Narrative:

While on a flight from calexico, ca, to el monte, ca, in my small aircraft I was intercepted by a USA customs service small transport jet. I was about 10 mi south of palomar mountain at 8500 ft. I feel the intercept was completed in an unsafe manner. My first indication of the intercept was when my front seat passenger stated 'there is an airplane right underneath us.' I looked out and was able to see the small transport's wings on both sides of my aircraft in line with my airplanes horizontal stabilizer. The tail of the small transport Y was in line and above the tail of my airplane. The distance between the 2 aircraft was no more then 40 ft. My passengers and I were very startled that the USA custom's small transport jet would fly so close in a blind spot. At this time I took immediate evasive action, flying up and to the left. It is my understanding that in peace time an intercepted aircraft will be idented by type only. The small transport was close enough to not only read my large identification numbers but also the small identification numbers on my tail. After the intercept the small transport flew alongside the passenger side of my airplane for about 30 seconds before departing to the east. I tried to contact the small transport on the air to air frequency of 122.75 but to no avail. It is my feeling that the intercept was completed in a very unsafe manner endangering my aircraft, passengers and myself. It is also my feeling that the intercept was in violation of far 91 operating near other aircraft and section 10 paragraph 431 intercept procedures. My passengers and I were placed in danger and were very startled. At this time I am not interested in filing a formal complaint, however I would appreciate an explanation within the next 3 weeks of why this type of maneuvering is necessary. Cc. NTSB, us customs service, NASA flight safety reports. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter states he has received a reply from customs and that they are exempt from the FARS. They do not deny the intercept. They have 'super' pilots who know how to handle their aircraft. When asked why they needed to fly so close (they were about 10 ft below) reporter was told they have very sophisticated equipment on board to determine if drugs are carried. Stated that reporter aircraft looked like a pop up and was in an area used by drug runners. This doesn't make him feel any better about the situation. Still feels it is an unsafe procedure.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA AT CRUISE HAS CUSTOMS INTERCEPT ACFT MANEUVER 10 FT BELOW AND REARWARD. NO CONTACT.

Narrative: WHILE ON A FLT FROM CALEXICO, CA, TO EL MONTE, CA, IN MY SMA I WAS INTERCEPTED BY A USA CUSTOMS SVC SMT JET. I WAS ABOUT 10 MI S OF PALOMAR MOUNTAIN AT 8500 FT. I FEEL THE INTERCEPT WAS COMPLETED IN AN UNSAFE MANNER. MY FIRST INDICATION OF THE INTERCEPT WAS WHEN MY FRONT SEAT PAX STATED 'THERE IS AN AIRPLANE RIGHT UNDERNEATH US.' I LOOKED OUT AND WAS ABLE TO SEE THE SMT'S WINGS ON BOTH SIDES OF MY ACFT IN LINE WITH MY AIRPLANES HORIZ STABILIZER. THE TAIL OF THE SMT Y WAS IN LINE AND ABOVE THE TAIL OF MY AIRPLANE. THE DISTANCE BTWN THE 2 ACFT WAS NO MORE THEN 40 FT. MY PAXS AND I WERE VERY STARTLED THAT THE USA CUSTOM'S SMT JET WOULD FLY SO CLOSE IN A BLIND SPOT. AT THIS TIME I TOOK IMMEDIATE EVASIVE ACTION, FLYING UP AND TO THE L. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IN PEACE TIME AN INTERCEPTED ACFT WILL BE IDENTED BY TYPE ONLY. THE SMT WAS CLOSE ENOUGH TO NOT ONLY READ MY LARGE IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS BUT ALSO THE SMALL IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS ON MY TAIL. AFTER THE INTERCEPT THE SMT FLEW ALONGSIDE THE PAX SIDE OF MY AIRPLANE FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS BEFORE DEPARTING TO THE E. I TRIED TO CONTACT THE SMT ON THE AIR TO AIR FREQ OF 122.75 BUT TO NO AVAIL. IT IS MY FEELING THAT THE INTERCEPT WAS COMPLETED IN A VERY UNSAFE MANNER ENDANGERING MY ACFT, PAXS AND MYSELF. IT IS ALSO MY FEELING THAT THE INTERCEPT WAS IN VIOLATION OF FAR 91 OPERATING NEAR OTHER ACFT AND SECTION 10 PARAGRAPH 431 INTERCEPT PROCS. MY PAXS AND I WERE PLACED IN DANGER AND WERE VERY STARTLED. AT THIS TIME I AM NOT INTERESTED IN FILING A FORMAL COMPLAINT, HOWEVER I WOULD APPRECIATE AN EXPLANATION WITHIN THE NEXT 3 WEEKS OF WHY THIS TYPE OF MANEUVERING IS NECESSARY. CC. NTSB, U.S. CUSTOMS SVC, NASA FLT SAFETY RPTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATES HE HAS RECEIVED A REPLY FROM CUSTOMS AND THAT THEY ARE EXEMPT FROM THE FARS. THEY DO NOT DENY THE INTERCEPT. THEY HAVE 'SUPER' PLTS WHO KNOW HOW TO HANDLE THEIR ACFT. WHEN ASKED WHY THEY NEEDED TO FLY SO CLOSE (THEY WERE ABOUT 10 FT BELOW) RPTR WAS TOLD THEY HAVE VERY SOPHISTICATED EQUIP ON BOARD TO DETERMINE IF DRUGS ARE CARRIED. STATED THAT RPTR ACFT LOOKED LIKE A POP UP AND WAS IN AN AREA USED BY DRUG RUNNERS. THIS DOESN'T MAKE HIM FEEL ANY BETTER ABOUT THE SITUATION. STILL FEELS IT IS AN UNSAFE PROC.

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.