A private small aircraft crossed the us mexican border with small 'north' numbers.

Attributes
ACN	269879
Time
Date	199404
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cxl
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dfw
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	other other
Flight Plan	DVR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 1600
ASRS Report	268879
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa 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:

Having cleared mexican customs at loreto, back course, mex, we flew north toward ensenada, back course, mexico. We intended to refuel and paint 12 inch numbers on the aircraft for the border crossing. However, a radio report of rain made us divert to an alternate, calexico, ca., USA. The concerns of fuel amount and the 1 hour (minus 0 plus 15 mins) notice for us customs was enough pressure to make us forget to paint the numbers on our aircraft. Large 'north' numbers don't stop drugs flowing into the united states. The 1 hour (minus 0 plus 15 mins) rule is stupid at a customs office like calexico that is manned during all normal hours. We need a direct aircraft radio frequency to customs to help stop this nonsense. People who present their aircraft for inspection to us customs aren't drug smugglers. Let's stop this waste of time.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PVT SMA CROSSED THE U.S. MEXICAN BORDER WITH SMALL 'N' NUMBERS.

Narrative: HAVING CLRED MEXICAN CUSTOMS AT LORETO, BC, MEX, WE FLEW N TOWARD ENSENADA, BC, MEXICO. WE INTENDED TO REFUEL AND PAINT 12 INCH NUMBERS ON THE ACFT FOR THE BORDER XING. HOWEVER, A RADIO RPT OF RAIN MADE US DIVERT TO AN ALTERNATE, CALEXICO, CA., USA. THE CONCERNS OF FUEL AMOUNT AND THE 1 HR (MINUS 0 PLUS 15 MINS) NOTICE FOR U.S. CUSTOMS WAS ENOUGH PRESSURE TO MAKE US FORGET TO PAINT THE NUMBERS ON OUR ACFT. LARGE 'N' NUMBERS DON'T STOP DRUGS FLOWING INTO THE UNITED STATES. THE 1 HR (MINUS 0 PLUS 15 MINS) RULE IS STUPID AT A CUSTOMS OFFICE LIKE CALEXICO THAT IS MANNED DURING ALL NORMAL HRS. WE NEED A DIRECT ACFT RADIO FREQ TO CUSTOMS TO HELP STOP THIS NONSENSE. PEOPLE WHO PRESENT THEIR ACFT FOR INSPECTION TO U.S. CUSTOMS AREN'T DRUG SMUGGLERS. LET'S STOP THIS WASTE OF TIME.

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.