Narrative:

In 5/89, I was a PIC of an small transport. I departed from gpt on a proposed nonstop flight direct to tpa. I have an apollo LORAN which gave me a direct heading to tpa and told me the time and route would be 1 hour and 30 mins. I contacted ground control when I left and told them I was headed to tpa and gave them my direction. I climbed out after talking with the tower who then turned me over to departure control gpt, which was 127.50. I told them that I was in route nonstop direct to tpa airport and would be level at an altitude of 9500' enroute. I asked them to hand me off to the next control station after I passed from their radar. They did do that. I was handed off to several different control facs including mobile, al, ZHU and ZMA and then tpa approach. I landed tampa-st pete at approximately 1 hour and 40 mins after departure from gpt. At no time during that flight did anyone advise me that I was required to be on a DVFR flight plan. In fact, I told everyone in the conversations that I was VFR. The maps that I was reading do outline an area that says ADIZ, but it did not give me a warning or anything about having to file a DVFR flight plan. On the return trip 5/mon/89, since the WX was perfectly clear, I had watched the WX channel on tv and knew that the flight would be perfect. I departed from tpa west/O calling WX. I talked to tpa ground controller and told them that I would be departing tpa and headed to gpt nonstop direct from tpa and that I would be at an altitude of 2500'. The reason that I chose 2500' is because their was a severe 30 to 40 KT headwind at higher altitudes. They cleared me for the runway. I switched to the tower who then cleared me to tpa departure, who followed me for approximately 40 mi on my trip. They then told me that I needed to squawk 1200 which was VFR squawk code. Since I was at 2500' I figured that I could not reach ZMA. When I came within radio contact of mobile, al. I called mobile approach, advised them of my position. They told me that there was a warning area from 2000-50000' in the area so I told them that I would descend to 1500', which I did. When I passed their airspace they told me to squawk 1200 until I was within distance of gpt approach. I contacted gpt approach 30 mi to the sse of gpt. Gpt approach took my call. I landed at gpt, loaded my luggage in the car and went to my place of business. I was then called by customs requesting me to return to the airport which I did. They advised me that I had violated ADIZ space west/O being on a DVFR flight plan. I am very sorry that I did this but I was unaware that I was to file a DVFR flight plan and would have gladly done so. In the course of checking the planes records I had a telegram issued me by FAA in which for the reason that my hard copy multi engine license had been lost. This telegram entitled me to fly through 4/89 and had expired. It was signed by supervisor, copy of which is attached. I told the customs agents that the FAA had not sent me my hard copy and I called the FAA to ask them about it. They said some error or mistake had been made and they sent me another telegram, which I now have--a copy of that is enclosed, which allows me to fly through 7/89. Also, I'm sending in another application for the hard copy for the license. The customs agents told me that my violations were 1) violating the ADIZ west/O a DVFR flight plan, 2) that my telegram had expired. I do have a multi engine license as the second attachment shows. I think that as far as why I think this situation occurred is because I was unaware of the requirements in the ADIZ area, with me being from san antonio, tx, and not flying around the coast. I think that if that is a serious matter, that signs should be posted in all airports along the coast, such as gpt, which they are not. And on the charts, there should be some type of warning on the chart other than just ADIZ with a line down it. I felt that since I was talking with center the whole time over, that I was doing all that I needed to do and I also felt that I was leaving one us port going to another us port, that I would have no trouble. However, I realized that these rules exist nowthat they were explained to me. I think to prevent recurrences as far as myself, I will never do it again--but I think for other pilots (the customs agent says it happens once a month), that if there was more printed material in airports, especially on the charts. The FAA should write the airman and say, 'your telegram is going to expire. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: in 11/88 he had bought the small transport involved in this story. It wa an open bill of sale, paid for with a check. In 2/89, he was ramp checked by the FAA and told that his license was for a single engine operation, not twin. Inspector assisted with filling out form for proper registration and the pink copy was placed in aircraft. That was the situation up to 5/89, when he was charged with the ADIZ penetration and expired temporary license. Later, in 5/89, he flew down to gpt for san antonio. When he landed in gpt he was followed immediately onto the runway by a light twin and a helicopter. Those aircraft disgorged 8 combat dressed men with weapons and dogs. The aircraft was seized, vacuumed and gone over by the dogs, as well as his luggage. The luggage was returned 10 days later with the statement that the dogs acted like there had been some 'substance' within the bags at some time. Reporter stated that at this time the FAA wants his license for the ADIZ penetration and customs wants his aircraft for no registration. They all think he has been involved in drugs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT PENETRATED ADIZ ON OVER WATER FLT WITHOUT FILING A DVFR FLT PLAN. PLT OPERATED WITHOUT CURRENT OR VALID LICENSE.

Narrative: IN 5/89, I WAS A PIC OF AN SMT. I DEPARTED FROM GPT ON A PROPOSED NONSTOP FLT DIRECT TO TPA. I HAVE AN APOLLO LORAN WHICH GAVE ME A DIRECT HDG TO TPA AND TOLD ME THE TIME AND ROUTE WOULD BE 1 HR AND 30 MINS. I CONTACTED GND CTL WHEN I LEFT AND TOLD THEM I WAS HEADED TO TPA AND GAVE THEM MY DIRECTION. I CLBED OUT AFTER TALKING WITH THE TWR WHO THEN TURNED ME OVER TO DEP CTL GPT, WHICH WAS 127.50. I TOLD THEM THAT I WAS IN ROUTE NONSTOP DIRECT TO TPA ARPT AND WOULD BE LEVEL AT AN ALT OF 9500' ENROUTE. I ASKED THEM TO HAND ME OFF TO THE NEXT CTL STATION AFTER I PASSED FROM THEIR RADAR. THEY DID DO THAT. I WAS HANDED OFF TO SEVERAL DIFFERENT CTL FACS INCLUDING MOBILE, AL, ZHU AND ZMA AND THEN TPA APCH. I LANDED TAMPA-ST PETE AT APPROX 1 HR AND 40 MINS AFTER DEP FROM GPT. AT NO TIME DURING THAT FLT DID ANYONE ADVISE ME THAT I WAS REQUIRED TO BE ON A DVFR FLT PLAN. IN FACT, I TOLD EVERYONE IN THE CONVERSATIONS THAT I WAS VFR. THE MAPS THAT I WAS READING DO OUTLINE AN AREA THAT SAYS ADIZ, BUT IT DID NOT GIVE ME A WARNING OR ANYTHING ABOUT HAVING TO FILE A DVFR FLT PLAN. ON THE RETURN TRIP 5/MON/89, SINCE THE WX WAS PERFECTLY CLEAR, I HAD WATCHED THE WX CHANNEL ON TV AND KNEW THAT THE FLT WOULD BE PERFECT. I DEPARTED FROM TPA W/O CALLING WX. I TALKED TO TPA GND CTLR AND TOLD THEM THAT I WOULD BE DEPARTING TPA AND HEADED TO GPT NONSTOP DIRECT FROM TPA AND THAT I WOULD BE AT AN ALT OF 2500'. THE REASON THAT I CHOSE 2500' IS BECAUSE THEIR WAS A SEVERE 30 TO 40 KT HEADWIND AT HIGHER ALTS. THEY CLRED ME FOR THE RWY. I SWITCHED TO THE TWR WHO THEN CLRED ME TO TPA DEP, WHO FOLLOWED ME FOR APPROX 40 MI ON MY TRIP. THEY THEN TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED TO SQUAWK 1200 WHICH WAS VFR SQUAWK CODE. SINCE I WAS AT 2500' I FIGURED THAT I COULD NOT REACH ZMA. WHEN I CAME WITHIN RADIO CONTACT OF MOBILE, AL. I CALLED MOBILE APCH, ADVISED THEM OF MY POS. THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A WARNING AREA FROM 2000-50000' IN THE AREA SO I TOLD THEM THAT I WOULD DSND TO 1500', WHICH I DID. WHEN I PASSED THEIR AIRSPACE THEY TOLD ME TO SQUAWK 1200 UNTIL I WAS WITHIN DISTANCE OF GPT APCH. I CONTACTED GPT APCH 30 MI TO THE SSE OF GPT. GPT APCH TOOK MY CALL. I LANDED AT GPT, LOADED MY LUGGAGE IN THE CAR AND WENT TO MY PLACE OF BUSINESS. I WAS THEN CALLED BY CUSTOMS REQUESTING ME TO RETURN TO THE ARPT WHICH I DID. THEY ADVISED ME THAT I HAD VIOLATED ADIZ SPACE W/O BEING ON A DVFR FLT PLAN. I AM VERY SORRY THAT I DID THIS BUT I WAS UNAWARE THAT I WAS TO FILE A DVFR FLT PLAN AND WOULD HAVE GLADLY DONE SO. IN THE COURSE OF CHKING THE PLANES RECORDS I HAD A TELEGRAM ISSUED ME BY FAA IN WHICH FOR THE REASON THAT MY HARD COPY MULTI ENG LICENSE HAD BEEN LOST. THIS TELEGRAM ENTITLED ME TO FLY THROUGH 4/89 AND HAD EXPIRED. IT WAS SIGNED BY SUPVR, COPY OF WHICH IS ATTACHED. I TOLD THE CUSTOMS AGENTS THAT THE FAA HAD NOT SENT ME MY HARD COPY AND I CALLED THE FAA TO ASK THEM ABOUT IT. THEY SAID SOME ERROR OR MISTAKE HAD BEEN MADE AND THEY SENT ME ANOTHER TELEGRAM, WHICH I NOW HAVE--A COPY OF THAT IS ENCLOSED, WHICH ALLOWS ME TO FLY THROUGH 7/89. ALSO, I'M SENDING IN ANOTHER APPLICATION FOR THE HARD COPY FOR THE LICENSE. THE CUSTOMS AGENTS TOLD ME THAT MY VIOLATIONS WERE 1) VIOLATING THE ADIZ W/O A DVFR FLT PLAN, 2) THAT MY TELEGRAM HAD EXPIRED. I DO HAVE A MULTI ENG LICENSE AS THE SECOND ATTACHMENT SHOWS. I THINK THAT AS FAR AS WHY I THINK THIS SITUATION OCCURRED IS BECAUSE I WAS UNAWARE OF THE REQUIREMENTS IN THE ADIZ AREA, WITH ME BEING FROM SAN ANTONIO, TX, AND NOT FLYING AROUND THE COAST. I THINK THAT IF THAT IS A SERIOUS MATTER, THAT SIGNS SHOULD BE POSTED IN ALL ARPTS ALONG THE COAST, SUCH AS GPT, WHICH THEY ARE NOT. AND ON THE CHARTS, THERE SHOULD BE SOME TYPE OF WARNING ON THE CHART OTHER THAN JUST ADIZ WITH A LINE DOWN IT. I FELT THAT SINCE I WAS TALKING WITH CENTER THE WHOLE TIME OVER, THAT I WAS DOING ALL THAT I NEEDED TO DO AND I ALSO FELT THAT I WAS LEAVING ONE U.S. PORT GOING TO ANOTHER U.S. PORT, THAT I WOULD HAVE NO TROUBLE. HOWEVER, I REALIZED THAT THESE RULES EXIST NOWTHAT THEY WERE EXPLAINED TO ME. I THINK TO PREVENT RECURRENCES AS FAR AS MYSELF, I WILL NEVER DO IT AGAIN--BUT I THINK FOR OTHER PLTS (THE CUSTOMS AGENT SAYS IT HAPPENS ONCE A MONTH), THAT IF THERE WAS MORE PRINTED MATERIAL IN ARPTS, ESPECIALLY ON THE CHARTS. THE FAA SHOULD WRITE THE AIRMAN AND SAY, 'YOUR TELEGRAM IS GOING TO EXPIRE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: IN 11/88 HE HAD BOUGHT THE SMT INVOLVED IN THIS STORY. IT WA AN OPEN BILL OF SALE, PAID FOR WITH A CHK. IN 2/89, HE WAS RAMP CHKED BY THE FAA AND TOLD THAT HIS LICENSE WAS FOR A SINGLE ENG OPERATION, NOT TWIN. INSPECTOR ASSISTED WITH FILLING OUT FORM FOR PROPER REGISTRATION AND THE PINK COPY WAS PLACED IN ACFT. THAT WAS THE SITUATION UP TO 5/89, WHEN HE WAS CHARGED WITH THE ADIZ PENETRATION AND EXPIRED TEMPORARY LICENSE. LATER, IN 5/89, HE FLEW DOWN TO GPT FOR SAN ANTONIO. WHEN HE LANDED IN GPT HE WAS FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY ONTO THE RWY BY A LIGHT TWIN AND A HELI. THOSE ACFT DISGORGED 8 COMBAT DRESSED MEN WITH WEAPONS AND DOGS. THE ACFT WAS SEIZED, VACUUMED AND GONE OVER BY THE DOGS, AS WELL AS HIS LUGGAGE. THE LUGGAGE WAS RETURNED 10 DAYS LATER WITH THE STATEMENT THAT THE DOGS ACTED LIKE THERE HAD BEEN SOME 'SUBSTANCE' WITHIN THE BAGS AT SOME TIME. RPTR STATED THAT AT THIS TIME THE FAA WANTS HIS LICENSE FOR THE ADIZ PENETRATION AND CUSTOMS WANTS HIS ACFT FOR NO REGISTRATION. THEY ALL THINK HE HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN DRUGS.

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.