Narrative:

Inbound to brown field from ensenada, mexico, I had attempted to call the us FSS on 122.4 to file a flight plan to alert us customs of my ETA at brown field. Was unable to raise the FSS at 4500' before landing for fuel, even though I heard other aircraft near the border transmitting (in hindsight, I should have relayed through one of them, as I did later for someone else). I was unable to meet the advance notice custom's requirement. The customs inspector wasn't interested. He only said that there would be a penalty and my explanations would be of no use. I was arriving from ensenada, mexico. Customs, using flight plans via FSS, requires a 1 hour notification before arrival and the arrival must be +/-15 mins of the ets. I was right on for the ETA. Fueling and filing a mexican flight plan to the border was a nightmare. The ensenada military people would not accept traveler's checks. Scrounging through all of our hiding spots for cash, the fuel bill got paid but I did not have the $3 for the flight plan. After borrowing $3 from a transient american, I was off ensenada. The mexican flight plan had on it, 'notify us customs.' I did not know that their flight plans do not get electronically forwarded. I could not raise the FSS until inbound to tijuana. I could not stop at tijuana to wait because my mexican flight plan had me going to brown field.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA PLT ARRIVES IN BROWN FIELD, CA FROM MEXICO,BUT CUSTOMS HAD NOT RECEIVED PRIOR NOTIFICATION.

Narrative: INBND TO BROWN FIELD FROM ENSENADA, MEXICO, I HAD ATTEMPTED TO CALL THE U.S. FSS ON 122.4 TO FILE A FLT PLAN TO ALERT U.S. CUSTOMS OF MY ETA AT BROWN FIELD. WAS UNABLE TO RAISE THE FSS AT 4500' BEFORE LNDG FOR FUEL, EVEN THOUGH I HEARD OTHER ACFT NEAR THE BORDER XMITTING (IN HINDSIGHT, I SHOULD HAVE RELAYED THROUGH ONE OF THEM, AS I DID LATER FOR SOMEONE ELSE). I WAS UNABLE TO MEET THE ADVANCE NOTICE CUSTOM'S REQUIREMENT. THE CUSTOMS INSPECTOR WASN'T INTERESTED. HE ONLY SAID THAT THERE WOULD BE A PENALTY AND MY EXPLANATIONS WOULD BE OF NO USE. I WAS ARRIVING FROM ENSENADA, MEXICO. CUSTOMS, USING FLT PLANS VIA FSS, REQUIRES A 1 HR NOTIFICATION BEFORE ARR AND THE ARR MUST BE +/-15 MINS OF THE ETS. I WAS RIGHT ON FOR THE ETA. FUELING AND FILING A MEXICAN FLT PLAN TO THE BORDER WAS A NIGHTMARE. THE ENSENADA MIL PEOPLE WOULD NOT ACCEPT TRAVELER'S CHKS. SCROUNGING THROUGH ALL OF OUR HIDING SPOTS FOR CASH, THE FUEL BILL GOT PAID BUT I DID NOT HAVE THE $3 FOR THE FLT PLAN. AFTER BORROWING $3 FROM A TRANSIENT AMERICAN, I WAS OFF ENSENADA. THE MEXICAN FLT PLAN HAD ON IT, 'NOTIFY U.S. CUSTOMS.' I DID NOT KNOW THAT THEIR FLT PLANS DO NOT GET ELECTRONICALLY FORWARDED. I COULD NOT RAISE THE FSS UNTIL INBND TO TIJUANA. I COULD NOT STOP AT TIJUANA TO WAIT BECAUSE MY MEXICAN FLT PLAN HAD ME GOING TO BROWN FIELD.

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.