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A PA60 pilot reports that he had difficulty notifying the customs service of his arrival.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 388920 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199712 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mdw |
| State Reference | IL |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Piper Twin Piston Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | ground : parked |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 3200 flight time type : 500 |
| ASRS Report | 388920 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
For the past 20 yrs we have been flying to and from yxu for various holidays and family events (my wife was formerly from london, ontario). We now use the canadian can pass system for entering canada. A phone call before we leave and another upon arrival and it's done. Apparently, this has not yet been implemented in the states. Our normal procedure upon return is to stop at phn or dtw for customs. This is a routine event for a border city. On this trip, however, the WX between yxu and chicago was low IFR 200 ft, 1 mi at best. We elected to fly direct to chicago midway in the interest of safety and passenger comfort. I called from canada and spoke to a briefer at ikk just south of chicago and he gave me the phone number of the customs service. I called this number at approximately XA00Z on dec/xa/97. It rang for more than 25 times and there was no answer. I called the canadian FSS about our proposed departure from london of XB30Z and said I had been unable to reach customs. I was told that it was routine for center to advise addcus. We departed at XB30Z as planned and toronto center at 135.3 told us to ask ZOB to advise customs. The second center was ZOB at 132.35, we were level at 14000 ft and I asked for confirmation of addcus and it was confirmed that he would call. Our time en route was 2 hours and arrival at midway was approximately XD30 (twice the required 1 hour notification time). Upon arrival at the FBO in mdw, I was advised by a clerk that a customs inspector was giving us a verbal clearance and would be contacting me later because he only had 10 mins notification of our arrival. We purchased fuel and departed for home base 2il9. Upon reaching home, I looked up the customs phone numbers for midway and 2 numbers were listed. I called the first number and it was changed to the same number I was given to call at london. The second number listed was no longer in service. Again, no answer. In summary, I did everything I could to advise customs about my arrival. I called the correct numbers with no response. I asked center to advise, both toronto and cleveland. It was not in normal business hours and perhaps that was a factor.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A PA60 PLT RPTS THAT HE HAD DIFFICULTY NOTIFYING THE CUSTOMS SVC OF HIS ARR.
Narrative: FOR THE PAST 20 YRS WE HAVE BEEN FLYING TO AND FROM YXU FOR VARIOUS HOLIDAYS AND FAMILY EVENTS (MY WIFE WAS FORMERLY FROM LONDON, ONTARIO). WE NOW USE THE CANADIAN CAN PASS SYS FOR ENTERING CANADA. A PHONE CALL BEFORE WE LEAVE AND ANOTHER UPON ARR AND IT'S DONE. APPARENTLY, THIS HAS NOT YET BEEN IMPLEMENTED IN THE STATES. OUR NORMAL PROC UPON RETURN IS TO STOP AT PHN OR DTW FOR CUSTOMS. THIS IS A ROUTINE EVENT FOR A BORDER CITY. ON THIS TRIP, HOWEVER, THE WX BTWN YXU AND CHICAGO WAS LOW IFR 200 FT, 1 MI AT BEST. WE ELECTED TO FLY DIRECT TO CHICAGO MIDWAY IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY AND PAX COMFORT. I CALLED FROM CANADA AND SPOKE TO A BRIEFER AT IKK JUST S OF CHICAGO AND HE GAVE ME THE PHONE NUMBER OF THE CUSTOMS SVC. I CALLED THIS NUMBER AT APPROX XA00Z ON DEC/XA/97. IT RANG FOR MORE THAN 25 TIMES AND THERE WAS NO ANSWER. I CALLED THE CANADIAN FSS ABOUT OUR PROPOSED DEP FROM LONDON OF XB30Z AND SAID I HAD BEEN UNABLE TO REACH CUSTOMS. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS ROUTINE FOR CTR TO ADVISE ADDCUS. WE DEPARTED AT XB30Z AS PLANNED AND TORONTO CTR AT 135.3 TOLD US TO ASK ZOB TO ADVISE CUSTOMS. THE SECOND CTR WAS ZOB AT 132.35, WE WERE LEVEL AT 14000 FT AND I ASKED FOR CONFIRMATION OF ADDCUS AND IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT HE WOULD CALL. OUR TIME ENRTE WAS 2 HRS AND ARR AT MIDWAY WAS APPROX XD30 (TWICE THE REQUIRED 1 HR NOTIFICATION TIME). UPON ARR AT THE FBO IN MDW, I WAS ADVISED BY A CLERK THAT A CUSTOMS INSPECTOR WAS GIVING US A VERBAL CLRNC AND WOULD BE CONTACTING ME LATER BECAUSE HE ONLY HAD 10 MINS NOTIFICATION OF OUR ARR. WE PURCHASED FUEL AND DEPARTED FOR HOME BASE 2IL9. UPON REACHING HOME, I LOOKED UP THE CUSTOMS PHONE NUMBERS FOR MIDWAY AND 2 NUMBERS WERE LISTED. I CALLED THE FIRST NUMBER AND IT WAS CHANGED TO THE SAME NUMBER I WAS GIVEN TO CALL AT LONDON. THE SECOND NUMBER LISTED WAS NO LONGER IN SVC. AGAIN, NO ANSWER. IN SUMMARY, I DID EVERYTHING I COULD TO ADVISE CUSTOMS ABOUT MY ARR. I CALLED THE CORRECT NUMBERS WITH NO RESPONSE. I ASKED CTR TO ADVISE, BOTH TORONTO AND CLEVELAND. IT WAS NOT IN NORMAL BUSINESS HRS AND PERHAPS THAT WAS A FACTOR.
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.