MONTHS SHE HAS BEEN FLT INSTRUCTING FROM ARPTS WITHIN THE DC ADIZ; SHE HAS BEEN STRUCK BY THE INCONSISTENCIES WITH WHICH VARIOUS AGENCIES INTERPRET AND OR ADMINISTER THE REQUIREMENTS FOR OPS THEREIN. FOR INSTANCE; 1 AREA FSS REQUIRES A COMPLETE FLT PLAN FORM INCLUDING PLT'S NAME; ETC; FOR AN ADIZ PLAN AND THE OTHER WANTS ONLY THE ACFT NUMBER AND THE DEP DEST AND OR POINT OUTSIDE THE ADIZ TO WHICH THE FLT WILL BE FLOWN. RPTR IS VERY CONCERNED THAT THE INCONSISTENCIES AND LACK OF SPECIFIC OPERATIONAL INFO FOR FLTS IN; OUT AND WITHIN THE ADIZ JEOPARDIZES HER CERTIFICATE. SHE IS UNCERTAIN HOW TO OBTAIN THE NECESSARY SPECIFICITY OF SUCH INFO TO PROTECT HERSELF. ANALYST LEARNED THAT THE FBO FOR WHOM THE RPTR INSTRUCTS HAS MADE NO OBVIOUS EFFORT TO INFORM HIMSELF AND PASS ON TO HIS PLTS WHAT INFO CAN BE FOUND BY CONSCIENTIOUS SLEUTHING OF THE INTERNET. WHILE HE CAN BE FAULTED FOR THIS LACK OF EFFORT; THE FACT REMAINS THAT TO GET THE INFO REQUIRED FOR OPS; IT APPEARS HE CAN'T DEPEND ON THE USUAL RESOURCES SUCH AS FSS BRIEFINGS OR FAA CHARTS. EXTRAORDINARY EFFORTS MUST BE MADE TO OBTAIN SUCH INFO.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.