Narrative:

Pilot was flying at sea from tuna boat. Was scheduled for landing in panama (61 days at sea). Had necessary maps, briefing, etc for operations into panama. Boat was informed while at sea, that due to possible 'coup attempt' by a panamanian force against the us recognized govt that a stay in panama was inadvisable, to say the least. So, the boat proceeded to ensenada, mexico to unload the tuna fish. En route to ensenada the boat experienced mechanical problems, was inoperative and was awaiting repairs south and west of ensenada. Pilot was told to bring helicopter to san for scheduled maintenance and give radio frequency for brown field, imperial beach and san FSS, but had no charts for the san-ensenada area. Pilot was briefed by ships navigator, and given a hand drawn map (navigator speaks spanish and marginal english. Pilot speaks english and marginal spanish) and told to fly east to the coast line, stay off shore and proceed north, and that the first islands en route would be the santos todas, and that the second islands would be the coronados. Told to climb to 1000' when approaching tijuana, mexico, contact FSS, descend back to 500' when contact was established, then contact imperial beach tower. Told to stay south of the us border, call brown tower and land at us customs for inspection. Sounded simple enough. Pilot departed ship. Followed instructions. Saw the first islands and turned north along the coast. Noticed a golf course and fancy homes along the coast line. He then decided that: 1) he was in a very affluent area of mexico, or 2) something had gone wrong and that he was somewhere close to san diego's coast line. Selected answer #2. Attempted to contact FSS, but no contact. Flew in the direction of coronados isles until he recognized tijuana, mexico. Attempted to call imperial beach tower, but no contact. Penetrated land at tijuana, mexico. Called brown tower at the 'bull ring.' followed instructions and landed at customs at brown field west/O further incident. Correction action: pilot is purchasing all charts available for any foreseeable area of operation. Pilot is attempting to improve his spanish.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE.

Narrative: PLT WAS FLYING AT SEA FROM TUNA BOAT. WAS SCHEDULED FOR LNDG IN PANAMA (61 DAYS AT SEA). HAD NECESSARY MAPS, BRIEFING, ETC FOR OPS INTO PANAMA. BOAT WAS INFORMED WHILE AT SEA, THAT DUE TO POSSIBLE 'COUP ATTEMPT' BY A PANAMANIAN FORCE AGAINST THE U.S. RECOGNIZED GOVT THAT A STAY IN PANAMA WAS INADVISABLE, TO SAY THE LEAST. SO, THE BOAT PROCEEDED TO ENSENADA, MEXICO TO UNLOAD THE TUNA FISH. ENRTE TO ENSENADA THE BOAT EXPERIENCED MECHANICAL PROBS, WAS INOP AND WAS AWAITING REPAIRS S AND W OF ENSENADA. PLT WAS TOLD TO BRING HELI TO SAN FOR SCHEDULED MAINT AND GIVE RADIO FREQ FOR BROWN FIELD, IMPERIAL BEACH AND SAN FSS, BUT HAD NO CHARTS FOR THE SAN-ENSENADA AREA. PLT WAS BRIEFED BY SHIPS NAVIGATOR, AND GIVEN A HAND DRAWN MAP (NAVIGATOR SPEAKS SPANISH AND MARGINAL ENGLISH. PLT SPEAKS ENGLISH AND MARGINAL SPANISH) AND TOLD TO FLY E TO THE COAST LINE, STAY OFF SHORE AND PROCEED N, AND THAT THE FIRST ISLANDS ENRTE WOULD BE THE SANTOS TODAS, AND THAT THE SECOND ISLANDS WOULD BE THE CORONADOS. TOLD TO CLB TO 1000' WHEN APCHING TIJUANA, MEXICO, CONTACT FSS, DSND BACK TO 500' WHEN CONTACT WAS ESTABLISHED, THEN CONTACT IMPERIAL BEACH TWR. TOLD TO STAY S OF THE U.S. BORDER, CALL BROWN TWR AND LAND AT U.S. CUSTOMS FOR INSPECTION. SOUNDED SIMPLE ENOUGH. PLT DEPARTED SHIP. FOLLOWED INSTRUCTIONS. SAW THE FIRST ISLANDS AND TURNED N ALONG THE COAST. NOTICED A GOLF COURSE AND FANCY HOMES ALONG THE COAST LINE. HE THEN DECIDED THAT: 1) HE WAS IN A VERY AFFLUENT AREA OF MEXICO, OR 2) SOMETHING HAD GONE WRONG AND THAT HE WAS SOMEWHERE CLOSE TO SAN DIEGO'S COAST LINE. SELECTED ANSWER #2. ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT FSS, BUT NO CONTACT. FLEW IN THE DIRECTION OF CORONADOS ISLES UNTIL HE RECOGNIZED TIJUANA, MEXICO. ATTEMPTED TO CALL IMPERIAL BEACH TWR, BUT NO CONTACT. PENETRATED LAND AT TIJUANA, MEXICO. CALLED BROWN TWR AT THE 'BULL RING.' FOLLOWED INSTRUCTIONS AND LANDED AT CUSTOMS AT BROWN FIELD W/O FURTHER INCIDENT. CORRECTION ACTION: PLT IS PURCHASING ALL CHARTS AVAILABLE FOR ANY FORESEEABLE AREA OF OPERATION. PLT IS ATTEMPTING TO IMPROVE HIS SPANISH.

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.