Narrative:

We were entering the USA from mxl and understood we needed to clear USA customs at an airport of entry. We also understood that we had to give one hour advance notice to USA customs regarding our arrival, and that time had to be accurate +/- 15 mins. Thinking that calexico or yuma were such short flts, and not wishing to lose an hour on the ground, we asked mexican officials about filing a VFR flight plan directly for phoenix. That did not seem to pose a problem, and filed a flight plan mxl to phx. They said they relay the flight plan directly to san diego radio. (Unknowingly, of course, we had filed to an international airport but not an airport of entry for GA aircraft). We opened our flight plan 'mexicali to phoenix' with san diego. We asked if they would notify customs and they said they would do that. The situation at this point is that we are about to cross the border into the USA, happily squawking 1200 (mode C), and thinking all was in good order. We arrived at phoenix within 3 mins of flight-planned time and requested of prescott radio that our VFR flight plan be closed. We were told by prescott radio that they did not show the flight plan on file. We told them we were mexicali-phoenix and had to clear customs, and that we sure as hell hoped they had our flight plan somewhere. At that point we needed to work approach, and simply requested prescott radio to locate the flight plan and close it. Upon landing in phoenix, we taxied to customs, cleared with minimal delay, and were told we shouldn't have been there. We were also told that we would likely have to pay a gargantuan penalty for having made this error. I do not have a problem acknowledging that the final responsibility for filing for phoenix was mine, and I should have learned earlier that one couldn't just sail into an international airport with customs and clear there. On the other hand, san diego radio absolutely was aware of what was apparently an unusual request, or should have been, and could have simply said 'have you made special arrangements into phoenix?' or something similar. Essentially, I xed the ADIZ, squawked my way merrily to phoenix at 11500', with no flight plan apparently on file and heading for an unusual, if not illegal, destination. That is damned dangerous, and in retrospect frightens me even more. Flight service should routinely comment on any unusual flight planned GA entries into the USA from mexico. They should also have flight plans properly relayed and on file, more especially if they are 'unusual', upon arrival at the destination airport. Finally, if our job is to cooperate with mexico to prevent drugs crossing the border, would it not be a simple matter to donate some signs to the mexican border airports that specify USA aircraft must clear customs at 'one of the following airports of entry'.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT CROSSES ADIZ TO CLEAR CUSTOMS BEYOND BORDER AREA.

Narrative: WE WERE ENTERING THE USA FROM MXL AND UNDERSTOOD WE NEEDED TO CLR USA CUSTOMS AT AN ARPT OF ENTRY. WE ALSO UNDERSTOOD THAT WE HAD TO GIVE ONE HR ADVANCE NOTICE TO USA CUSTOMS REGARDING OUR ARR, AND THAT TIME HAD TO BE ACCURATE +/- 15 MINS. THINKING THAT CALEXICO OR YUMA WERE SUCH SHORT FLTS, AND NOT WISHING TO LOSE AN HR ON THE GND, WE ASKED MEXICAN OFFICIALS ABOUT FILING A VFR FLT PLAN DIRECTLY FOR PHOENIX. THAT DID NOT SEEM TO POSE A PROB, AND FILED A FLT PLAN MXL TO PHX. THEY SAID THEY RELAY THE FLT PLAN DIRECTLY TO SAN DIEGO RADIO. (UNKNOWINGLY, OF COURSE, WE HAD FILED TO AN INTL ARPT BUT NOT AN ARPT OF ENTRY FOR GA ACFT). WE OPENED OUR FLT PLAN 'MEXICALI TO PHOENIX' WITH SAN DIEGO. WE ASKED IF THEY WOULD NOTIFY CUSTOMS AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD DO THAT. THE SITUATION AT THIS POINT IS THAT WE ARE ABOUT TO CROSS THE BORDER INTO THE USA, HAPPILY SQUAWKING 1200 (MODE C), AND THINKING ALL WAS IN GOOD ORDER. WE ARRIVED AT PHOENIX WITHIN 3 MINS OF FLT-PLANNED TIME AND REQUESTED OF PRESCOTT RADIO THAT OUR VFR FLT PLAN BE CLOSED. WE WERE TOLD BY PRESCOTT RADIO THAT THEY DID NOT SHOW THE FLT PLAN ON FILE. WE TOLD THEM WE WERE MEXICALI-PHOENIX AND HAD TO CLR CUSTOMS, AND THAT WE SURE AS HELL HOPED THEY HAD OUR FLT PLAN SOMEWHERE. AT THAT POINT WE NEEDED TO WORK APCH, AND SIMPLY REQUESTED PRESCOTT RADIO TO LOCATE THE FLT PLAN AND CLOSE IT. UPON LNDG IN PHOENIX, WE TAXIED TO CUSTOMS, CLRED WITH MINIMAL DELAY, AND WERE TOLD WE SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THERE. WE WERE ALSO TOLD THAT WE WOULD LIKELY HAVE TO PAY A GARGANTUAN PENALTY FOR HAVING MADE THIS ERROR. I DO NOT HAVE A PROB ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THE FINAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR FILING FOR PHOENIX WAS MINE, AND I SHOULD HAVE LEARNED EARLIER THAT ONE COULDN'T JUST SAIL INTO AN INTL ARPT WITH CUSTOMS AND CLR THERE. ON THE OTHER HAND, SAN DIEGO RADIO ABSOLUTELY WAS AWARE OF WHAT WAS APPARENTLY AN UNUSUAL REQUEST, OR SHOULD HAVE BEEN, AND COULD HAVE SIMPLY SAID 'HAVE YOU MADE SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS INTO PHOENIX?' OR SOMETHING SIMILAR. ESSENTIALLY, I XED THE ADIZ, SQUAWKED MY WAY MERRILY TO PHOENIX AT 11500', WITH NO FLT PLAN APPARENTLY ON FILE AND HDG FOR AN UNUSUAL, IF NOT ILLEGAL, DEST. THAT IS DAMNED DANGEROUS, AND IN RETROSPECT FRIGHTENS ME EVEN MORE. FLT SVC SHOULD ROUTINELY COMMENT ON ANY UNUSUAL FLT PLANNED GA ENTRIES INTO THE USA FROM MEXICO. THEY SHOULD ALSO HAVE FLT PLANS PROPERLY RELAYED AND ON FILE, MORE ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE 'UNUSUAL', UPON ARR AT THE DEST ARPT. FINALLY, IF OUR JOB IS TO COOPERATE WITH MEXICO TO PREVENT DRUGS XING THE BORDER, WOULD IT NOT BE A SIMPLE MATTER TO DONATE SOME SIGNS TO THE MEXICAN BORDER ARPTS THAT SPECIFY USA ACFT MUST CLR CUSTOMS AT 'ONE OF THE FOLLOWING ARPTS OF ENTRY'.

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.