Narrative:

On oct/fri/91 I was in violation of the ADIZ off the coast of the florida keys. To begin, I was hired to fly a 2 hour photographic tour of the keys. After departing mth en route to eyw in an small aircraft, I was asked if it would be possible to fly off the coast of key west to search for the cuban brother of one of my passenger, who left cuba by raft that same morning. Once off the coast of key west I proceeded to track outbound from the eyw VOR on the 150 degree radial until reaching the 35 NM DME. Then, after having no success locating their raft, I returned to a heading of 040 and began to return to mth. On the return trip I changed headings in a zigzag pattern in hopes that we could spot any refugees. When I was approximately 30 NM south of mth, heading directly to the airport, I was intercepted by 1 navy fgt who escorted me to mth. Once at mth I was followed to the ramp by a united states customs aircraft. The customs agents check all of the aircraft documents, took information from my pilot certificate and medical and searched the aircraft. After explaining to the customs agents what had happened they said they were not going to violate me, but told me navy key west said they were going to pursue the issue. At this point I do not believe I was in violation of the ADIZ along the 24 degree parallel. The united states customs agents I spoke to said they did not have me out as far as navy key west radar had me out. Which was 5 mi south of the 24 degree parallel. Because I did not expect to cross the ADIZ I did not file a DVFR flight plan. I did contact navy approach after being intercepted by the navy fgt and advised them of my intentions. My decision not to file a DVFR flight plan was in poor judgement but I was aware of the ADIZ location and had no intention to violate it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA UNAUTHORIZED PENETRATION OF ADIZ SW OF EYW.

Narrative: ON OCT/FRI/91 I WAS IN VIOLATION OF THE ADIZ OFF THE COAST OF THE FLORIDA KEYS. TO BEGIN, I WAS HIRED TO FLY A 2 HR PHOTOGRAPHIC TOUR OF THE KEYS. AFTER DEPARTING MTH ENRTE TO EYW IN AN SMA, I WAS ASKED IF IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO FLY OFF THE COAST OF KEY WEST TO SEARCH FOR THE CUBAN BROTHER OF ONE OF MY PAX, WHO LEFT CUBA BY RAFT THAT SAME MORNING. ONCE OFF THE COAST OF KEY WEST I PROCEEDED TO TRACK OUTBOUND FROM THE EYW VOR ON THE 150 DEG RADIAL UNTIL REACHING THE 35 NM DME. THEN, AFTER HAVING NO SUCCESS LOCATING THEIR RAFT, I RETURNED TO A HDG OF 040 AND BEGAN TO RETURN TO MTH. ON THE RETURN TRIP I CHANGED HDGS IN A ZIGZAG PATTERN IN HOPES THAT WE COULD SPOT ANY REFUGEES. WHEN I WAS APPROX 30 NM S OF MTH, HDG DIRECTLY TO THE ARPT, I WAS INTERCEPTED BY 1 NAVY FGT WHO ESCORTED ME TO MTH. ONCE AT MTH I WAS FOLLOWED TO THE RAMP BY A UNITED STATES CUSTOMS ACFT. THE CUSTOMS AGENTS CHK ALL OF THE ACFT DOCUMENTS, TOOK INFO FROM MY PLT CERTIFICATE AND MEDICAL AND SEARCHED THE ACFT. AFTER EXPLAINING TO THE CUSTOMS AGENTS WHAT HAD HAPPENED THEY SAID THEY WERE NOT GOING TO VIOLATE ME, BUT TOLD ME NAVY KEY WEST SAID THEY WERE GOING TO PURSUE THE ISSUE. AT THIS POINT I DO NOT BELIEVE I WAS IN VIOLATION OF THE ADIZ ALONG THE 24 DEG PARALLEL. THE UNITED STATES CUSTOMS AGENTS I SPOKE TO SAID THEY DID NOT HAVE ME OUT AS FAR AS NAVY KEY WEST RADAR HAD ME OUT. WHICH WAS 5 MI S OF THE 24 DEG PARALLEL. BECAUSE I DID NOT EXPECT TO CROSS THE ADIZ I DID NOT FILE A DVFR FLT PLAN. I DID CONTACT NAVY APCH AFTER BEING INTERCEPTED BY THE NAVY FGT AND ADVISED THEM OF MY INTENTIONS. MY DECISION NOT TO FILE A DVFR FLT PLAN WAS IN POOR JUDGEMENT BUT I WAS AWARE OF THE ADIZ LOCATION AND HAD NO INTENTION TO VIOLATE IT.

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.