Narrative:

My husband and I departed treasure cay, bahamas and arrived in fort pierce, fl. We were flying our PA32 from our condo in treasure cay to clear customs in fort pierce. After clearing customs and refueling, we departed, GPS direct to south.C. 29, where our aircraft is based. We made several attempts to contact sea lord on 122.95 but were unable to get a response. Assuming they were busy with military aircraft we continued on our route which we have done on many occasions. We were approximately 40 NM from charleston and were able to contact charleston approach on 120.7. We reported our position and asked for flight following for the remainder of the flight. We were then notified that 2 F16 aircraft were following us to identify our aircraft. We were asked by the controller where we had departed and we told him fort pierce, fl. He then told us when we landed we should call a number in florida and talk to the quality assurance officer. We did and he informed us that our squawk code of 1200 did not properly identify us as a friendly aircraft and they sent the F16's to verify that we were a friendly aircraft. We have flown this same route many times in the past and have never experienced this problem. We were under the impression that if we left a united states airport and landed at a united states airport, crossing the ADIZ was not a problem. We were told that we should file a DVFR flight plan in the future any time that we cross the ADIZ, regardless where we depart and where we land. We certainly did not think we were doing anything wrong because we have flown this route so many times in the past. We will make sure that we file the proper flight plan and secure the proper transponder code before we attempt to fly this route again in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA32 PLT CROSSED ADIZ FROM ONE UNITED STATES ARPT TO ANOTHER UNITED STATES ARPT WITH NO FLT PLAN FILED. F16'S FOLLOW TO VERIFY IF FRIENDLY ACFT. THEY HAD FLOWN THIS RTE MANY TIMES WITH NO PROB AND NO FLT PLAN.

Narrative: MY HUSBAND AND I DEPARTED TREASURE CAY, BAHAMAS AND ARRIVED IN FORT PIERCE, FL. WE WERE FLYING OUR PA32 FROM OUR CONDO IN TREASURE CAY TO CLR CUSTOMS IN FORT PIERCE. AFTER CLRING CUSTOMS AND REFUELING, WE DEPARTED, GPS DIRECT TO S.C. 29, WHERE OUR ACFT IS BASED. WE MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT SEA LORD ON 122.95 BUT WERE UNABLE TO GET A RESPONSE. ASSUMING THEY WERE BUSY WITH MIL ACFT WE CONTINUED ON OUR RTE WHICH WE HAVE DONE ON MANY OCCASIONS. WE WERE APPROX 40 NM FROM CHARLESTON AND WERE ABLE TO CONTACT CHARLESTON APCH ON 120.7. WE RPTED OUR POS AND ASKED FOR FLT FOLLOWING FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT. WE WERE THEN NOTIFIED THAT 2 F16 ACFT WERE FOLLOWING US TO IDENT OUR ACFT. WE WERE ASKED BY THE CTLR WHERE WE HAD DEPARTED AND WE TOLD HIM FORT PIERCE, FL. HE THEN TOLD US WHEN WE LANDED WE SHOULD CALL A NUMBER IN FLORIDA AND TALK TO THE QUALITY ASSURANCE OFFICER. WE DID AND HE INFORMED US THAT OUR SQUAWK CODE OF 1200 DID NOT PROPERLY IDENT US AS A FRIENDLY ACFT AND THEY SENT THE F16'S TO VERIFY THAT WE WERE A FRIENDLY ACFT. WE HAVE FLOWN THIS SAME RTE MANY TIMES IN THE PAST AND HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS PROB. WE WERE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT IF WE LEFT A UNITED STATES ARPT AND LANDED AT A UNITED STATES ARPT, XING THE ADIZ WAS NOT A PROB. WE WERE TOLD THAT WE SHOULD FILE A DVFR FLT PLAN IN THE FUTURE ANY TIME THAT WE CROSS THE ADIZ, REGARDLESS WHERE WE DEPART AND WHERE WE LAND. WE CERTAINLY DID NOT THINK WE WERE DOING ANYTHING WRONG BECAUSE WE HAVE FLOWN THIS RTE SO MANY TIMES IN THE PAST. WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT WE FILE THE PROPER FLT PLAN AND SECURE THE PROPER XPONDER CODE BEFORE WE ATTEMPT TO FLY THIS RTE AGAIN IN THE FUTURE.

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.