Narrative:

Lack of available and clear information on ADIZ. The information on the washington/baltimore ADIZ was changed frequently in a short period of time, it was poorly distributed, and changes had short lead time on implementation. Intercepted by customs on return from easton, md to 2w5 -- penetration of the ADIZ without prior communication. I was not the PIC on this flight. The PIC made the calls and got the briefings. I was present during preflight preparations, and I heard him get a full briefing from the FSS. There was a 25 min hold to get to speak with a briefer, and then the connection was broken toward the end of the flight plan filing. This required another call with another long hold. When talking to the briefer, I heard PIC asked about the procedures for going from vkx, to easton, md and received and wrote down the squawks for both directions. He specifically confirmed with the briefer that he was to call in over 2w5 to pick up the clearance to return to vkx. Following the discussion, we spent time reviewing the old procedures, because we had been told that the procedures were the same as before 'orange alert.' PIC repeated what procedures we were going to follow to the FSS specialist, with frequencies, and they were not corrected. The problem was that no one mentioned that the requirement for 2 way communications now apply at the 30 mile ring. That information was not made available at the airport or through the FSS. Information is very hard to find on the ADIZ. There are no posted NOTAMS, and PIC requested all NOTAMS from FSS. Prior to the flight PIC and I thoroughly reviewed the latest VFR and IFR charts. They were very misleading, as the current charts are incorrect. The commercial chat provider does not contain any definition of the ADIZ, and there is nothing in the approach chart section. There was one small picture of the ADIZ next to the telephone at the airport, but it had no written description. Prior to going to the aircraft for departure, I also looked at both bulletin boards at the airport, and there were no NOTAMS on the ADIZ. I needed to get a flight review, and PIC was going to do that with me. I was planning to fly that weekend in order to get current. Following the engine run-up, I went to the maintenance hangar where I saw the airport manager. I asked if there were any changes in the procedures as compared to what they were before the 'orange alert.' he said 'no.' I recalled the process which was to sign in at the office, call FSS and TRACON, squawk continuously, call after lift off etc., and I asked if we can do touch and go lndgs. He said 'no' and advised me of the frequency change for TRACON, which I already had. These conversations led me to believe that I had all the information necessary to fly out of the airport safely. However, I did not have the telephone conversation myself with the briefer prior to the flight. Had I made that call, I would have specifically enquired about changes, and from what I heard, I felt that PIC had questioned procedures. Had I been the PIC, I would have called approach. I dialed in the frequencies and monitored them (I had only one communication). PIC wanted to show me where his house was located, and thought it would be better to wait and call over 2w5 as we told the briefer we would do. He dialed in the squawk we were given immediately after departing easton and made a direct line toward 2w5. I monitored the charts and the LORAN and as we were discussing the names of the towns south of andrews, customs helicopter intercepted us and we spoke on 121.5. We asked where they wanted us to land, and they agreed that 2w5 was ok. We landed and they took information. We completed the flight to vkx. I recognize that it is the PIC responsibility to be knowledgeable of the flight to be conducted, however, the information must be accessible and clear. One should not have to go to multiple sources to get that kind of information.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C150 PLT AND PAX INTERCEPTED ENRTE BY US CUSTOMS IN VICINITY OF 2W5 FOR DC ADIZ VIOLATION.

Narrative: LACK OF AVAILABLE AND CLR INFO ON ADIZ. THE INFO ON THE WASHINGTON/BALTIMORE ADIZ WAS CHANGED FREQUENTLY IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, IT WAS POORLY DISTRIBUTED, AND CHANGES HAD SHORT LEAD TIME ON IMPLEMENTATION. INTERCEPTED BY CUSTOMS ON RETURN FROM EASTON, MD TO 2W5 -- PENETRATION OF THE ADIZ WITHOUT PRIOR COM. I WAS NOT THE PIC ON THIS FLT. THE PIC MADE THE CALLS AND GOT THE BRIEFINGS. I WAS PRESENT DURING PREFLT PREPARATIONS, AND I HEARD HIM GET A FULL BRIEFING FROM THE FSS. THERE WAS A 25 MIN HOLD TO GET TO SPEAK WITH A BRIEFER, AND THEN THE CONNECTION WAS BROKEN TOWARD THE END OF THE FLT PLAN FILING. THIS REQUIRED ANOTHER CALL WITH ANOTHER LONG HOLD. WHEN TALKING TO THE BRIEFER, I HEARD PIC ASKED ABOUT THE PROCS FOR GOING FROM VKX, TO EASTON, MD AND RECEIVED AND WROTE DOWN THE SQUAWKS FOR BOTH DIRECTIONS. HE SPECIFICALLY CONFIRMED WITH THE BRIEFER THAT HE WAS TO CALL IN OVER 2W5 TO PICK UP THE CLRNC TO RETURN TO VKX. FOLLOWING THE DISCUSSION, WE SPENT TIME REVIEWING THE OLD PROCS, BECAUSE WE HAD BEEN TOLD THAT THE PROCS WERE THE SAME AS BEFORE 'ORANGE ALERT.' PIC REPEATED WHAT PROCS WE WERE GOING TO FOLLOW TO THE FSS SPECIALIST, WITH FREQUENCIES, AND THEY WERE NOT CORRECTED. THE PROB WAS THAT NO ONE MENTIONED THAT THE REQUIREMENT FOR 2 WAY COMS NOW APPLY AT THE 30 MILE RING. THAT INFO WAS NOT MADE AVAILABLE AT THE ARPT OR THROUGH THE FSS. INFO IS VERY HARD TO FIND ON THE ADIZ. THERE ARE NO POSTED NOTAMS, AND PIC REQUESTED ALL NOTAMS FROM FSS. PRIOR TO THE FLT PIC AND I THOROUGHLY REVIEWED THE LATEST VFR AND IFR CHARTS. THEY WERE VERY MISLEADING, AS THE CURRENT CHARTS ARE INCORRECT. THE COMMERCIAL CHAT PROVIDER DOES NOT CONTAIN ANY DEFINITION OF THE ADIZ, AND THERE IS NOTHING IN THE APCH CHART SECTION. THERE WAS ONE SMALL PICTURE OF THE ADIZ NEXT TO THE TELEPHONE AT THE ARPT, BUT IT HAD NO WRITTEN DESCRIPTION. PRIOR TO GOING TO THE ACFT FOR DEP, I ALSO LOOKED AT BOTH BULLETIN BOARDS AT THE ARPT, AND THERE WERE NO NOTAMS ON THE ADIZ. I NEEDED TO GET A FLT REVIEW, AND PIC WAS GOING TO DO THAT WITH ME. I WAS PLANNING TO FLY THAT WEEKEND IN ORDER TO GET CURRENT. FOLLOWING THE ENGINE RUN-UP, I WENT TO THE MAINT HANGAR WHERE I SAW THE ARPT MGR. I ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY CHANGES IN THE PROCS AS COMPARED TO WHAT THEY WERE BEFORE THE 'ORANGE ALERT.' HE SAID 'NO.' I RECALLED THE PROCESS WHICH WAS TO SIGN IN AT THE OFFICE, CALL FSS AND TRACON, SQUAWK CONTINUOUSLY, CALL AFTER LIFT OFF ETC., AND I ASKED IF WE CAN DO TOUCH AND GO LNDGS. HE SAID 'NO' AND ADVISED ME OF THE FREQUENCY CHANGE FOR TRACON, WHICH I ALREADY HAD. THESE CONVERSATIONS LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT I HAD ALL THE INFO NECESSARY TO FLY OUT OF THE ARPT SAFELY. HOWEVER, I DID NOT HAVE THE TELEPHONE CONVERSATION MYSELF WITH THE BRIEFER PRIOR TO THE FLT. HAD I MADE THAT CALL, I WOULD HAVE SPECIFICALLY ENQUIRED ABOUT CHANGES, AND FROM WHAT I HEARD, I FELT THAT PIC HAD QUESTIONED PROCS. HAD I BEEN THE PIC, I WOULD HAVE CALLED APCH. I DIALED IN THE FREQUENCIES AND MONITORED THEM (I HAD ONLY ONE COM). PIC WANTED TO SHOW ME WHERE HIS HOUSE WAS LOCATED, AND THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BETTER TO WAIT AND CALL OVER 2W5 AS WE TOLD THE BRIEFER WE WOULD DO. HE DIALED IN THE SQUAWK WE WERE GIVEN IMMEDIATELY AFTER DEPARTING EASTON AND MADE A DIRECT LINE TOWARD 2W5. I MONITORED THE CHARTS AND THE LORAN AND AS WE WERE DISCUSSING THE NAMES OF THE TOWNS S OF ANDREWS, CUSTOMS HELI INTERCEPTED US AND WE SPOKE ON 121.5. WE ASKED WHERE THEY WANTED US TO LAND, AND THEY AGREED THAT 2W5 WAS OK. WE LANDED AND THEY TOOK INFO. WE COMPLETED THE FLT TO VKX. I RECOGNIZE THAT IT IS THE PIC RESPONSIBILITY TO BE KNOWLEDGEABLE OF THE FLT TO BE CONDUCTED, HOWEVER, THE INFO MUST BE ACCESSIBLE AND CLR. ONE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO GO TO MULTIPLE SOURCES TO GET THAT KIND OF INFO.

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.