Narrative:

On 03/sun/03, I completed a trip from W75 to gai. After landing at gai, I was told that I had entered the dc ADIZ. W75 is approximately 40 miles due east of ric. I departed hummel airport. WX was marginal VFR. I had not flown in the area surrounding washington since 09/tue/01. The procedures for receiving a transponder code was very confusing. Initially, I was never sure if my request to enter the ADIZ was received or if I should simply wait longer for the request to be processed. I was bounced between three different frequencies in a 20 min period prior to receiving permission to enter the ADIZ. When the controller acknowledged my transmission, I provided my tail number, position and request for a code and permission to fly to gai. At this point I did not get an acknowledgment. I thought the controller was busy and waited several mins before requesting permission again. The controller then responded with a frequency change. Several times I had to make more than one recall, waiting between each call-up because I didn't want to be thought a nuisance and then be denied access to my intended destination. This exchange of multiple call-ups and frequency changes occurred 3 times before I was eventually given a code and granted access into the ADIZ. During that time, I circled around the brv VOR. After entering the ADIZ, I was given a telephone number and was told to call it once I was on the ground at gai. Once I called I was told I had violated the airspace by three miles. I was not intercepted by any military aircraft and no one met me at gai after landing. I did not realize I had entered the ADIZ without permission. My error was that I was distraction by the multiple frequency changes, low visibility and multiple targets at low altitude in and around rmn. I also misinterpreted the bold 20 mile ring drawn on the bwi-wash terminal area chart to be the important 30 mile ring. I had interpreted the blue ring with square boxes as the 20 mile limit and the bold outer blue ring as the 30 mile limit. My garmin GNS530 GPS also represented only the airspace rings out to 20 miles, which added to my confusion. I have learned from this experience by, understanding how the airspace rules have significantly changed in this area and that the need for heighten awareness of each pilot is required.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE36 PLT PENETRATES DC ADIZ ATTEMPTING TO OBTAIN CLRNC ENRTE TO GAI. PLT IS TRANSFERRED TO 3 CTLRS BEFORE OBTAINING CLRNC.

Narrative: ON 03/SUN/03, I COMPLETED A TRIP FROM W75 TO GAI. AFTER LNDG AT GAI, I WAS TOLD THAT I HAD ENTERED THE DC ADIZ. W75 IS APPROX 40 MILES DUE EAST OF RIC. I DEPARTED HUMMEL ARPT. WX WAS MARGINAL VFR. I HAD NOT FLOWN IN THE AREA SURROUNDING WASHINGTON SINCE 09/TUE/01. THE PROCS FOR RECEIVING A XPONDER CODE WAS VERY CONFUSING. INITIALLY, I WAS NEVER SURE IF MY REQUEST TO ENTER THE ADIZ WAS RECEIVED OR IF I SHOULD SIMPLY WAIT LONGER FOR THE REQUEST TO BE PROCESSED. I WAS BOUNCED BETWEEN THREE DIFFERENT FREQUENCIES IN A 20 MIN PERIOD PRIOR TO RECEIVING PERMISSION TO ENTER THE ADIZ. WHEN THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED MY XMISSION, I PROVIDED MY TAIL NUMBER, POSITION AND REQUEST FOR A CODE AND PERMISSION TO FLY TO GAI. AT THIS POINT I DID NOT GET AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT. I THOUGHT THE CTLR WAS BUSY AND WAITED SEVERAL MINS BEFORE REQUESTING PERMISSION AGAIN. THE CTLR THEN RESPONDED WITH A FREQUENCY CHANGE. SEVERAL TIMES I HAD TO MAKE MORE THAN ONE RECALL, WAITING BETWEEN EACH CALL-UP BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO BE THOUGHT A NUISANCE AND THEN BE DENIED ACCESS TO MY INTENDED DEST. THIS EXCHANGE OF MULTIPLE CALL-UPS AND FREQUENCY CHANGES OCCURRED 3 TIMES BEFORE I WAS EVENTUALLY GIVEN A CODE AND GRANTED ACCESS INTO THE ADIZ. DURING THAT TIME, I CIRCLED AROUND THE BRV VOR. AFTER ENTERING THE ADIZ, I WAS GIVEN A TELEPHONE NUMBER AND WAS TOLD TO CALL IT ONCE I WAS ON THE GND AT GAI. ONCE I CALLED I WAS TOLD I HAD VIOLATED THE AIRSPACE BY THREE MILES. I WAS NOT INTERCEPTED BY ANY MILITARY ACFT AND NO ONE MET ME AT GAI AFTER LNDG. I DID NOT REALIZE I HAD ENTERED THE ADIZ WITHOUT PERMISSION. MY ERROR WAS THAT I WAS DISTR BY THE MULTIPLE FREQUENCY CHANGES, LOW VISIBILITY AND MULTIPLE TARGETS AT LOW ALTITUDE IN AND AROUND RMN. I ALSO MISINTERPRETED THE BOLD 20 MILE RING DRAWN ON THE BWI-WASH TERMINAL AREA CHART TO BE THE IMPORTANT 30 MILE RING. I HAD INTERPRETED THE BLUE RING WITH SQUARE BOXES AS THE 20 MILE LIMIT AND THE BOLD OUTER BLUE RING AS THE 30 MILE LIMIT. MY GARMIN GNS530 GPS ALSO REPRESENTED ONLY THE AIRSPACE RINGS OUT TO 20 MILES, WHICH ADDED TO MY CONFUSION. I HAVE LEARNED FROM THIS EXPERIENCE BY, UNDERSTANDING HOW THE AIRSPACE RULES HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGED IN THIS AREA AND THAT THE NEED FOR HEIGHTEN AWARENESS OF EACH PLT IS REQUIRED.

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.