Narrative:

By inter-agency agreement cap occasionally flies support missions for the us customs service which include border surveillance. Information supplied should be for 'official use only' and not disseminated to the public. 1) mission was briefed previous night via telephone conference. Information included frequencys to be used with an FM primary and VHF/am alternate. 2) while flying the border surveillance portion of the mission, in small aircraft X, I observed a small plane flying north across the border at my altitude (500 AGL). The observer (rear seat crew member) radioed to our high bird (H) radio relay aircraft) the code that we had spotted an aircraft and were going to follow. After turning to trail the aircraft (an small aircraft Y) the pilot began a series of tight turns of which I followed. After about 3 or 4 turns my airspeed had bled off to about 90 KTS and I started experiencing prestall stick buffet. I lessened the bank angle and attempted to continue monitoring the other aircraft when I noticed a light green helicopter Z orbiting the area. The observer noted that this appeared to be a border patrol aircraft as may be the small aircraft Y. Upon realizing this I broke off and continued flight along the border with landing gear extended. After a few minutes I opened the canopy and motioned the helicopter Z to my right wing position. At this point both aircraft were following me. I attempted to signal the helicopter Z to tune to the alternate VHF/am frequency. Up until now we were using the primary to talk to high bird and were not monitoring the alternate. I contacted the helicopter Z and explained who we were and what we were doing there. About this time, the high bird radioed to tell us that border patrol aircraft were flying in the area. The 2 aircraft broke off at about this time and we continued to monitor both frequencys. The rest of the flight was uneventful. 3) on talking to the mission coordinator via landline, he informed me that they were in fact border patrol aircraft and that he had had a similar experience while flying in that area. 4) both aircraft were monitoring our alternate frequency but as we were using the primary, alternate was not tuned in. 5) procedures have previously been briefed to attempt to get the number of the aircraft and then to drop back and monitor the aircraft as long as possible or until customs' aircraft arrived. On this particular aircraft, I did not see any numbers which further led to my suspicions. 6) I believe that better inter-agency communication, knowledge of other agency's equipment, and monitoring of the alternate frequency would have prevented this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAP ACFT ON BORDER PATROL MISSION FOR UNITED STATES CUSTOMS SERVICE ENCOUNTERS SUSPICIOUS ACFT AND GIVES CHASE, ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT THE SUSPECT ACFT IS BEING OPERATED BY THE BORDER PATROL.

Narrative: BY INTER-AGENCY AGREEMENT CAP OCCASIONALLY FLIES SUPPORT MISSIONS FOR THE U.S. CUSTOMS SERVICE WHICH INCLUDE BORDER SURVEILLANCE. INFO SUPPLIED SHOULD BE FOR 'OFFICIAL USE ONLY' AND NOT DISSEMINATED TO THE PUBLIC. 1) MISSION WAS BRIEFED PREVIOUS NIGHT VIA TELEPHONE CONFERENCE. INFO INCLUDED FREQS TO BE USED WITH AN FM PRIMARY AND VHF/AM ALTERNATE. 2) WHILE FLYING THE BORDER SURVEILLANCE PORTION OF THE MISSION, IN SMA X, I OBSERVED A SMALL PLANE FLYING NORTH ACROSS THE BORDER AT MY ALT (500 AGL). THE OBSERVER (REAR SEAT CREW MEMBER) RADIOED TO OUR HIGH BIRD (H) RADIO RELAY ACFT) THE CODE THAT WE HAD SPOTTED AN ACFT AND WERE GOING TO FOLLOW. AFTER TURNING TO TRAIL THE ACFT (AN SMA Y) THE PLT BEGAN A SERIES OF TIGHT TURNS OF WHICH I FOLLOWED. AFTER ABOUT 3 OR 4 TURNS MY AIRSPEED HAD BLED OFF TO ABOUT 90 KTS AND I STARTED EXPERIENCING PRESTALL STICK BUFFET. I LESSENED THE BANK ANGLE AND ATTEMPTED TO CONTINUE MONITORING THE OTHER ACFT WHEN I NOTICED A LIGHT GREEN HELI Z ORBITING THE AREA. THE OBSERVER NOTED THAT THIS APPEARED TO BE A BORDER PATROL ACFT AS MAY BE THE SMA Y. UPON REALIZING THIS I BROKE OFF AND CONTINUED FLT ALONG THE BORDER WITH LNDG GEAR EXTENDED. AFTER A FEW MINUTES I OPENED THE CANOPY AND MOTIONED THE HELI Z TO MY RIGHT WING POSITION. AT THIS POINT BOTH ACFT WERE FOLLOWING ME. I ATTEMPTED TO SIGNAL THE HELI Z TO TUNE TO THE ALTERNATE VHF/AM FREQ. UP UNTIL NOW WE WERE USING THE PRIMARY TO TALK TO HIGH BIRD AND WERE NOT MONITORING THE ALTERNATE. I CONTACTED THE HELI Z AND EXPLAINED WHO WE WERE AND WHAT WE WERE DOING THERE. ABOUT THIS TIME, THE HIGH BIRD RADIOED TO TELL US THAT BORDER PATROL ACFT WERE FLYING IN THE AREA. THE 2 ACFT BROKE OFF AT ABOUT THIS TIME AND WE CONTINUED TO MONITOR BOTH FREQS. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. 3) ON TALKING TO THE MISSION COORDINATOR VIA LANDLINE, HE INFORMED ME THAT THEY WERE IN FACT BORDER PATROL ACFT AND THAT HE HAD HAD A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE WHILE FLYING IN THAT AREA. 4) BOTH ACFT WERE MONITORING OUR ALTERNATE FREQ BUT AS WE WERE USING THE PRIMARY, ALTERNATE WAS NOT TUNED IN. 5) PROCS HAVE PREVIOUSLY BEEN BRIEFED TO ATTEMPT TO GET THE NUMBER OF THE ACFT AND THEN TO DROP BACK AND MONITOR THE ACFT AS LONG AS POSSIBLE OR UNTIL CUSTOMS' ACFT ARRIVED. ON THIS PARTICULAR ACFT, I DID NOT SEE ANY NUMBERS WHICH FURTHER LED TO MY SUSPICIONS. 6) I BELIEVE THAT BETTER INTER-AGENCY COM, KNOWLEDGE OF OTHER AGENCY'S EQUIPMENT, AND MONITORING OF THE ALTERNATE FREQ WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS.

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.