Narrative:

I decided to take a short day cross country trip from fme to seven springs. Before departing, I checked the WX using on line duats. I quickly scanned the briefing and did not notice anything that appeared to preclude my departure. I did not talk to FSS representative before leaving. There appeared to be nothing unusual at the airport when I arrived. I talked briefly with the airport manager. There were a lot of various paper bulletins hanging up all around the office (as there always are), but I didn't notice anything that appeared distinctive or compelling. My preflight inspection was nominal. I taxied into position (squawking 1200 on my transponder). Monitoring the airport multicom frequency, I transmitted that I was taking off. I took off and headed west toward seven springs. I did not monitor any other frequency. Approximately 15 mins into my flight I was startled to see an F16 fly approximately 100 yards in front and above me. I am aware that the military is flying combat air patrol over the dc area since 9/tue and I was concerned that perhaps that I might have mistakenly entered restr airspace. (I thought perhaps they had greatly expanded the camp david restr zone.) I turned my radio to 121.5 to monitor any xmissions that the F16 might try and make. I heard nothing and after the one pass, the F16 departed the area. At that point I had assumed that what had happened was just an 'interesting encounter.' I arrived at seven springs airport only to find that it was closed. After lingering over the area for 15 mins, I headed back to my home base. I passed over cumberland airport and decided to land there to eat lunch. I walked over to the airport office and requested a map of the local area. I saw nothing unusual in the terminal. After lunch I went over to the airport office I did not talk to anybody nor did anybody speak to me. After a few mins I went back to where my plane was parked. During preflight, I noticed that the radio antennas appeared to be snapped and just laying loose on the wing, still attached to the aircraft, but not sticking straight up. I continued my inspection, and prepared to depart. I taxied to runway 28. I keyed my radio microphone and it sounded as if it was working. After completing my runup, I asked cumberland unicom for a radio check, but received no reply. I often do not receive replies to airport radio check requests, so I did not think anything further about the negative reply. I radioed cumberland traffic that I was departing and headed toward home. Most of the remainder of the return flight was uneventful until I arrived in the gaithersburg area. Again, in the same general vicinity where I had seen the F16 on my way out, another F16 crossed in front of me. This time I was sure that this was no coincidence and I was concerned that I had done something wrong. I switched to 121.5 and continued on course towards fme. For the remainder of the flight back, I was basically 'escorted' by the F16, but I heard no transmission on 121.5. As I arrived in the vicinity of fme, I switched to fme multicom and made my landing. I was met at my tie down by the airport police, customs officials, fort meade police and local police. During this time, they asked me if I was aware that the entire dc area class B had recently become an ADIZ. I was completely unaware of this change. I listen to news radio to and from work every day and heard nothing mentioned about increased restrs to area airspace. The basic cause of this mistake was that I did not read the NOTAMS close enough. I scanned through them looking primarily for the WX. I saw the same disclosure about restrs in the washington, ny and boston area that has been posted since 9/tue, but I did not think it was anything new. I fully acknowledge my fault. I believe that with something as serious and significant as a change in airspace to an ADIZ in an area as congested as washington dc, that the publicity regarding the change could have been slightly more extensive. I read nothing and I was told nothing. At the very least, my airport should have had a big red stop sign on thedoor to the tarmac warning all pilots not to go airborne without the special code. Something should have been posted at both fme and cumberland that absolutely grabs a pilot's attention and cannot be ignored because it looks like just more 'wall paper.' in addition, a mass mailing (as is done with aircraft ad's) could have been undertaken to all pilots ensuring their notification of this very significant change and bulletins over the radio and tv.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C177 PLT, DEPING AND RETURNING TO FME IS INTERCEPTED BY F16'S, AND INTERVIEWED UPON LNDG. PLT ALLEGES HE WAS NOT AWARE OF NEW ADIZ.

Narrative: I DECIDED TO TAKE A SHORT DAY CROSS COUNTRY TRIP FROM FME TO SEVEN SPRINGS. BEFORE DEPARTING, I CHKED THE WX USING ON LINE DUATS. I QUICKLY SCANNED THE BRIEFING AND DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING THAT APPEARED TO PRECLUDE MY DEP. I DID NOT TALK TO FSS REPRESENTATIVE BEFORE LEAVING. THERE APPEARED TO BE NOTHING UNUSUAL AT THE ARPT WHEN I ARRIVED. I TALKED BRIEFLY WITH THE ARPT MANAGER. THERE WERE A LOT OF VARIOUS PAPER BULLETINS HANGING UP ALL AROUND THE OFFICE (AS THERE ALWAYS ARE), BUT I DIDN'T NOTICE ANYTHING THAT APPEARED DISTINCTIVE OR COMPELLING. MY PREFLT INSPECTION WAS NOMINAL. I TAXIED INTO POS (SQUAWKING 1200 ON MY XPONDER). MONITORING THE ARPT MULTICOM FREQUENCY, I XMITTED THAT I WAS TAKING OFF. I TOOK OFF AND HEADED W TOWARD SEVEN SPRINGS. I DID NOT MONITOR ANY OTHER FREQUENCY. APPROX 15 MINS INTO MY FLT I WAS STARTLED TO SEE AN F16 FLY APPROX 100 YARDS IN FRONT AND ABOVE ME. I AM AWARE THAT THE MILITARY IS FLYING COMBAT AIR PATROL OVER THE DC AREA SINCE 9/TUE AND I WAS CONCERNED THAT PERHAPS THAT I MIGHT HAVE MISTAKENLY ENTERED RESTR AIRSPACE. (I THOUGHT PERHAPS THEY HAD GREATLY EXPANDED THE CAMP DAVID RESTR ZONE.) I TURNED MY RADIO TO 121.5 TO MONITOR ANY XMISSIONS THAT THE F16 MIGHT TRY AND MAKE. I HEARD NOTHING AND AFTER THE ONE PASS, THE F16 DEPARTED THE AREA. AT THAT POINT I HAD ASSUMED THAT WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS JUST AN 'INTERESTING ENCOUNTER.' I ARRIVED AT SEVEN SPRINGS ARPT ONLY TO FIND THAT IT WAS CLOSED. AFTER LINGERING OVER THE AREA FOR 15 MINS, I HEADED BACK TO MY HOME BASE. I PASSED OVER CUMBERLAND ARPT AND DECIDED TO LAND THERE TO EAT LUNCH. I WALKED OVER TO THE ARPT OFFICE AND REQUESTED A MAP OF THE LOCAL AREA. I SAW NOTHING UNUSUAL IN THE TERMINAL. AFTER LUNCH I WENT OVER TO THE ARPT OFFICE I DID NOT TALK TO ANYBODY NOR DID ANYBODY SPEAK TO ME. AFTER A FEW MINS I WENT BACK TO WHERE MY PLANE WAS PARKED. DURING PREFLT, I NOTICED THAT THE RADIO ANTENNAS APPEARED TO BE SNAPPED AND JUST LAYING LOOSE ON THE WING, STILL ATTACHED TO THE ACFT, BUT NOT STICKING STRAIGHT UP. I CONTINUED MY INSPECTION, AND PREPARED TO DEPART. I TAXIED TO RWY 28. I KEYED MY RADIO MIC AND IT SOUNDED AS IF IT WAS WORKING. AFTER COMPLETING MY RUNUP, I ASKED CUMBERLAND UNICOM FOR A RADIO CHECK, BUT RECEIVED NO REPLY. I OFTEN DO NOT RECEIVE REPLIES TO ARPT RADIO CHK REQUESTS, SO I DID NOT THINK ANYTHING FURTHER ABOUT THE NEGATIVE REPLY. I RADIOED CUMBERLAND TFC THAT I WAS DEPARTING AND HEADED TOWARD HOME. MOST OF THE REMAINDER OF THE RETURN FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL UNTIL I ARRIVED IN THE GAITHERSBURG AREA. AGAIN, IN THE SAME GENERAL VICINITY WHERE I HAD SEEN THE F16 ON MY WAY OUT, ANOTHER F16 CROSSED IN FRONT OF ME. THIS TIME I WAS SURE THAT THIS WAS NO COINCIDENCE AND I WAS CONCERNED THAT I HAD DONE SOMETHING WRONG. I SWITCHED TO 121.5 AND CONTINUED ON COURSE TOWARDS FME. FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT BACK, I WAS BASICALLY 'ESCORTED' BY THE F16, BUT I HEARD NO XMISSION ON 121.5. AS I ARRIVED IN THE VICINITY OF FME, I SWITCHED TO FME MULTICOM AND MADE MY LNDG. I WAS MET AT MY TIE DOWN BY THE ARPT POLICE, CUSTOMS OFFICIALS, FORT MEADE POLICE AND LCL POLICE. DURING THIS TIME, THEY ASKED ME IF I WAS AWARE THAT THE ENTIRE DC AREA CLASS B HAD RECENTLY BECOME AN ADIZ. I WAS COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF THIS CHANGE. I LISTEN TO NEWS RADIO TO AND FROM WORK EVERY DAY AND HEARD NOTHING MENTIONED ABOUT INCREASED RESTRS TO AREA AIRSPACE. THE BASIC CAUSE OF THIS MISTAKE WAS THAT I DID NOT READ THE NOTAMS CLOSE ENOUGH. I SCANNED THROUGH THEM LOOKING PRIMARILY FOR THE WX. I SAW THE SAME DISCLOSURE ABOUT RESTRS IN THE WASHINGTON, NY AND BOSTON AREA THAT HAS BEEN POSTED SINCE 9/TUE, BUT I DID NOT THINK IT WAS ANYTHING NEW. I FULLY ACKNOWLEDGE MY FAULT. I BELIEVE THAT WITH SOMETHING AS SERIOUS AND SIGNIFICANT AS A CHANGE IN AIRSPACE TO AN ADIZ IN AN AREA AS CONGESTED AS WASHINGTON DC, THAT THE PUBLICITY REGARDING THE CHANGE COULD HAVE BEEN SLIGHTLY MORE EXTENSIVE. I READ NOTHING AND I WAS TOLD NOTHING. AT THE VERY LEAST, MY ARPT SHOULD HAVE HAD A BIG RED STOP SIGN ON THEDOOR TO THE TARMAC WARNING ALL PLTS NOT TO GO AIRBORNE WITHOUT THE SPECIAL CODE. SOMETHING SHOULD HAVE BEEN POSTED AT BOTH FME AND CUMBERLAND THAT ABSOLUTELY GRABS A PLT'S ATTENTION AND CANNOT BE IGNORED BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE JUST MORE 'WALL PAPER.' IN ADDITION, A MASS MAILING (AS IS DONE WITH ACFT AD'S) COULD HAVE BEEN UNDERTAKEN TO ALL PLTS ENSURING THEIR NOTIFICATION OF THIS VERY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE AND BULLETINS OVER THE RADIO AND TV.

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.