Pilot of a cap piper PA34-200T penetrated the continental ADIZ accidentally while on a cap mission r...

Attributes
ACN	387752
Time
Date	199712
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : tou airport : clm
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zse
Operator	other
Make Model Name	PA-34-200T Turbo Seneca II
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Eagle (F-15)
Operating Under FAR Part	other : other
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 1150 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	387752
Person 2
Affiliation	government : military
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	other other : other pilot : military
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited penetrated airspace
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While on a cap counterdrug marine patrol mission, I inadvertently entered the northwest ADIZ, approximately 5 mi west of tatoosh island. I was intercepted by an F15 (unarmed). I immediately attempted to contact the fighter on VHF guard (121.5). Failing to establish communications with the fighter, I contacted ZSE which was able to relay to the fighter my identify and mission. I continued the marine patrol to the columbia river and returned to port angeles. Although I did not intentionally penetrate the ADIZ, I felt that since I was squawking 1200 and had been tracked by FAA and DOD radars while transiting puget sound and turning south at tatoosh, I would be safe operating near the ADIZ. It should have been obvious to western air defense controllers that my aircraft came from united states airspace and immediately re-entered united states airspace. When I returned to port angeles I called the duty officer. I explained my identify and mission as well as apologizing for brushing the ADIZ. He was upset at me for not monitoring UHF guard and responding to their calls. When I told him that civilian airplanes as a rule do not have UHF capability, he informed me I was incorrect. (This might be an issue to bring up with wads -- they may be unaware of civilian radio capabilities.) I had been monitoring VHF guard (121.5) but did not hear anything. The duty officer also told me that the ADIZ around tatoosh island was 12 NM -- it is actually 5 NM, directly west. Perhaps it is time to review the purpose of the northwest ADIZ. Is it to prevent the penetration of enemy bombers? If so, intercepting a slow moving, twin engine civil airplane squawking VFR originating in the united states with an unarmed F15 hardly makes sense. If it is to prevent smuggling, then the ADIZ should extend across our 2000 mi border with canada. Selectively intercepting only airplanes which fly through that area (ignoring hundreds of boats which transit the area daily) doesn't make much sense either.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A CAP PIPER PA34-200T PENETRATED THE CONTINENTAL ADIZ ACCIDENTALLY WHILE ON A CAP MISSION RESULTING IN A MIL F15 INTERCEPT. HE RELAYED HIS IDENT THROUGH ATC CTR AND IMMEDIATELY RE-ENTERED BACK ACROSS THE ADIZ.

Narrative: WHILE ON A CAP COUNTERDRUG MARINE PATROL MISSION, I INADVERTENTLY ENTERED THE NW ADIZ, APPROX 5 MI W OF TATOOSH ISLAND. I WAS INTERCEPTED BY AN F15 (UNARMED). I IMMEDIATELY ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE FIGHTER ON VHF GUARD (121.5). FAILING TO ESTABLISH COMS WITH THE FIGHTER, I CONTACTED ZSE WHICH WAS ABLE TO RELAY TO THE FIGHTER MY IDENT AND MISSION. I CONTINUED THE MARINE PATROL TO THE COLUMBIA RIVER AND RETURNED TO PORT ANGELES. ALTHOUGH I DID NOT INTENTIONALLY PENETRATE THE ADIZ, I FELT THAT SINCE I WAS SQUAWKING 1200 AND HAD BEEN TRACKED BY FAA AND DOD RADARS WHILE TRANSITING PUGET SOUND AND TURNING S AT TATOOSH, I WOULD BE SAFE OPERATING NEAR THE ADIZ. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN OBVIOUS TO WESTERN AIR DEFENSE CTLRS THAT MY ACFT CAME FROM UNITED STATES AIRSPACE AND IMMEDIATELY RE-ENTERED UNITED STATES AIRSPACE. WHEN I RETURNED TO PORT ANGELES I CALLED THE DUTY OFFICER. I EXPLAINED MY IDENT AND MISSION AS WELL AS APOLOGIZING FOR BRUSHING THE ADIZ. HE WAS UPSET AT ME FOR NOT MONITORING UHF GUARD AND RESPONDING TO THEIR CALLS. WHEN I TOLD HIM THAT CIVILIAN AIRPLANES AS A RULE DO NOT HAVE UHF CAPABILITY, HE INFORMED ME I WAS INCORRECT. (THIS MIGHT BE AN ISSUE TO BRING UP WITH WADS -- THEY MAY BE UNAWARE OF CIVILIAN RADIO CAPABILITIES.) I HAD BEEN MONITORING VHF GUARD (121.5) BUT DID NOT HEAR ANYTHING. THE DUTY OFFICER ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE ADIZ AROUND TATOOSH ISLAND WAS 12 NM -- IT IS ACTUALLY 5 NM, DIRECTLY W. PERHAPS IT IS TIME TO REVIEW THE PURPOSE OF THE NW ADIZ. IS IT TO PREVENT THE PENETRATION OF ENEMY BOMBERS? IF SO, INTERCEPTING A SLOW MOVING, TWIN ENG CIVIL AIRPLANE SQUAWKING VFR ORIGINATING IN THE UNITED STATES WITH AN UNARMED F15 HARDLY MAKES SENSE. IF IT IS TO PREVENT SMUGGLING, THEN THE ADIZ SHOULD EXTEND ACROSS OUR 2000 MI BORDER WITH CANADA. SELECTIVELY INTERCEPTING ONLY AIRPLANES WHICH FLY THROUGH THAT AREA (IGNORING HUNDREDS OF BOATS WHICH TRANSIT THE AREA DAILY) DOESN'T MAKE MUCH SENSE EITHER.

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.

Pilot of a cap piper PA34-200T penetrated the continental ADIZ accidentally while on a cap mission resulting in a military F15 intercept. He relayed his identify through ATC center and immediately re-entered back across the ADIZ.