Proximity of mexican airspace.

Attributes
ACN	209494
Time
Date	199205
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : e14
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6500 msl bound upper : 6500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zab
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Experimental
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 15
ASRS Report	209494
Person 2
Affiliation	government other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Experimental airplane. Departed aura valley airport (E14) at XY45 am local to fly off test hours on experimental airplane. Time on airplane approximately 15 hours. LORAN tuned to aura valley airport. Flew south to town of green valley approximately 30 mi south of aura valley. Did some sight seeing and departed green valley due west at 6500 ft performing various speed and load checks on the airplane. Strong southeast winds at 25 KTS plus my concentration on the flight test led me to be 70 NM from aura valley on the (approximately) 235 degree radial. This was outside of my flight test area so I flew the arc north for 15 or 20 mins then headed back to aura valley. When I landed I was met by numerous drug agents heavily armed. These men wanted to know why I had been to mexico. I was surprised because I didn't think I had been in mexico or within 20 mi of the border. The dea gave me a verbal warning and I'm still not sure I was in mexico, but, there is sufficient confusion to warrant this notification for a possible navigation violation. If in fact I was in violation of the ADIZ, it was a failure on my part to properly back up a LORAN with good dr skills and my concentration on the flight test parameters in a very fast airplane.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PROX OF MEXICAN AIRSPACE.

Narrative: EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE. DEPARTED AURA VALLEY ARPT (E14) AT XY45 AM LCL TO FLY OFF TEST HRS ON EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE. TIME ON AIRPLANE APPROX 15 HRS. LORAN TUNED TO AURA VALLEY ARPT. FLEW S TO TOWN OF GREEN VALLEY APPROX 30 MI S OF AURA VALLEY. DID SOME SIGHT SEEING AND DEPARTED GREEN VALLEY DUE W AT 6500 FT PERFORMING VARIOUS SPD AND LOAD CHKS ON THE AIRPLANE. STRONG SE WINDS AT 25 KTS PLUS MY CONCENTRATION ON THE FLT TEST LED ME TO BE 70 NM FROM AURA VALLEY ON THE (APPROX) 235 DEG RADIAL. THIS WAS OUTSIDE OF MY FLT TEST AREA SO I FLEW THE ARC N FOR 15 OR 20 MINS THEN HEADED BACK TO AURA VALLEY. WHEN I LANDED I WAS MET BY NUMEROUS DRUG AGENTS HEAVILY ARMED. THESE MEN WANTED TO KNOW WHY I HAD BEEN TO MEXICO. I WAS SURPRISED BECAUSE I DIDN'T THINK I HAD BEEN IN MEXICO OR WITHIN 20 MI OF THE BORDER. THE DEA GAVE ME A VERBAL WARNING AND I'M STILL NOT SURE I WAS IN MEXICO, BUT, THERE IS SUFFICIENT CONFUSION TO WARRANT THIS NOTIFICATION FOR A POSSIBLE NAV VIOLATION. IF IN FACT I WAS IN VIOLATION OF THE ADIZ, IT WAS A FAILURE ON MY PART TO PROPERLY BACK UP A LORAN WITH GOOD DR SKILLS AND MY CONCENTRATION ON THE FLT TEST PARAMETERS IN A VERY FAST AIRPLANE.

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.