Narrative:

I plotted a direct course to keystone helipad, in westchester, PA. Flying a direct route out of the dca to keystone would take me directly over the top of tipton aaf and bwi's arsa, also within 5 mi radius of 2 other air traffic area's: martin state and phillip's aaf. I obtained all the proper and current radio frequencys and recorded same. Approximately X hours on a heading of 056 degrees, and about 9 mi out, I contacted tipton on 127.0, permission for an 'over the top' to bwi. I cleared over the top at tipton, and immediately switched to bwi approach control on 128.7. I advised bwi I was at tipton requesting over the top to martin state. I further stated my aircraft type, location and altitude. Approach control advised me to switch to 119.7. I switched to 119.7 and repeated the same request. Approach control advised me to 'avoid the operation's ????' not being completely certain of what he meant, I started to immediately decrease my forward airspeed, looking to the left before starting a left turn. At the same time officer was apparently looking to the right while asking if I'd heard and understood what approach control was telling me to do. I answered officer, 'yes,' and he advised me to turn right. Sighting an inbound aircraft on final, I initiated a 180 degree turn to the left. Approach control asked if I was familiar with the arsa. I answered, 'yes.' approach said something about not entered without establishing 2-WAY communications first. Then approach control advised to switch to bwi's tower control on 119.4. Bwi's tower advised to return to the original heading, and continue over the top and call TRACON landline upon landing at martin state. After clearing bwi's TCA, officer attempted to explain our actions both outside and inside the control zone. Officer informed the tower that we would not be landing at martin state; we would be continuing to keystone. We were again advised to contact TRACON landline once we landed. Upon returning to national airport at approximately X hours, a call was placed to TRACON. Mr X advised he had filed a pilot deviation report because we had taken so long to call. Mr X further stated: 'ordinarily we would not have had a problem coming through the airport from your original location, except for the construction on the runway. So, the runway you saw being used had been made operational and it was unusual for aircraft to be landing on that runway.' the aircraft in question was observed and we kept visual contact. At no time did I believe we had created a safety hazard for ourselves or the aircraft. I believe these are some of the contributing factors to the incident: 1) tipton's air traffic area underlying bwi's arsa (outer ring). 2) an altitude of 1200' MSL over tipton, I believed I was below the bwi arsa (42/17). 3) establishing 2-SAY communication with 128.7 over tipton. 4) the short time after crossing tipton and being released by tipton's tower and the need to contact bwi's approach immediately before entering. 5) frequency given by airport facility directory not being the frequency used in this area. 6) misunderstanding of the meaning of 'avoid the operation's,' or 'do not enter the operation's.' callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter is still unsure of what 'operations' referred to. Believes they were talking about the operations approaching the airport. FAA has sent a 10 day letter to both parties involved and is threatening a violation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARSA PENETRATION BY POLICE HELICOPTER.

Narrative: I PLOTTED A DIRECT COURSE TO KEYSTONE HELIPAD, IN WESTCHESTER, PA. FLYING A DIRECT RTE OUT OF THE DCA TO KEYSTONE WOULD TAKE ME DIRECTLY OVER THE TOP OF TIPTON AAF AND BWI'S ARSA, ALSO WITHIN 5 MI RADIUS OF 2 OTHER ATA'S: MARTIN STATE AND PHILLIP'S AAF. I OBTAINED ALL THE PROPER AND CURRENT RADIO FREQS AND RECORDED SAME. APPROX X HRS ON A HDG OF 056 DEGS, AND ABOUT 9 MI OUT, I CONTACTED TIPTON ON 127.0, PERMISSION FOR AN 'OVER THE TOP' TO BWI. I CLRED OVER THE TOP AT TIPTON, AND IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED TO BWI APCH CTL ON 128.7. I ADVISED BWI I WAS AT TIPTON REQUESTING OVER THE TOP TO MARTIN STATE. I FURTHER STATED MY ACFT TYPE, LOCATION AND ALT. APCH CTL ADVISED ME TO SWITCH TO 119.7. I SWITCHED TO 119.7 AND REPEATED THE SAME REQUEST. APCH CTL ADVISED ME TO 'AVOID THE OP'S ????' NOT BEING COMPLETELY CERTAIN OF WHAT HE MEANT, I STARTED TO IMMEDIATELY DECREASE MY FORWARD AIRSPD, LOOKING TO THE L BEFORE STARTING A L TURN. AT THE SAME TIME OFFICER WAS APPARENTLY LOOKING TO THE R WHILE ASKING IF I'D HEARD AND UNDERSTOOD WHAT APCH CTL WAS TELLING ME TO DO. I ANSWERED OFFICER, 'YES,' AND HE ADVISED ME TO TURN R. SIGHTING AN INBND ACFT ON FINAL, I INITIATED A 180 DEG TURN TO THE L. APCH CTL ASKED IF I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE ARSA. I ANSWERED, 'YES.' APCH SAID SOMETHING ABOUT NOT ENTERED WITHOUT ESTABLISHING 2-WAY COMS FIRST. THEN APCH CTL ADVISED TO SWITCH TO BWI'S TWR CTL ON 119.4. BWI'S TWR ADVISED TO RETURN TO THE ORIGINAL HDG, AND CONTINUE OVER THE TOP AND CALL TRACON LANDLINE UPON LNDG AT MARTIN STATE. AFTER CLRING BWI'S TCA, OFFICER ATTEMPTED TO EXPLAIN OUR ACTIONS BOTH OUTSIDE AND INSIDE THE CTL ZONE. OFFICER INFORMED THE TWR THAT WE WOULD NOT BE LNDG AT MARTIN STATE; WE WOULD BE CONTINUING TO KEYSTONE. WE WERE AGAIN ADVISED TO CONTACT TRACON LANDLINE ONCE WE LANDED. UPON RETURNING TO NATIONAL ARPT AT APPROX X HRS, A CALL WAS PLACED TO TRACON. MR X ADVISED HE HAD FILED A PLTDEV RPT BECAUSE WE HAD TAKEN SO LONG TO CALL. MR X FURTHER STATED: 'ORDINARILY WE WOULD NOT HAVE HAD A PROB COMING THROUGH THE ARPT FROM YOUR ORIGINAL LOCATION, EXCEPT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION ON THE RWY. SO, THE RWY YOU SAW BEING USED HAD BEEN MADE OPERATIONAL AND IT WAS UNUSUAL FOR ACFT TO BE LNDG ON THAT RWY.' THE ACFT IN QUESTION WAS OBSERVED AND WE KEPT VISUAL CONTACT. AT NO TIME DID I BELIEVE WE HAD CREATED A SAFETY HAZARD FOR OURSELVES OR THE ACFT. I BELIEVE THESE ARE SOME OF THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE INCIDENT: 1) TIPTON'S ATA UNDERLYING BWI'S ARSA (OUTER RING). 2) AN ALT OF 1200' MSL OVER TIPTON, I BELIEVED I WAS BELOW THE BWI ARSA (42/17). 3) ESTABLISHING 2-SAY COM WITH 128.7 OVER TIPTON. 4) THE SHORT TIME AFTER XING TIPTON AND BEING RELEASED BY TIPTON'S TWR AND THE NEED TO CONTACT BWI'S APCH IMMEDIATELY BEFORE ENTERING. 5) FREQ GIVEN BY ARPT FAC DIRECTORY NOT BEING THE FREQ USED IN THIS AREA. 6) MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE MEANING OF 'AVOID THE OP'S,' OR 'DO NOT ENTER THE OP'S.' CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR IS STILL UNSURE OF WHAT 'OPS' REFERRED TO. BELIEVES THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THE OPS APCHING THE ARPT. FAA HAS SENT A 10 DAY LETTER TO BOTH PARTIES INVOLVED AND IS THREATENING A VIOLATION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.