Narrative:

While en route from orlando to stuart, fl, approximately 10 mi west of patrick AFB I looked out of my right rear window and found an small aircraft Y at me 4 O'clock position flying formation with me at distance of about 100' away. The dam Y maintained this position for several mins. How long this aircraft had been in this position prior to my seeing him I do not know. Several hours later it occurred to me that if I were slightly east of where I thought I was, I may have violated the patrick arsa, and ATC may have requested the small aircraft Y pilot to get my aircraft number. If this was in fact the case I have the following comments. I was flying a predictable course with mode C in operation. ATC should have tracked me for mi before I was in their area and determined that my aircraft was slightly to the east of it's proper course. No dangerous situation existed prior to the small aircraft Y coming in close proximity to my aircraft. If in fact I was too far east and had discovered this situation, I could easily have made a right turn to exit the arsa and if I had not seen the small aircraft Y we could well of had a midair collision. I am sure that the patrick arsa is violated frequently as it is new and pilots that have been flying the east coast for yrs have to reckon with the change. This was not true in my case. I knew it was there and was sure I was far enough away. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. The reporter is not sure about the arsa. Says he thought he saw one on a sectional chart and seems to remember receiving a notice from the FAA that cof now has an arsa. Perhaps he received a notice of proposed change. He has to date not received any notice of investigation from the FAA.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA PLT SUSPECTS HE MIGHT HAVE PENETRATED CTLED AIRSPACE WITHOUT A CLRNC. HE REFERS TO A COF ARSA THAT DOES NOT EXIST AT THIS TIME.

Narrative: WHILE ENRTE FROM ORLANDO TO STUART, FL, APPROX 10 MI W OF PATRICK AFB I LOOKED OUT OF MY R REAR WINDOW AND FOUND AN SMA Y AT ME 4 O'CLOCK POS FLYING FORMATION WITH ME AT DISTANCE OF ABOUT 100' AWAY. THE DAM Y MAINTAINED THIS POS FOR SEVERAL MINS. HOW LONG THIS ACFT HAD BEEN IN THIS POS PRIOR TO MY SEEING HIM I DO NOT KNOW. SEVERAL HRS LATER IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT IF I WERE SLIGHTLY E OF WHERE I THOUGHT I WAS, I MAY HAVE VIOLATED THE PATRICK ARSA, AND ATC MAY HAVE REQUESTED THE SMA Y PLT TO GET MY ACFT NUMBER. IF THIS WAS IN FACT THE CASE I HAVE THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS. I WAS FLYING A PREDICTABLE COURSE WITH MODE C IN OPERATION. ATC SHOULD HAVE TRACKED ME FOR MI BEFORE I WAS IN THEIR AREA AND DETERMINED THAT MY ACFT WAS SLIGHTLY TO THE E OF IT'S PROPER COURSE. NO DANGEROUS SITUATION EXISTED PRIOR TO THE SMA Y COMING IN CLOSE PROX TO MY ACFT. IF IN FACT I WAS TOO FAR E AND HAD DISCOVERED THIS SITUATION, I COULD EASILY HAVE MADE A R TURN TO EXIT THE ARSA AND IF I HAD NOT SEEN THE SMA Y WE COULD WELL OF HAD A MIDAIR COLLISION. I AM SURE THAT THE PATRICK ARSA IS VIOLATED FREQUENTLY AS IT IS NEW AND PLTS THAT HAVE BEEN FLYING THE E COAST FOR YRS HAVE TO RECKON WITH THE CHANGE. THIS WAS NOT TRUE IN MY CASE. I KNEW IT WAS THERE AND WAS SURE I WAS FAR ENOUGH AWAY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. THE RPTR IS NOT SURE ABOUT THE ARSA. SAYS HE THOUGHT HE SAW ONE ON A SECTIONAL CHART AND SEEMS TO REMEMBER RECEIVING A NOTICE FROM THE FAA THAT COF NOW HAS AN ARSA. PERHAPS HE RECEIVED A NOTICE OF PROPOSED CHANGE. HE HAS TO DATE NOT RECEIVED ANY NOTICE OF INVESTIGATION FROM THE FAA.

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.