Narrative:

On may/xa/98 I departed gai with a photographer on a routine photo flight in a robinson R22B helicopter. The destination was the washington navy yard in washington, dc (located off the anacostia river just north of the south capital street bridge). I used and followed the helicopter route chart for baltimore washington third edition, mar/xa/98 (the last to be issued for the area). My route was gai south to just north of walter reed hospital where I monitored dca for ATIS information, squawked XXXX (washington helicopter civilian transponder code) and contacted washington tower with ATIS information. I requested class B clearance via zone 2, 3 and 6 to the washington navy yard for photography work. I was cleared into class B for zone 2 and 3 with further clearance for zone 6. Using the washington inset scale 1:62500 chart, I followed metropolitan tracks until the 'shrine of the immaculate conception' was approximately 1/2 mi off my right side. I then flew direct to rfk stadium, and within approximately 1 1/2 mi I contacted dca tower for clearance into zone 6 for the washington navy yard. It was approved and I flew direct to the photo location. I notified the tower I was in position over the navy yard, did approximately 4 orbits for the photo shoot, then requested to join route 1 at south capital street to cabin john. During the flight back to gai on route 1, when I rounded the corner at hains point, I was asked by washington tower what type of helicopter I was flying, and I indicated to them a robinson R22B. Continuing on route 1 at the key bridge, I was asked by the tower my name, origination, destination airport and phone number. I complied and they indicated they would be calling me. When leaving the class B airspace at cabin john bridge to the north, I asked the tower for their phone number to call when I arrived at gai. They provided it. On the ground at gai, I called washington tower and they xferred me to TRACON and I was notified that I needed to maintain a 'wide berth' around P56-a. I was told a secret service agent would be contacting me and to 'stay put' at gai FBO. An agent called for an interview within 1 hour. Approximately 10 mins later, the agent called back and said 'something more important came up' and they would call later for an interview. I met with 2 secret service agents on the next day for an interview. They indicated I penetrated the east side of P56-a. I asked for proof since, based on my route, I felt I remained west of P56-a. They indicated washington national TRACON showed it. I asked why I wasn't notified by the tower when I penetrated P56-a immediately, instead of mins later after asking what type of helicopter I was flying. They simply indicated they could not comment. The agents indicated the interview was simply to determine the nature of the flight and my personal information for the safety of the president. They indicated nothing would come of this incident and it was undetermined if it would be turned over to the FAA for further action. I have flown this route many times over the last 8 yrs with and without GPS. My only comment to prevent another potential incident is, that if traffic around the P56-a area needs to maintain 'a wider berth,' then aircraft within class B with active transponder codes should be provided better and accurate airspace coverage from washington national tower or TRACON to avoid the P56 airspace. National tower does an excellent job providing traffic reports -- they need to do a better job offering airspace separation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: H1P PLT INADVERTENTLY PENETRATED P56-A AIRSPACE WHILE ON A PHOTOGRAPHIC MISSION.

Narrative: ON MAY/XA/98 I DEPARTED GAI WITH A PHOTOGRAPHER ON A ROUTINE PHOTO FLT IN A ROBINSON R22B HELI. THE DEST WAS THE WASHINGTON NAVY YARD IN WASHINGTON, DC (LOCATED OFF THE ANACOSTIA RIVER JUST N OF THE S CAPITAL STREET BRIDGE). I USED AND FOLLOWED THE HELI RTE CHART FOR BALTIMORE WASHINGTON THIRD EDITION, MAR/XA/98 (THE LAST TO BE ISSUED FOR THE AREA). MY RTE WAS GAI S TO JUST N OF WALTER REED HOSPITAL WHERE I MONITORED DCA FOR ATIS INFO, SQUAWKED XXXX (WASHINGTON HELI CIVILIAN XPONDER CODE) AND CONTACTED WASHINGTON TWR WITH ATIS INFO. I REQUESTED CLASS B CLRNC VIA ZONE 2, 3 AND 6 TO THE WASHINGTON NAVY YARD FOR PHOTOGRAPHY WORK. I WAS CLRED INTO CLASS B FOR ZONE 2 AND 3 WITH FURTHER CLRNC FOR ZONE 6. USING THE WASHINGTON INSET SCALE 1:62500 CHART, I FOLLOWED METRO TRACKS UNTIL THE 'SHRINE OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION' WAS APPROX 1/2 MI OFF MY R SIDE. I THEN FLEW DIRECT TO RFK STADIUM, AND WITHIN APPROX 1 1/2 MI I CONTACTED DCA TWR FOR CLRNC INTO ZONE 6 FOR THE WASHINGTON NAVY YARD. IT WAS APPROVED AND I FLEW DIRECT TO THE PHOTO LOCATION. I NOTIFIED THE TWR I WAS IN POS OVER THE NAVY YARD, DID APPROX 4 ORBITS FOR THE PHOTO SHOOT, THEN REQUESTED TO JOIN RTE 1 AT S CAPITAL STREET TO CABIN JOHN. DURING THE FLT BACK TO GAI ON RTE 1, WHEN I ROUNDED THE CORNER AT HAINS POINT, I WAS ASKED BY WASHINGTON TWR WHAT TYPE OF HELI I WAS FLYING, AND I INDICATED TO THEM A ROBINSON R22B. CONTINUING ON RTE 1 AT THE KEY BRIDGE, I WAS ASKED BY THE TWR MY NAME, ORIGINATION, DEST ARPT AND PHONE NUMBER. I COMPLIED AND THEY INDICATED THEY WOULD BE CALLING ME. WHEN LEAVING THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AT CABIN JOHN BRIDGE TO THE N, I ASKED THE TWR FOR THEIR PHONE NUMBER TO CALL WHEN I ARRIVED AT GAI. THEY PROVIDED IT. ON THE GND AT GAI, I CALLED WASHINGTON TWR AND THEY XFERRED ME TO TRACON AND I WAS NOTIFIED THAT I NEEDED TO MAINTAIN A 'WIDE BERTH' AROUND P56-A. I WAS TOLD A SECRET SVC AGENT WOULD BE CONTACTING ME AND TO 'STAY PUT' AT GAI FBO. AN AGENT CALLED FOR AN INTERVIEW WITHIN 1 HR. APPROX 10 MINS LATER, THE AGENT CALLED BACK AND SAID 'SOMETHING MORE IMPORTANT CAME UP' AND THEY WOULD CALL LATER FOR AN INTERVIEW. I MET WITH 2 SECRET SVC AGENTS ON THE NEXT DAY FOR AN INTERVIEW. THEY INDICATED I PENETRATED THE E SIDE OF P56-A. I ASKED FOR PROOF SINCE, BASED ON MY RTE, I FELT I REMAINED W OF P56-A. THEY INDICATED WASHINGTON NATIONAL TRACON SHOWED IT. I ASKED WHY I WASN'T NOTIFIED BY THE TWR WHEN I PENETRATED P56-A IMMEDIATELY, INSTEAD OF MINS LATER AFTER ASKING WHAT TYPE OF HELI I WAS FLYING. THEY SIMPLY INDICATED THEY COULD NOT COMMENT. THE AGENTS INDICATED THE INTERVIEW WAS SIMPLY TO DETERMINE THE NATURE OF THE FLT AND MY PERSONAL INFO FOR THE SAFETY OF THE PRESIDENT. THEY INDICATED NOTHING WOULD COME OF THIS INCIDENT AND IT WAS UNDETERMINED IF IT WOULD BE TURNED OVER TO THE FAA FOR FURTHER ACTION. I HAVE FLOWN THIS RTE MANY TIMES OVER THE LAST 8 YRS WITH AND WITHOUT GPS. MY ONLY COMMENT TO PREVENT ANOTHER POTENTIAL INCIDENT IS, THAT IF TFC AROUND THE P56-A AREA NEEDS TO MAINTAIN 'A WIDER BERTH,' THEN ACFT WITHIN CLASS B WITH ACTIVE XPONDER CODES SHOULD BE PROVIDED BETTER AND ACCURATE AIRSPACE COVERAGE FROM WASHINGTON NATIONAL TWR OR TRACON TO AVOID THE P56 AIRSPACE. NATIONAL TWR DOES AN EXCELLENT JOB PROVIDING TFC RPTS -- THEY NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OFFERING AIRSPACE SEPARATION.

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.