Narrative:

After being vectored to the final approach course for the VOR-a approach at cno, we were cleared for the approach and advised to contact cno tower, which we did. We were advised to report the airport in sight. It was dusk/dark and hazy with marginal or less visibility, and before missed approach point we were told by tower to turn to a 180 degree heading, climb to 2500' and recontact ont approach, which we did. We were then advised we would be 'cleared for the visibility,' even though we requested the ILS because we were then questioning our VOR. We continued on vectors for the visibility, even when we had localizer and G/south indications, and landed on the visibility. We were directed to tower where met by local tower person and airport security who advised we had violated ont airspace and almost caused an accident, even though the tower was not aware of this. Then local police arrived, but did not talk to us. Apparently because we had come from sdm, near the mexican border, and my student had mumbled a reply, we were 'tagged as suspicious,' according to the very polite FAA tower person. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states part of problem was the proximity of departure airport to the mexican border. Somehow approach controller felt the student who was with reporter was not responding properly and was 'incoherent.' suspicion was that he was drunk and/or had 'stolen the aircraft.' reporter spoke to controller by phone and would not repeat to analyst some of the choice words used. Reporter mentioned to controller that they were on an IFR flight plan, so airspace responsibility was with ATC. Approach controller argued that when turned over to tower, IFR was terminated. Strange interpretation of procedures. Reporter said they filed IFR due to haze and dusk conditions, but felt due to controller attitude it didn't help much. Claims the reported 3 mi and 3000' was very questionable. The student was a very prominent citizen and was highly embarrassed, since his religion does not permit alcohol use; he had obviously not been drinking.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA MET BE ARPT SECURITY AND LCL POLICE AFTER LNDG, ACCUSED OF VIOLATING ARSA.

Narrative: AFTER BEING VECTORED TO THE FINAL APCH COURSE FOR THE VOR-A APCH AT CNO, WE WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH AND ADVISED TO CONTACT CNO TWR, WHICH WE DID. WE WERE ADVISED TO RPT THE ARPT IN SIGHT. IT WAS DUSK/DARK AND HAZY WITH MARGINAL OR LESS VISIBILITY, AND BEFORE MISSED APCH POINT WE WERE TOLD BY TWR TO TURN TO A 180 DEG HDG, CLB TO 2500' AND RECONTACT ONT APCH, WHICH WE DID. WE WERE THEN ADVISED WE WOULD BE 'CLRED FOR THE VIS,' EVEN THOUGH WE REQUESTED THE ILS BECAUSE WE WERE THEN QUESTIONING OUR VOR. WE CONTINUED ON VECTORS FOR THE VIS, EVEN WHEN WE HAD LOC AND G/S INDICATIONS, AND LANDED ON THE VIS. WE WERE DIRECTED TO TWR WHERE MET BY LCL TWR PERSON AND ARPT SECURITY WHO ADVISED WE HAD VIOLATED ONT AIRSPACE AND ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT, EVEN THOUGH THE TWR WAS NOT AWARE OF THIS. THEN LCL POLICE ARRIVED, BUT DID NOT TALK TO US. APPARENTLY BECAUSE WE HAD COME FROM SDM, NEAR THE MEXICAN BORDER, AND MY STUDENT HAD MUMBLED A REPLY, WE WERE 'TAGGED AS SUSPICIOUS,' ACCORDING TO THE VERY POLITE FAA TWR PERSON. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES PART OF PROB WAS THE PROX OF DEP ARPT TO THE MEXICAN BORDER. SOMEHOW APCH CTLR FELT THE STUDENT WHO WAS WITH RPTR WAS NOT RESPONDING PROPERLY AND WAS 'INCOHERENT.' SUSPICION WAS THAT HE WAS DRUNK AND/OR HAD 'STOLEN THE ACFT.' RPTR SPOKE TO CTLR BY PHONE AND WOULD NOT REPEAT TO ANALYST SOME OF THE CHOICE WORDS USED. RPTR MENTIONED TO CTLR THAT THEY WERE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN, SO AIRSPACE RESPONSIBILITY WAS WITH ATC. APCH CTLR ARGUED THAT WHEN TURNED OVER TO TWR, IFR WAS TERMINATED. STRANGE INTERP OF PROCS. RPTR SAID THEY FILED IFR DUE TO HAZE AND DUSK CONDITIONS, BUT FELT DUE TO CTLR ATTITUDE IT DIDN'T HELP MUCH. CLAIMS THE RPTED 3 MI AND 3000' WAS VERY QUESTIONABLE. THE STUDENT WAS A VERY PROMINENT CITIZEN AND WAS HIGHLY EMBARRASSED, SINCE HIS RELIGION DOES NOT PERMIT ALCOHOL USE; HE HAD OBVIOUSLY NOT BEEN DRINKING.

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.