Narrative:

Returning from vacation with wife and child on jul/xa/97, left great harbor cay, bahamas, at XA15-XA20. Flying a 1978 mooney single engine aircraft M02J. Cruising altitude 6500 ft, squawking 1200 for identify and an operative encoder mode C altitude recording transponder. Both instruments remain operative throughout the entire period of the flight and until landing. We were on a VFR flight plan flying 310-315 degrees direct to ft pierce, customs. My position was at all times being broadcast via radio devices as aforementioned. At approximately 40 mi from palm beach VOR, I started calling mia FSS (122.4 and 126.9) without success. (I could hear voices of other aircraft, but could not transmit or receive acknowledgement of transmission.) the flight across 200 mi of uninterrupted ocean in a single engine aircraft has a sobering and sometimes frightening effect. Sanford, fl, airport has recently introduced customs and immigration on the airport and as I now recall my state of mind at the time, I was confused and generally upset by my failure to arouse ZMA (sanford airport has been my home base for the last past 20 yrs), and flew directly to sanford airport requesting the ground control for instructions customs. I taxied directly to the customs facility, to report the incident and we were notified by an officer at customs that we were to remain in the airplane until investigators arrived. We were questioned for approximately 2 hours by customs agents in sanford, the airplane was searched and I am advised in part dismantled, after which we were released. I do not have approval for overflt lndgs to sanford or any other airport, and am required by the rules to land at ft pierce.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MO2J PLT DISTURBED BY HIS INABILITY TO COMMUNICATE WITH ARTCC WHILE INBOUND ON AN INTL FLT DECIDED TO BYPASS HIS SCHEDULED CUSTOMS STOP AND INSTEAD PROCEED TO HIS HOME ARPT WHICH HAS A CUSTOMS FACILITY ALSO. CUSTOMS PERSONNEL WERE SUSPICIOUS APPARENTLY.

Narrative: RETURNING FROM VACATION WITH WIFE AND CHILD ON JUL/XA/97, LEFT GREAT HARBOR CAY, BAHAMAS, AT XA15-XA20. FLYING A 1978 MOONEY SINGLE ENG ACFT M02J. CRUISING ALT 6500 FT, SQUAWKING 1200 FOR IDENT AND AN OPERATIVE ENCODER MODE C ALT RECORDING XPONDER. BOTH INSTS REMAIN OPERATIVE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PERIOD OF THE FLT AND UNTIL LNDG. WE WERE ON A VFR FLT PLAN FLYING 310-315 DEGS DIRECT TO FT PIERCE, CUSTOMS. MY POS WAS AT ALL TIMES BEING BROADCAST VIA RADIO DEVICES AS AFOREMENTIONED. AT APPROX 40 MI FROM PALM BEACH VOR, I STARTED CALLING MIA FSS (122.4 AND 126.9) WITHOUT SUCCESS. (I COULD HEAR VOICES OF OTHER ACFT, BUT COULD NOT XMIT OR RECEIVE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF XMISSION.) THE FLT ACROSS 200 MI OF UNINTERRUPTED OCEAN IN A SINGLE ENG ACFT HAS A SOBERING AND SOMETIMES FRIGHTENING EFFECT. SANFORD, FL, ARPT HAS RECENTLY INTRODUCED CUSTOMS AND IMMIGRATION ON THE ARPT AND AS I NOW RECALL MY STATE OF MIND AT THE TIME, I WAS CONFUSED AND GENERALLY UPSET BY MY FAILURE TO AROUSE ZMA (SANFORD ARPT HAS BEEN MY HOME BASE FOR THE LAST PAST 20 YRS), AND FLEW DIRECTLY TO SANFORD ARPT REQUESTING THE GND CTL FOR INSTRUCTIONS CUSTOMS. I TAXIED DIRECTLY TO THE CUSTOMS FACILITY, TO RPT THE INCIDENT AND WE WERE NOTIFIED BY AN OFFICER AT CUSTOMS THAT WE WERE TO REMAIN IN THE AIRPLANE UNTIL INVESTIGATORS ARRIVED. WE WERE QUESTIONED FOR APPROX 2 HRS BY CUSTOMS AGENTS IN SANFORD, THE AIRPLANE WAS SEARCHED AND I AM ADVISED IN PART DISMANTLED, AFTER WHICH WE WERE RELEASED. I DO NOT HAVE APPROVAL FOR OVERFLT LNDGS TO SANFORD OR ANY OTHER ARPT, AND AM REQUIRED BY THE RULES TO LAND AT FT PIERCE.

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.