Narrative:

In preparation for a flight to the washington area on 02/sun/03, for a business meeting in alexandria, va, I telephoned the millville FSS on the previous friday to obtain a briefing. I was aware there were considerable changes to flight procedures as well as general access to the washington area and wanted to gain a good understanding of flight limitations (including restr) and determine which airport would be best for me to use for this trip. I spent 20 mins or so discussing with the briefer the various restrs to flight. I felt I had a reasonably good understanding of the requirements of flight in the area and choose hef. After considerable re-rteing to the north and west of dulles, I arrived at hef and landed without incident. In preparation for a late evening departure to wwd, I telephoned the jyo FSS to obtain a standard WX briefing and file a flight plan. At the conclusion of the call, I confirmed with the briefer that there was a frequency on which I could pick-up my clearance on the ground at hef. The briefer confirmed that there was a ground frequency and gave me the frequency of 124.65. I arrived at the airport, completed my preflight inspection, boarded the aircraft and started the engine. I listened to AWOS. Prior to and during taxi, I called dulles repetitively on the clearance delivery frequency on 120.2 listed on the approach plate for hef. Hearing no reply, although the frequency for clearance provided to me by the jyo briefer appeared to be incorrect, I also tried that frequency (124.65). Upon arriving at the runway, I attempted to contact dulles again a number of times. There was no reply. I consulted my low altitude en route chart to confirm that I could depart clear of class B airspace and remain in the hef traffic pattern area until receiving my clearance from dulles on the 124.65 departure frequency. I departed hef and was able to confirm contact with dulles departure at approximately 300 ft AGL. I remained in the pattern area while standing-by for my clearance. Shortly thereafter, I was handed off to potomac approach and while under their control was asked by them to copy, and call a telephone number for a 'possible ADIZ deviation.' upon telephoning the numbers, the controller advised me of the issue and requirements for departing from an aircraft in an ADIZ. He also mentioned that the dulles controller advised that the clearance frequency was either turned down or inoperative, although they apparently verified that the radio was operative after they had turned the volume up. I have reflected considerably on what caused this incident. Clearly, I did not have an accurate understanding of the precise restrs and procedures required. It is clear that I either did not understand that hef was within the newly designated ADIZ or did not understand the requirement for having a clearance and an assigned transponder code prior to leaving the airport surface. I cannot say with certainty whether the briefer was clear and accurate with the information or whether I simply misunderstood it. Unfortunately, my pre-departure telephone call to jyo (an FSS within the ADIZ) also was not 'corrective.' also, there was no mention on AWOS of special procedures or restrs as a result of the airport's location within the ADIZ. I as a pilot, would appreciate any support reasonably possible to assist me in operating within the requirements or the area in which I am flying. It would appear that a protocol more similar to the 'read back' procedures utilized between pilots and controller's across the nation every day would be helpful in this regard. I suggest that the relationship between pilot and FSS briefer be one in which a pilot is not permitted to just generally confirm that they are aware of 'the restrs.' but perhaps, one in which the briefer makes an affirmative statement of at least the most crucial aspects of the requirements. In the case of an ADIZ, I would suggest the briefer be required to make an informational statement similar to - 'please verify you are aware that hef is within an ADIZ, that you must have a clearance (for IFR) and a discrete transponder code prior to liftoff and thereafter be in two way communication with the controller.' pilots would then be required to confirm the above statement. Additionally, having information as to ADIZ requirements on AWOS would have easily prevented the incident from occurring.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE36 PLT DEPS HEF PRIOR TO OBTAINING DC AREA ADIZ CLRNC AS REQUIRED, EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS AN IFR FLT PLAN ON FILE.

Narrative: IN PREPARATION FOR A FLT TO THE WASHINGTON AREA ON 02/SUN/03, FOR A BUSINESS MEETING IN ALEXANDRIA, VA, I TELEPHONED THE MILLVILLE FSS ON THE PREVIOUS FRIDAY TO OBTAIN A BRIEFING. I WAS AWARE THERE WERE CONSIDERABLE CHANGES TO FLT PROCS AS WELL AS GENERAL ACCESS TO THE WASHINGTON AREA AND WANTED TO GAIN A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF FLT LIMITATIONS (INCLUDING RESTR) AND DETERMINE WHICH ARPT WOULD BE BEST FOR ME TO USE FOR THIS TRIP. I SPENT 20 MINS OR SO DISCUSSING WITH THE BRIEFER THE VARIOUS RESTRS TO FLT. I FELT I HAD A REASONABLY GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF FLT IN THE AREA AND CHOOSE HEF. AFTER CONSIDERABLE RE-RTEING TO THE N AND W OF DULLES, I ARRIVED AT HEF AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. IN PREPARATION FOR A LATE EVENING DEP TO WWD, I TELEPHONED THE JYO FSS TO OBTAIN A STANDARD WX BRIEFING AND FILE A FLT PLAN. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE CALL, I CONFIRMED WITH THE BRIEFER THAT THERE WAS A FREQUENCY ON WHICH I COULD PICK-UP MY CLRNC ON THE GND AT HEF. THE BRIEFER CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS A GND FREQUENCY AND GAVE ME THE FREQUENCY OF 124.65. I ARRIVED AT THE ARPT, COMPLETED MY PREFLT INSPECTION, BOARDED THE ACFT AND STARTED THE ENGINE. I LISTENED TO AWOS. PRIOR TO AND DURING TAXI, I CALLED DULLES REPETITIVELY ON THE CLRNC DELIVERY FREQUENCY ON 120.2 LISTED ON THE APCH PLATE FOR HEF. HEARING NO REPLY, ALTHOUGH THE FREQUENCY FOR CLRNC PROVIDED TO ME BY THE JYO BRIEFER APPEARED TO BE INCORRECT, I ALSO TRIED THAT FREQUENCY (124.65). UPON ARRIVING AT THE RWY, I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT DULLES AGAIN A NUMBER OF TIMES. THERE WAS NO REPLY. I CONSULTED MY LOW ALT ENRTE CHART TO CONFIRM THAT I COULD DEPART CLR OF CLASS B AIRSPACE AND REMAIN IN THE HEF TFC PATTERN AREA UNTIL RECEIVING MY CLRNC FROM DULLES ON THE 124.65 DEP FREQUENCY. I DEPARTED HEF AND WAS ABLE TO CONFIRM CONTACT WITH DULLES DEP AT APPROX 300 FT AGL. I REMAINED IN THE PATTERN AREA WHILE STANDING-BY FOR MY CLRNC. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, I WAS HANDED OFF TO POTOMAC APCH AND WHILE UNDER THEIR CTL WAS ASKED BY THEM TO COPY, AND CALL A TELEPHONE NUMBER FOR A 'POSSIBLE ADIZ DEVIATION.' UPON TELEPHONING THE NUMBERS, THE CTLR ADVISED ME OF THE ISSUE AND REQUIREMENTS FOR DEPARTING FROM AN ACFT IN AN ADIZ. HE ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE DULLES CTLR ADVISED THAT THE CLRNC FREQUENCY WAS EITHER TURNED DOWN OR INOPERATIVE, ALTHOUGH THEY APPARENTLY VERIFIED THAT THE RADIO WAS OPERATIVE AFTER THEY HAD TURNED THE VOLUME UP. I HAVE REFLECTED CONSIDERABLY ON WHAT CAUSED THIS INCIDENT. CLRLY, I DID NOT HAVE AN ACCURATE UNDERSTANDING OF THE PRECISE RESTRS AND PROCS REQUIRED. IT IS CLR THAT I EITHER DID NOT UNDERSTAND THAT HEF WAS WITHIN THE NEWLY DESIGNATED ADIZ OR DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE REQUIREMENT FOR HAVING A CLRNC AND AN ASSIGNED XPONDER CODE PRIOR TO LEAVING THE ARPT SURFACE. I CANNOT SAY WITH CERTAINTY WHETHER THE BRIEFER WAS CLR AND ACCURATE WITH THE INFO OR WHETHER I SIMPLY MISUNDERSTOOD IT. UNFORTUNATELY, MY PRE-DEPARTURE TELEPHONE CALL TO JYO (AN FSS WITHIN THE ADIZ) ALSO WAS NOT 'CORRECTIVE.' ALSO, THERE WAS NO MENTION ON AWOS OF SPECIAL PROCS OR RESTRS AS A RESULT OF THE ARPT'S LOCATION WITHIN THE ADIZ. I AS A PLT, WOULD APPRECIATE ANY SUPPORT REASONABLY POSSIBLE TO ASSIST ME IN OPERATING WITHIN THE REQUIREMENTS OR THE AREA IN WHICH I AM FLYING. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT A PROTOCOL MORE SIMILAR TO THE 'READ BACK' PROCS UTILIZED BETWEEN PLTS AND CTLR'S ACROSS THE NATION EVERY DAY WOULD BE HELPFUL IN THIS REGARD. I SUGGEST THAT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PLT AND FSS BRIEFER BE ONE IN WHICH A PLT IS NOT PERMITTED TO JUST GENERALLY CONFIRM THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF 'THE RESTRS.' BUT PERHAPS, ONE IN WHICH THE BRIEFER MAKES AN AFFIRMATIVE STATEMENT OF AT LEAST THE MOST CRUCIAL ASPECTS OF THE REQUIREMENTS. IN THE CASE OF AN ADIZ, I WOULD SUGGEST THE BRIEFER BE REQUIRED TO MAKE AN INFORMATIONAL STATEMENT SIMILAR TO - 'PLEASE VERIFY YOU ARE AWARE THAT HEF IS WITHIN AN ADIZ, THAT YOU MUST HAVE A CLRNC (FOR IFR) AND A DISCRETE XPONDER CODE PRIOR TO LIFTOFF AND THEREAFTER BE IN TWO WAY COM WITH THE CTLR.' PLTS WOULD THEN BE REQUIRED TO CONFIRM THE ABOVE STATEMENT. ADDITIONALLY, HAVING INFO AS TO ADIZ REQUIREMENTS ON AWOS WOULD HAVE EASILY PREVENTED THE INCIDENT FROM OCCURRING.

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.