Narrative:

I was on the final leg of a ferry flight in an small aircraft X from arkansas to wonderboom, south africa. It was my first international ferry flight and I was following an experienced ferry pilot of 6 yrs experience who was flying small aircraft Y. After we were airborne I queried my flight leader as to how he had filed the flight plan (he had woken me up and I had assumed he'd filed). He replied with, 'what flight plan?' I asked if it was permissible for this flight to occur west/O one, knowing full well it wasn't, as we would cross 2 international borders. He said he'd file (air file) in a bit on the HF which only he carried, as well as the sat navigation. Later on he said he could not raise anyone, so we'd just proceed VFR. I proceeded with images of mirages coming alongside. Later, we talked with gaborome approach when we reached their fir. They never mentioned anything about flight plans or border xings. They gave us a frequency to contact johannesburg approach after we left their fir at 25 NM out. Jnb queried me on our flight plan when we contacted them. I asked my flight leader on #2 radio, and he just said that we were VFR and could not previously raise them. I replied that I could not contact anyone on phone or radio and was VFR. They replied with, 'you have violated international airspace...' on the ground at my destination, the tower requested by presence after clearing customs. In the tower, I was handed a phone with someone from jnb approach. They asked for my company name, phone # and my name. I asked if the FAA would be notified of this event, being concerned of certificate action. They did not know. The moral of this story is not to blindly follow a flight leader. If you don't like the look of things, turn around.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OPERATING INTERNATIONAL SMA DELIVERY TO AFRICA DOES NOT FILE FLT PLAN, CROSSES NATIONAL BORDERS.

Narrative: I WAS ON THE FINAL LEG OF A FERRY FLT IN AN SMA X FROM ARKANSAS TO WONDERBOOM, SOUTH AFRICA. IT WAS MY FIRST INTL FERRY FLT AND I WAS FOLLOWING AN EXPERIENCED FERRY PLT OF 6 YRS EXPERIENCE WHO WAS FLYING SMA Y. AFTER WE WERE AIRBORNE I QUERIED MY FLT LEADER AS TO HOW HE HAD FILED THE FLT PLAN (HE HAD WOKEN ME UP AND I HAD ASSUMED HE'D FILED). HE REPLIED WITH, 'WHAT FLT PLAN?' I ASKED IF IT WAS PERMISSIBLE FOR THIS FLT TO OCCUR W/O ONE, KNOWING FULL WELL IT WASN'T, AS WE WOULD CROSS 2 INTL BORDERS. HE SAID HE'D FILE (AIR FILE) IN A BIT ON THE HF WHICH ONLY HE CARRIED, AS WELL AS THE SAT NAV. LATER ON HE SAID HE COULD NOT RAISE ANYONE, SO WE'D JUST PROCEED VFR. I PROCEEDED WITH IMAGES OF MIRAGES COMING ALONGSIDE. LATER, WE TALKED WITH GABOROME APCH WHEN WE REACHED THEIR FIR. THEY NEVER MENTIONED ANYTHING ABOUT FLT PLANS OR BORDER XINGS. THEY GAVE US A FREQ TO CONTACT JOHANNESBURG APCH AFTER WE LEFT THEIR FIR AT 25 NM OUT. JNB QUERIED ME ON OUR FLT PLAN WHEN WE CONTACTED THEM. I ASKED MY FLT LEADER ON #2 RADIO, AND HE JUST SAID THAT WE WERE VFR AND COULD NOT PREVIOUSLY RAISE THEM. I REPLIED THAT I COULD NOT CONTACT ANYONE ON PHONE OR RADIO AND WAS VFR. THEY REPLIED WITH, 'YOU HAVE VIOLATED INTL AIRSPACE...' ON THE GND AT MY DEST, THE TWR REQUESTED BY PRESENCE AFTER CLRING CUSTOMS. IN THE TWR, I WAS HANDED A PHONE WITH SOMEONE FROM JNB APCH. THEY ASKED FOR MY COMPANY NAME, PHONE # AND MY NAME. I ASKED IF THE FAA WOULD BE NOTIFIED OF THIS EVENT, BEING CONCERNED OF CERTIFICATE ACTION. THEY DID NOT KNOW. THE MORAL OF THIS STORY IS NOT TO BLINDLY FOLLOW A FLT LEADER. IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE LOOK OF THINGS, TURN AROUND.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.