Narrative:

Flew HU16 albatross into patrick AFB, fl, for wkend. Upon departure, went to base operations, filled out military DD175. Marked 'V' in type of flight plan, then specified route as 'direct picny, G26 lefko, direct lev, direct cxo.' turned in flight plan to operations specialist. Departed patrick AFB (cof) wbound in contact with orl approach then tpa approach, then ZMA. Lost contact with ZMA before reaching ZJX airspace (altitude was 6500 ft). Changed squawk to VFR 1200. Near ZJX/ZHU boundary, intercepted by 2 F16's. No radio contact established, did not think intercept significant as our aircraft is in 'military' markings, and we get military aircraft joining on us from time-to-time. Established contact with ZHU about 75 NM east of lev on airway after F16's departed. Found out about problem. Talked to ZJX, F16 pilots at tyndall AFB and base operations at patrick AFB on phone afterwards. Although I specified VFR and route on the DD175 when I departed patrick, that information was not passed to FSS, only ETA and destination. If I call in flight plan to FSS and give them route, across the gulf, they file DVFR automatically. I thought that the military would be that efficient or more so. Also, ZMA did not advise us to keep our discrete squawk when we lost contact with them (radio). If we had kept the squawk, then the air defense people could have idented us with a few phone calls. I accept ultimate responsibility, however, I would make the following recommendations: 1) publish a note in the aim that the military does not necessarily treat a flight plan filed by their DD175 the same as one filed verbally or in person with FSS. 2) military base operations should not accept DD175's from civilian aircraft unless they are IFR. VFR flight plans should be completed on the FAA form, also military base operations should advise pilots of civilian aircraft to verbally contact and file with FSS, then as a backup, base operations can retain the hard copy and input it however they wish to back up the system. 3) ZHU and ZMA (and tpa approach possibly as well -- this applies to that overwater route from florida to wilmington, de, too) should advise any aircraft they are working on VFR flight following to retain their discrete squawk en route overwater, even if radio contact lost. Also they should give the aircraft the frequencys to contact ctrs until next point of landfall (eg, jax, hou on G26) and coordination with the other 2 ctrs also. Lastly, it wouldn't be a bad idea to ask aircraft on VFR flight following that are clearly going to penetration the ADIZ to confirm they have a DVFR flight plan on file.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN HU16 ALBATROSS IS INTERCEPTED BY 2 F16'S WITHIN THE ADIZ ON ACCOUNT OF NO ADIZ FLT PLAN FILED.

Narrative: FLEW HU16 ALBATROSS INTO PATRICK AFB, FL, FOR WKEND. UPON DEP, WENT TO BASE OPS, FILLED OUT MIL DD175. MARKED 'V' IN TYPE OF FLT PLAN, THEN SPECIFIED RTE AS 'DIRECT PICNY, G26 LEFKO, DIRECT LEV, DIRECT CXO.' TURNED IN FLT PLAN TO OPS SPECIALIST. DEPARTED PATRICK AFB (COF) WBOUND IN CONTACT WITH ORL APCH THEN TPA APCH, THEN ZMA. LOST CONTACT WITH ZMA BEFORE REACHING ZJX AIRSPACE (ALT WAS 6500 FT). CHANGED SQUAWK TO VFR 1200. NEAR ZJX/ZHU BOUNDARY, INTERCEPTED BY 2 F16'S. NO RADIO CONTACT ESTABLISHED, DID NOT THINK INTERCEPT SIGNIFICANT AS OUR ACFT IS IN 'MIL' MARKINGS, AND WE GET MIL ACFT JOINING ON US FROM TIME-TO-TIME. ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH ZHU ABOUT 75 NM E OF LEV ON AIRWAY AFTER F16'S DEPARTED. FOUND OUT ABOUT PROB. TALKED TO ZJX, F16 PLTS AT TYNDALL AFB AND BASE OPS AT PATRICK AFB ON PHONE AFTERWARDS. ALTHOUGH I SPECIFIED VFR AND RTE ON THE DD175 WHEN I DEPARTED PATRICK, THAT INFO WAS NOT PASSED TO FSS, ONLY ETA AND DEST. IF I CALL IN FLT PLAN TO FSS AND GIVE THEM RTE, ACROSS THE GULF, THEY FILE DVFR AUTOMATICALLY. I THOUGHT THAT THE MIL WOULD BE THAT EFFICIENT OR MORE SO. ALSO, ZMA DID NOT ADVISE US TO KEEP OUR DISCRETE SQUAWK WHEN WE LOST CONTACT WITH THEM (RADIO). IF WE HAD KEPT THE SQUAWK, THEN THE AIR DEFENSE PEOPLE COULD HAVE IDENTED US WITH A FEW PHONE CALLS. I ACCEPT ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY, HOWEVER, I WOULD MAKE THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) PUBLISH A NOTE IN THE AIM THAT THE MIL DOES NOT NECESSARILY TREAT A FLT PLAN FILED BY THEIR DD175 THE SAME AS ONE FILED VERBALLY OR IN PERSON WITH FSS. 2) MIL BASE OPS SHOULD NOT ACCEPT DD175'S FROM CIVILIAN ACFT UNLESS THEY ARE IFR. VFR FLT PLANS SHOULD BE COMPLETED ON THE FAA FORM, ALSO MIL BASE OPS SHOULD ADVISE PLTS OF CIVILIAN ACFT TO VERBALLY CONTACT AND FILE WITH FSS, THEN AS A BACKUP, BASE OPS CAN RETAIN THE HARD COPY AND INPUT IT HOWEVER THEY WISH TO BACK UP THE SYS. 3) ZHU AND ZMA (AND TPA APCH POSSIBLY AS WELL -- THIS APPLIES TO THAT OVERWATER RTE FROM FLORIDA TO WILMINGTON, DE, TOO) SHOULD ADVISE ANY ACFT THEY ARE WORKING ON VFR FLT FOLLOWING TO RETAIN THEIR DISCRETE SQUAWK ENRTE OVERWATER, EVEN IF RADIO CONTACT LOST. ALSO THEY SHOULD GIVE THE ACFT THE FREQS TO CONTACT CTRS UNTIL NEXT POINT OF LANDFALL (EG, JAX, HOU ON G26) AND COORD WITH THE OTHER 2 CTRS ALSO. LASTLY, IT WOULDN'T BE A BAD IDEA TO ASK ACFT ON VFR FLT FOLLOWING THAT ARE CLRLY GOING TO PENETRATION THE ADIZ TO CONFIRM THEY HAVE A DVFR FLT PLAN ON FILE.

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.