Narrative:

On a business flight from N88 to ottawa, ontario, and then returning to N88 (picking up some special pathogen-free eggs for vaccine research, I'm a virologist with a major vaccine producer and hence the importance of the mission). We had to stop at syr to clear united states customs. On approach frequency we heard incoming aircraft report light ice (rime) from 4000-2000 ft MSL. Syr approach cleared us (thanks, guys!) for a banzai intercept of the ILS to minimize exposure to the ice. Nevertheless, we picked up approximately 1/4 inch -- enough to obscure the windshield. After an uneventful landing we cleared customs in freezing drizzle. Prudence dictated we not attempt to climb back out of syr in the drizzle so we rented a car and drove our eggs back to N88 and on to the lab (these were fertilized eggs that had to be kept warm, hence the urgency). Next day, I drove back to syr and flew out through a nice big hole of blue sky (only after $168 worth of glycol to get rid of the 1/2 inch of ice). On return to doylestown I called united states customs at phl to see if this had truly been necessary. Had to talk to 3 different people to get a straight answer, but it turns out that the 'clear customs at first site after border crossing' rule applies only to the southern border -- not the canadian border! I read all the aviation literature avidly and had seen all the admonishments about fines and other nastiness from united states customs if one fails to follow the rules. Never saw anything about a distinction between the mexican/caribbean and canadian borders. The first 2 folks at phl hadn't, either! The 'now you see, timmy' (the end of each episode of lassie where we learn the day's lesson) is, know the rules! I got myself in a potentially dangerous situation (driving back and forth on I81 is at least as bad as an icy ILS) because I believe that I was obliged to deal with customs at syr. In fact, I could have gone to phl, only 30 mi further south of N88 where it was VFR. This obviously isn't in the 'narrowly averted disaster' category of your usual callback fare, but it's something folks should know about that's not easily obtainable information. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he had difficulty getting information. He tried 3 times before getting the information that there is a difference between the north border and the south border. Now he knows!!! Analyst had just as difficult a time confirming the information. 2 disconnected lines for customs then an ill informed customs person gave wrong information. Pilot's group was the first place to find anything in print. One has to order the united states customs service guide for private pilots from the government printing office to get the facts otherwise (handbook #513). There are 2 new programs being implemented to assist private pilots crossing back into and out of the united states. Canpass is already working in canada for easy northbound crossing. The gate program is being tested at 7 airports to see if it is workable for aircraft returning to the united states.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT ENCOUNTERS ICING ON DSCNT TO LAND TO CLR CUSTOMS.

Narrative: ON A BUSINESS FLT FROM N88 TO OTTAWA, ONTARIO, AND THEN RETURNING TO N88 (PICKING UP SOME SPECIAL PATHOGEN-FREE EGGS FOR VACCINE RESEARCH, I'M A VIROLOGIST WITH A MAJOR VACCINE PRODUCER AND HENCE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MISSION). WE HAD TO STOP AT SYR TO CLR UNITED STATES CUSTOMS. ON APCH FREQ WE HEARD INCOMING ACFT RPT LIGHT ICE (RIME) FROM 4000-2000 FT MSL. SYR APCH CLRED US (THANKS, GUYS!) FOR A BANZAI INTERCEPT OF THE ILS TO MINIMIZE EXPOSURE TO THE ICE. NEVERTHELESS, WE PICKED UP APPROX 1/4 INCH -- ENOUGH TO OBSCURE THE WINDSHIELD. AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG WE CLRED CUSTOMS IN FREEZING DRIZZLE. PRUDENCE DICTATED WE NOT ATTEMPT TO CLB BACK OUT OF SYR IN THE DRIZZLE SO WE RENTED A CAR AND DROVE OUR EGGS BACK TO N88 AND ON TO THE LAB (THESE WERE FERTILIZED EGGS THAT HAD TO BE KEPT WARM, HENCE THE URGENCY). NEXT DAY, I DROVE BACK TO SYR AND FLEW OUT THROUGH A NICE BIG HOLE OF BLUE SKY (ONLY AFTER $168 WORTH OF GLYCOL TO GET RID OF THE 1/2 INCH OF ICE). ON RETURN TO DOYLESTOWN I CALLED UNITED STATES CUSTOMS AT PHL TO SEE IF THIS HAD TRULY BEEN NECESSARY. HAD TO TALK TO 3 DIFFERENT PEOPLE TO GET A STRAIGHT ANSWER, BUT IT TURNS OUT THAT THE 'CLR CUSTOMS AT FIRST SITE AFTER BORDER XING' RULE APPLIES ONLY TO THE SOUTHERN BORDER -- NOT THE CANADIAN BORDER! I READ ALL THE AVIATION LITERATURE AVIDLY AND HAD SEEN ALL THE ADMONISHMENTS ABOUT FINES AND OTHER NASTINESS FROM UNITED STATES CUSTOMS IF ONE FAILS TO FOLLOW THE RULES. NEVER SAW ANYTHING ABOUT A DISTINCTION BTWN THE MEXICAN/CARIBBEAN AND CANADIAN BORDERS. THE FIRST 2 FOLKS AT PHL HADN'T, EITHER! THE 'NOW YOU SEE, TIMMY' (THE END OF EACH EPISODE OF LASSIE WHERE WE LEARN THE DAY'S LESSON) IS, KNOW THE RULES! I GOT MYSELF IN A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SIT (DRIVING BACK AND FORTH ON I81 IS AT LEAST AS BAD AS AN ICY ILS) BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT I WAS OBLIGED TO DEAL WITH CUSTOMS AT SYR. IN FACT, I COULD HAVE GONE TO PHL, ONLY 30 MI FURTHER S OF N88 WHERE IT WAS VFR. THIS OBVIOUSLY ISN'T IN THE 'NARROWLY AVERTED DISASTER' CATEGORY OF YOUR USUAL CALLBACK FARE, BUT IT'S SOMETHING FOLKS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THAT'S NOT EASILY OBTAINABLE INFO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE HAD DIFFICULTY GETTING INFO. HE TRIED 3 TIMES BEFORE GETTING THE INFO THAT THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BTWN THE N BORDER AND THE S BORDER. NOW HE KNOWS!!! ANALYST HAD JUST AS DIFFICULT A TIME CONFIRMING THE INFO. 2 DISCONNECTED LINES FOR CUSTOMS THEN AN ILL INFORMED CUSTOMS PERSON GAVE WRONG INFO. PLT'S GROUP WAS THE FIRST PLACE TO FIND ANYTHING IN PRINT. ONE HAS TO ORDER THE UNITED STATES CUSTOMS SVC GUIDE FOR PVT PLTS FROM THE GOV PRINTING OFFICE TO GET THE FACTS OTHERWISE (HANDBOOK #513). THERE ARE 2 NEW PROGRAMS BEING IMPLEMENTED TO ASSIST PVT PLTS XING BACK INTO AND OUT OF THE UNITED STATES. CANPASS IS ALREADY WORKING IN CANADA FOR EASY NBOUND XING. THE GATE PROGRAM IS BEING TESTED AT 7 ARPTS TO SEE IF IT IS WORKABLE FOR ACFT RETURNING TO THE UNITED STATES.

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.