CONFUSION BTWN A PVT PLT AND ATC CONCERNING LOCATION OF ACFT AND ASSIGNED XPONDER CODE. POSSIBLE PENETRATION OF ADIZ. PLT ASKED TO CALL PCT AFTER LNDG.
Synopsis
CONFUSION BTWN A PVT PLT AND ATC CONCERNING LOCATION OF ACFT AND ASSIGNED XPONDER CODE. POSSIBLE PENETRATION OF ADIZ. PLT ASKED TO CALL PCT AFTER LNDG.
Narrative
I MADE A FLT TO MANASSAS; VA (HEF). MY DEP POINT WAS BROOKHAVEN; NY (HWV). PRIOR TO MAKING THE FLT; I CALLED FLT SVC FROM MY CELL PHONE AT THE BROOKHAVEN ARPT; TO MAKE AN ADIZ FLT PLAN. I SPOKE TO A BRIEFER AND MADE AN ADIZ FLT PLAN. AFTER CONFIRMING THAT HE HAD FILED THE FLT PLAN AS DESCRIBED ABOVE; I ASKED THE BRIEFER FOR FORECAST WX IN THE AREA FOR THE TIME OF ARR. HE GAVE ME A GOOD DESCRIPTION OF THE MARGINAL CEILINGS IN SOME AREAS S AND W OF MY DEST. THE BRIEFER PUT ME ON HOLD FOR A CONSIDERABLE PERIOD OF TIME TO BE SURE THAT I HAD THE RIGHT POTOMAC APCH FREQ TO CALL FROM THE VICINITY OF EASTON. HE GAVE ME 124.55 AS THE CORRECT FREQ; AND CONFIRMED THAT A SECOND TIME VIA REF TO A MAP. I THANKED HIM FOR THE BRIEFING AND FLT PLAN AND DEPARTED BROOKHAVEN. I MADE MOST OF THE TRIP BACK AT 6500 FT; EXCEPT TO CLR THE JFK CLASS B ABOVE 7000 FT. UPON ARR ON THE EASTERN SHORE OVER EASTON; CEILINGS HAD DETERIORATED; AS FORECAST; AND I DSNDED TO APPROX 2000 FT MSL. WHILE FLYING OVERHEAD EASTON ARPT; I CALLED POTOMAC APCH ON 124.55. THE FIRST 4 OR 5 CALLS WERE NOT ANSWERED; BECAUSE THE CTLR WAS VERY BUSY; AND POSSIBLY BECAUSE HE COULD NOT HEAR ME AT THAT DISTANCE AND ALT. I PROCEEDED TOWARD THE BAY AND FINALLY GOT A RESPONSE ABOUT 3 MI SW OF EASTON. WHEN I REQUESTED A SQUAWK IN ACCORDANCE WITH MY ADIZ FLT PLAN; THE CTLR INSTRUCTED ME TO CALL 126.75 INSTEAD. I THANKED HIM AND CALLED 126.75; AND I WAS GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE. I PROCEEDED ACROSS THE BAY AT APPROX 2000 FT MSL. MY LINE OF FLT DID NOT RESULT IN ADIZ PENETRATION UNTIL I WAS ACROSS THE BAY AND INLAND A FEW MI; ABOUT 10 MINS AFTER RECEIVING THE SQUAWK CODE. I PROCEEDED TOWARD 2W5 IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FLT PLAN AND CONTINUED TO MONITOR 126.75. I NOTICED THAT THE CTLR WAS HANDING OFF PEOPLE THAT WERE S OF EASTON BECAUSE THEY WERE 'NO LONGER IN HIS AREA.' SINCE I WAS WELL SW OF EASTON BY THEN; I CALLED HIM TO REMIND HIM THAT I WAS APCHING MARYLAND ARPT; 2W5. HE SAID THAT HE DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ME. I TOLD HIM THAT HE HAD GIVEN ME A CODE NEAR EASTON; AND I RESTATED MY PRESENT LOCATION AND MY INTENTIONS. HE SAID TO PROCEED WITH THAT CODE UNTIL I WAS ON THE GND. AFTER A FEW MINS; I REMINDED HIM THAT I WAS GOING TO MANASSAS (WHERE A TWR HDOF WOULD BE NECESSARY). HE SUGGESTED THAT I CALL 128.35; SO I DID THAT. I CHKED IN WITH 128.35 AND TOLD THE NEXT CTLR MY LOCATION (OVER 2W5) AND MY INTENTIONS. HE ALSO ADVISED ME TO KEEP THE SAME CODE UNTIL I WAS ON THE GND. A FEW MINS LATER; HE ASKED ME TO SQUAWK ANOTHER CODE. I INFORMED HIM THAT I WAS ALREADY SQUAWKING THAT CODE; AND HE SAID 'NO; YOU ARE SQUAWKING THE WRONG CODE.' MY PAX; WHO WAS ALSO LISTENING TO THE CONVERSATION; CONFIRMED THAT THE XPONDER WAS ALREADY SET CORRECTLY. I TOLD THE CTLR THAT MY INST WAS SET TO THE CORRECT CODE; BUT THAT I WOULD RESET THE XPONDER AND TRY IT AGAIN. THE CTLR RESPONDED; 'YES; THAT SOMETIMES HELPS.' I PROCEEDED INBOUND FROM 2W5 FOR A FEW MINS FURTHER; AND THEN CALLED 128.35 TO ADVISE HIM THAT I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. I GOT NO RESPONSE FROM 128.35. AFTER A LONG PERIOD WITH NO ANSWER; I CALLED MANASSAS TWR AND TOLD THE TWR CTLR MY LOCATION (NOW 6 MI SE OF MANASSAS). HE GAVE ME PATTERN/LNDG INSTRUCTIONS. AFTER ROLLOUT; THE TWR REQUESTED THAT I CALL PCT CTLR.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.