Narrative:

I was on a flight from santa monica, ca, to ensenada, mexico. I was IFR (or at least filed IFR and cleared IFR) to poggi VOR by united states/mexican border. I filed a VFR flight plan with san diego FSS for portion of flight from the border to ensenada (I was told I could not file single engine IFR in mexico, but had to file VFR flight plan). I was told it would be communicated to tijuana approach control. Before setting to poggi VOR, socal told me it was best to cancel IFR and fly direct to tijuana VOR. I kept a discrete squawk code and was told I'd be given flight following to the border and a handoff to tijuana control. I asked a few times, as I recollect, whether I needed to call tijuana before getting to the border crossing, but was told I'd be instructed when to switch. I was told by socal to switch to tijuana once inside mexican airspace. I did right away. The controller in tijuana seemed very upset that I was calling so late and he informed me that since I was VFR in mexico, I needed to contact prior to entering mexican airspace. I told him that I was on with socal and was told to wait until instructed to call tijuana -- which I did. He said he would talk with socal supervisor in san diego about this. Once on the ground, I called san diego TRACON and talked to the supervisor on shift. He said he had not received a call from tijuana and told me not to worry about it. I can see that the switch from IFR to VFR when crossing the border can be confusing. This was my first and solo venture into mexico -- but it seems to me that there ought to be faster and better communication between the united states and mexican aviation agencies. Perhaps a sooner 'handoff' once it is confirmed that the flight will, indeed, cross into mexican airspace.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VFR C172 PLT PROCEEDS INTO TIJ AIRSPACE AND IS CONFRONTED BY TIJ CTLR FOR LATE COORD.

Narrative: I WAS ON A FLT FROM SANTA MONICA, CA, TO ENSENADA, MEXICO. I WAS IFR (OR AT LEAST FILED IFR AND CLRED IFR) TO POGGI VOR BY UNITED STATES/MEXICAN BORDER. I FILED A VFR FLT PLAN WITH SAN DIEGO FSS FOR PORTION OF FLT FROM THE BORDER TO ENSENADA (I WAS TOLD I COULD NOT FILE SINGLE ENG IFR IN MEXICO, BUT HAD TO FILE VFR FLT PLAN). I WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE COMMUNICATED TO TIJUANA APCH CTL. BEFORE SETTING TO POGGI VOR, SOCAL TOLD ME IT WAS BEST TO CANCEL IFR AND FLY DIRECT TO TIJUANA VOR. I KEPT A DISCRETE SQUAWK CODE AND WAS TOLD I'D BE GIVEN FLT FOLLOWING TO THE BORDER AND A HDOF TO TIJUANA CTL. I ASKED A FEW TIMES, AS I RECOLLECT, WHETHER I NEEDED TO CALL TIJUANA BEFORE GETTING TO THE BORDER XING, BUT WAS TOLD I'D BE INSTRUCTED WHEN TO SWITCH. I WAS TOLD BY SOCAL TO SWITCH TO TIJUANA ONCE INSIDE MEXICAN AIRSPACE. I DID RIGHT AWAY. THE CTLR IN TIJUANA SEEMED VERY UPSET THAT I WAS CALLING SO LATE AND HE INFORMED ME THAT SINCE I WAS VFR IN MEXICO, I NEEDED TO CONTACT PRIOR TO ENTERING MEXICAN AIRSPACE. I TOLD HIM THAT I WAS ON WITH SOCAL AND WAS TOLD TO WAIT UNTIL INSTRUCTED TO CALL TIJUANA -- WHICH I DID. HE SAID HE WOULD TALK WITH SOCAL SUPVR IN SAN DIEGO ABOUT THIS. ONCE ON THE GND, I CALLED SAN DIEGO TRACON AND TALKED TO THE SUPVR ON SHIFT. HE SAID HE HAD NOT RECEIVED A CALL FROM TIJUANA AND TOLD ME NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT. I CAN SEE THAT THE SWITCH FROM IFR TO VFR WHEN XING THE BORDER CAN BE CONFUSING. THIS WAS MY FIRST AND SOLO VENTURE INTO MEXICO -- BUT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THERE OUGHT TO BE FASTER AND BETTER COM BTWN THE UNITED STATES AND MEXICAN AVIATION AGENCIES. PERHAPS A SOONER 'HDOF' ONCE IT IS CONFIRMED THAT THE FLT WILL, INDEED, CROSS INTO MEXICAN AIRSPACE.

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.