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Unites states customs alleges that amphibian scheduled passenger flight penetrated ADIZ with an inoperative transponder.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 191810 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199110 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zma |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zma |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Small Transport |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute : atlantic enroute : other oceanic |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 3900 flight time type : 600 |
| ASRS Report | 191810 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
Immediately after departure the captain of the flight requested from FSS activation of the VFR flight plan and asked for a transponder code required for inbound international flts to the united states. The captain got activation and a code. The code was entered in the transponder and the transponder was confirmed on and was receiving a reply. Upon arrival we cleared customs. 15 mins later we got a call from customs and a pursuit helicopter with customs arrival on the scene. They claimed we violated the ADIZ rules. We had no idea the transponder was intermittent or inoperative. In fact the day before the transponder was checked on the ground and found to be operationally satisfactory. 2 flts before we left the fll arsa and they did not have any complaints about our transponder. We are not required to contact miami ATC when landing at X44, miami seaplane base as long as we stay below the TCA floor. Miami international is very busy and when we do contact them (when TCA penetration is necessary) they are often too busy to be bothered with us. The best way to avoid this problem, is to contact a controling authority anyway (center, ATC) and verify radar contact. This will not work all the time however because flying VFR there are times when one can't climb high enough to contact a center frequency and/or radar contact. Oh well, hopefully the transponder will never fail. Also, FSS should have contacted ATC and let them know VFR traffic was coming in. Maybe FSS, ATC, and customs do not always communication.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: UNITES STATES CUSTOMS ALLEGES THAT AMPHIBIAN SCHEDULED PAX FLT PENETRATED ADIZ WITH AN INOPERATIVE TRANSPONDER.
Narrative: IMMEDIATELY AFTER DEP THE CAPT OF THE FLT REQUESTED FROM FSS ACTIVATION OF THE VFR FLT PLAN AND ASKED FOR A TRANSPONDER CODE REQUIRED FOR INBOUND INTL FLTS TO THE UNITED STATES. THE CAPT GOT ACTIVATION AND A CODE. THE CODE WAS ENTERED IN THE TRANSPONDER AND THE TRANSPONDER WAS CONFIRMED ON AND WAS RECEIVING A REPLY. UPON ARR WE CLRED CUSTOMS. 15 MINS LATER WE GOT A CALL FROM CUSTOMS AND A PURSUIT HELI WITH CUSTOMS ARR ON THE SCENE. THEY CLAIMED WE VIOLATED THE ADIZ RULES. WE HAD NO IDEA THE TRANSPONDER WAS INTERMITTENT OR INOP. IN FACT THE DAY BEFORE THE TRANSPONDER WAS CHKED ON THE GND AND FOUND TO BE OPERATIONALLY SATISFACTORY. 2 FLTS BEFORE WE LEFT THE FLL ARSA AND THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT OUR TRANSPONDER. WE ARE NOT REQUIRED TO CONTACT MIAMI ATC WHEN LNDG AT X44, MIAMI SEAPLANE BASE AS LONG AS WE STAY BELOW THE TCA FLOOR. MIAMI INTL IS VERY BUSY AND WHEN WE DO CONTACT THEM (WHEN TCA PENETRATION IS NECESSARY) THEY ARE OFTEN TOO BUSY TO BE BOTHERED WITH US. THE BEST WAY TO AVOID THIS PROBLEM, IS TO CONTACT A CTLING AUTHORITY ANYWAY (CENTER, ATC) AND VERIFY RADAR CONTACT. THIS WILL NOT WORK ALL THE TIME HOWEVER BECAUSE FLYING VFR THERE ARE TIMES WHEN ONE CAN'T CLB HIGH ENOUGH TO CONTACT A CENTER FREQ AND/OR RADAR CONTACT. OH WELL, HOPEFULLY THE TRANSPONDER WILL NEVER FAIL. ALSO, FSS SHOULD HAVE CONTACTED ATC AND LET THEM KNOW VFR TFC WAS COMING IN. MAYBE FSS, ATC, AND CUSTOMS DO NOT ALWAYS COM.
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.