An small aircraft private pilot failed to make his border crossing as listed on his DVFR flight plan...

Attributes
ACN	246669
Time
Date	199307
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tus
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5500 msl bound upper : 5500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zab
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	DVR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 1200
ASRS Report	246669
Person 2
Affiliation	government other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was returning from ensenada, mexico to tucson, az, on DVFR flight plan. In mexico my money, credit cards, pilot license and medical certificate were stolen. The DVFR flight plan projected an arrival 1 hour off from the actual arrival. I had also telephoned the 1 hour off time to customs earlier in the day (5-6 hours earlier). I estimated an erroneous local arrival time because I failed to realize az time is different (not being on daylight savings time). I was in contact with center from a point shortly after penetration of the border. They did not have radio contact while I was in mexico, according to flight service. Customs did not complain about the time. Also, I was unable to show customs my license since it was stolen in mexico. I almost did not make it out of mexico because of lack of funds and credit cards. As for border penetration, I was lucky even to land at the airport on the flight plan as filed because of a line of 3-5 thunderstorms directly above the border for several hundred mi. Customs indicated another plane that had attempted to enter where I did had not risked the storms for the sake of customs and deviated to the west to yuma. It is a difficult decision to make when you do not know customs procedures (other than a possible $10,000 fine). Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was surprised that customs did not seem at all excited about the fact that he had no pilots certificate with him. They checked his customs sticker and license with their computer and sent him on his way.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PRIVATE PLT FAILED TO MAKE HIS BORDER XING AS LISTED ON HIS DVFR FLT PLAN. HE WAS FLYING WITHOUT HIS CERTIFICATES AS THEY WERE STOLEN IN MEXICO.

Narrative: I WAS RETURNING FROM ENSENADA, MEXICO TO TUCSON, AZ, ON DVFR FLT PLAN. IN MEXICO MY MONEY, CREDIT CARDS, PLT LICENSE AND MEDICAL CERTIFICATE WERE STOLEN. THE DVFR FLT PLAN PROJECTED AN ARR 1 HR OFF FROM THE ACTUAL ARR. I HAD ALSO TELEPHONED THE 1 HR OFF TIME TO CUSTOMS EARLIER IN THE DAY (5-6 HRS EARLIER). I ESTIMATED AN ERRONEOUS LCL ARR TIME BECAUSE I FAILED TO REALIZE AZ TIME IS DIFFERENT (NOT BEING ON DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME). I WAS IN CONTACT WITH CTR FROM A POINT SHORTLY AFTER PENETRATION OF THE BORDER. THEY DID NOT HAVE RADIO CONTACT WHILE I WAS IN MEXICO, ACCORDING TO FLT SVC. CUSTOMS DID NOT COMPLAIN ABOUT THE TIME. ALSO, I WAS UNABLE TO SHOW CUSTOMS MY LICENSE SINCE IT WAS STOLEN IN MEXICO. I ALMOST DID NOT MAKE IT OUT OF MEXICO BECAUSE OF LACK OF FUNDS AND CREDIT CARDS. AS FOR BORDER PENETRATION, I WAS LUCKY EVEN TO LAND AT THE ARPT ON THE FLT PLAN AS FILED BECAUSE OF A LINE OF 3-5 TSTMS DIRECTLY ABOVE THE BORDER FOR SEVERAL HUNDRED MI. CUSTOMS INDICATED ANOTHER PLANE THAT HAD ATTEMPTED TO ENTER WHERE I DID HAD NOT RISKED THE STORMS FOR THE SAKE OF CUSTOMS AND DEVIATED TO THE W TO YUMA. IT IS A DIFFICULT DECISION TO MAKE WHEN YOU DO NOT KNOW CUSTOMS PROCS (OTHER THAN A POSSIBLE $10,000 FINE). CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS SURPRISED THAT CUSTOMS DID NOT SEEM AT ALL EXCITED ABOUT THE FACT THAT HE HAD NO PLTS CERTIFICATE WITH HIM. THEY CHKED HIS CUSTOMS STICKER AND LICENSE WITH THEIR COMPUTER AND SENT HIM ON HIS WAY.

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.

An small aircraft private pilot failed to make his border crossing as listed on his DVFR flight plan. He was flying without his certificates as they were stolen in mexico.