INEXPERIENCED PVT PLT OF PA28 ENTERS DC ADIZ WITH DISCRETE CODE BUT A XPONDER THAT IS APPARENTLY NOT WORKING.

Date: 2004-07 · Aircraft: PA-28 Cherokee/Archer/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior · Phase: cruise

Anomalies: airspace-violation-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|other-uncooperative-pct-ctlr

Synopsis

INEXPERIENCED PVT PLT OF PA28 ENTERS DC ADIZ WITH DISCRETE CODE BUT A XPONDER THAT IS APPARENTLY NOT WORKING.

Narrative

I LEFT FDK AT XA45 AND FLEW TO THE 29 MI N POINT FROM ARMEL 113.5. I CALLED PCT ON 125.05 MHZ. THEY ADVISED ME TO GO TO 134.20 MHZ; WHICH I DID. THEY THEN ADVISED ME TO GO TO 126.1 MHZ; WHICH I DID. WHEN I CALLED PCT ON 126.1; THEY SAID THEY WERE BUSY; AND TO TRY 134.20. I ADVISED THEM THAT THEY SENT ME ON 126.1. THEY THEN SAID TO STAND BY FOR 2 MINS. (THEY SOUNDED VERY BUSY.) I WAITED SEVERAL MINS WHILE FLYING IN CIRCLES AT 25-27 MI FROM ARMEL; THEN CALLED THEM BACK. THEY THEN SAID THEY WERE TOO BUSY; AND TO TRY 134.20 AGAIN AND IF THEY COULD NOT HELP ME; THEN THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. I CALLED 134.20 MHZ AND THEY GAVE ME A DISCRETE XPONDER CODE. I TUNED THE XPONDER AND PROCEEDED TO JYO ON A RADIAL OF 320 DEGS WHILE MONITORING PCT ON THE RADIO. WHEN I WAS 8 MI N OF JYO I CALLED PCT AND ADVISED THEM I HAD JYO IN SIGHT. THEY THEN ASKED ME TO IDENT; WHICH I DID. I DID NOT HEAR ANYTHING BACK FROM THEM SO I CALLED BACK ASKING IF THEY SAW MY IDENT. THEY ADVISED ME THEY HAD SEEN MY IDENT AND FREQ CHANGE APPROVED; STAY CLR OF CLASS B. I RESPONDED BACK WITH ROGER AND CHANGED FREQ TO JYO TWR; AND PROCEEDED TO JYO. WHEN I WAS ON THE DOWNWIND LEG FOR RWY 17 LNDG AT JYO; A LCL FBO CALLED ME ON 122.975 AND SAID THAT PCT WANTS TO TALK WITH ME AND STAND BY; SO I PROCEEDED TO LAND. WHEN I WAS CLR OF THE RWY 17; A LCL FBO CALLED AND ASKED IF I WAS CLR OF RWY AND COULD I CHANGE TO FREQ 132.00; SO I DID AND THEY GAVE ME THE PHONE NUMBER FOR PCT AND ADVISED ME TO CALL THEM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I CALLED THEM RIGHT THEN AND THERE ON MY CELL PHONE; AND THE MAN WHO ANSWERED ASKED ME DID I KNOW THE ADIZ RULES AND WAS I AWARE OF THE FACT THAT I BROKE THE ADIZ RULE THAT MY XPONDER WAS NOT WORKING AND I FLEW WELL INTO THE ADIZ AIRSPACE. I ADVISED HIM THAT I KNEW THE RULES AND THAT I WAS NOT AWARE THAT MY XPONDER WAS NOT WORKING; AND RECOUNTED HOW PCT ASKED ME TO IDENT. HE THEN PROCEEDED TO ASK FOR MY INFO AND ADVISED ME TO WRITE MY STORY DOWN AND THAT SOMEONE WOULD BE CALLING ME SOON. I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT BEFORE I CALLED PCT TO ADVISE THEM I HAD JYO IN SIGHT; I WAS NEVER CONTACTED BY PCT TO INFORM ME THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE MY XPONDER ON RADAR. I WAS ADVISED BY PCT THAT HELI'S WERE DISPATCHED TO FIND ME EVEN BEFORE ANYONE HAD TRIED TO CONTACT ME ON THE ASSIGNED FREQ OF 134.20 BY PCT. WHILE I WAS MONITORING PCT ON 134.20 THEY WERE VERY BUSY WITH OTHER TFC. IN MY OPINION THE SIT WAS COMPLETELY MISHANDLED. ALL OF THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED HAD PCT ADVISED ME THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE ME ON THEIR RADAR AND ASKED ME TO IDENT EARLIER. AS I WRITE THIS IT HASN'T YET BEEN DETERMINED WHETHER THE XPONDER IS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY OR NOT.

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