Narrative:

I was returning from an offshore oil platform 100 mi off the coast of la. After crossing the beach about 10 mi inland, a military fgt passed about 200' off my left side, flying the same altitude and heading about 50 KTS faster than I. I advised the company I work for that an fgt had just passed me. I was asked by another pilot working for the same company what my transponder was set on. At that time I noticed was squawking 1200 instead of the secret drug code D.east.a. Had requested we squawk to assist them in drug enforcement. I can only assume that squawking standard VFR code is why I was intercepted. Contributing factors: 1) the helicopter I normally fly was just traded by the aviation company for the one I was intercepted in. In the other helicopter, I had the required code set in the transponder. During the trade I had not thought of checking the transponder on the new helicopter since we are all supposed to be on the same code. 2) the transponder is located on the INS panel in such a way that the pilot has to turn sideways and bend over to the copilot seat to read the code. This has been written up by several pilots already because of the vertigo induced tendency that arises when changing codes in flight. Several pilots have sent hazardous reports to our company requesting the re-location of the transponder. I believe that had the transponder been located in a position where a normal scan would have picked up the transponder, the code would have been changed. 3) while flying on landing, ATC sometimes asked the pilot to squawk 1200, but never says to return to requested D.east.a. Code to assist D.east.a. This procedure will lead to many more similar incidents. On land ATC says what code to squawk, what code to change to and advises pilot to change or check transponder. I would suggest that a simple 'check transponder' call maybe by ATC, or in our case, our company whenever crossing the beach. The code is kept secret, other pilots on the same frequency are reminded, D.east.a. Is assisted and military intercepts are reduced. We have to call 'beach out' or 'beach in' whenever we cross the beach, anyway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ROTARY WING PLT CITES ATC PROC AND ACFT EQUIPMENT DESIGN AS CAUSE FOR IMPROPER TRANSPONDER CODE SETTING IN ADIZ AIR INTERCEPT MANEUVER.

Narrative: I WAS RETURNING FROM AN OFFSHORE OIL PLATFORM 100 MI OFF THE COAST OF LA. AFTER XING THE BEACH ABOUT 10 MI INLAND, A MIL FGT PASSED ABOUT 200' OFF MY LEFT SIDE, FLYING THE SAME ALT AND HDG ABOUT 50 KTS FASTER THAN I. I ADVISED THE COMPANY I WORK FOR THAT AN FGT HAD JUST PASSED ME. I WAS ASKED BY ANOTHER PLT WORKING FOR THE SAME COMPANY WHAT MY XPONDER WAS SET ON. AT THAT TIME I NOTICED WAS SQUAWKING 1200 INSTEAD OF THE SECRET DRUG CODE D.E.A. HAD REQUESTED WE SQUAWK TO ASSIST THEM IN DRUG ENFORCEMENT. I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT SQUAWKING STANDARD VFR CODE IS WHY I WAS INTERCEPTED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) THE HELI I NORMALLY FLY WAS JUST TRADED BY THE AVIATION COMPANY FOR THE ONE I WAS INTERCEPTED IN. IN THE OTHER HELI, I HAD THE REQUIRED CODE SET IN THE XPONDER. DURING THE TRADE I HAD NOT THOUGHT OF CHKING THE XPONDER ON THE NEW HELI SINCE WE ARE ALL SUPPOSED TO BE ON THE SAME CODE. 2) THE XPONDER IS LOCATED ON THE INS PANEL IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE PLT HAS TO TURN SIDEWAYS AND BEND OVER TO THE COPLT SEAT TO READ THE CODE. THIS HAS BEEN WRITTEN UP BY SEVERAL PLTS ALREADY BECAUSE OF THE VERTIGO INDUCED TENDENCY THAT ARISES WHEN CHANGING CODES IN FLT. SEVERAL PLTS HAVE SENT HAZARDOUS RPTS TO OUR COMPANY REQUESTING THE RE-LOCATION OF THE XPONDER. I BELIEVE THAT HAD THE XPONDER BEEN LOCATED IN A POS WHERE A NORMAL SCAN WOULD HAVE PICKED UP THE XPONDER, THE CODE WOULD HAVE BEEN CHANGED. 3) WHILE FLYING ON LNDG, ATC SOMETIMES ASKED THE PLT TO SQUAWK 1200, BUT NEVER SAYS TO RETURN TO REQUESTED D.E.A. CODE TO ASSIST D.E.A. THIS PROC WILL LEAD TO MANY MORE SIMILAR INCIDENTS. ON LAND ATC SAYS WHAT CODE TO SQUAWK, WHAT CODE TO CHANGE TO AND ADVISES PLT TO CHANGE OR CHK XPONDER. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT A SIMPLE 'CHK XPONDER' CALL MAYBE BY ATC, OR IN OUR CASE, OUR COMPANY WHENEVER XING THE BEACH. THE CODE IS KEPT SECRET, OTHER PLTS ON THE SAME FREQ ARE REMINDED, D.E.A. IS ASSISTED AND MIL INTERCEPTS ARE REDUCED. WE HAVE TO CALL 'BEACH OUT' OR 'BEACH IN' WHENEVER WE CROSS THE BEACH, ANYWAY.

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.