Narrative:

I became aware of this event on monday. The actual occurrence happened on 03/mon/03. Myself and another senior pilot with our company departure cho heading toward the mrb VOR. I was flying and had our GPS dialed into the mrb VOR. Our intent was to fly toward the mrb VOR and then at some point prior to actually arriving at the VOR, turn right (northeast) and fly to the fdk VOR. This would keep us well south of prohibited area P40. When my fellow pilot, who was the navigator, told me to go direct to the VOR at fredrick, I turned and dialed in the fdk VOR and seem to remember 063 degrees as the required heading. (I dialed fdk in by using one of our dual VOR receivers on the aircraft). Since we don't normally use our aircraft for anything, but VFR flying, the VOR receivers are not routinely checked for accuracy. (A heading of 063 degrees would've kept us outside of the outer edge of class B airspace). Upon landing at 40N PA, we were detained by local police and interviewed by us customs and secret service and then released. During our interview with customs the agents were under the impression that the ADIZ extended 30 miles west and north from dulles, which we were surprised to hear. The interview continued and we called 2 FSS and pulled up the written text showing the last update describing the ADIZ. All the information varied slightly, but none of the information agreed that it was 30 miles. When it was all said and done, the agents left thinking that we were in the ADIZ because we had not received the proper information through no fault of our own, and at the time, we thought they were correct. Upon further checking, we found out that in fact, the information the agents had about the 30 miles west and north of dulles was not correct. Never from the time the ADIZ was established to and including the date of our flight, did the ADIZ encompass any area further west or north than the edge of class B airspace. I thought that was the end of it until I received a letter of investigation from the FAA and was informed today that the radar track shows us just barely inside the western edge of the ADIZ and then slightly more inside when we turned toward frederick. There were many misleading comments from FSS and even us customs did not have the accurate description of the ADIZ. When FSS asks us if we are familiar with the 30 mile situation rule, or any other inaccurate description of the actual ADIZ, it becomes confusing. Especially when the term ADIZ isn't used. Since the term ADIZ was never used and I had not been through the dc area since it was established in february, I was not even aware that there was an ADIZ. I just thought I had to stay 30 miles away from washington national. It turns out neither description is correct, since the distance from washington national is 40 NM to the western edge of the ADIZ and only 20 NM from dulles to the edge of the ADIZ. Had all of this been clearly stated, we simply would have called ATC and flown to frederick via radar vectors.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: S61 FLC ADVISED OF DC ADIZ VIOLATION FOUR WKS AFTER EVENT.

Narrative: I BECAME AWARE OF THIS EVENT ON MONDAY. THE ACTUAL OCCURRENCE HAPPENED ON 03/MON/03. MYSELF AND ANOTHER SENIOR PLT WITH OUR COMPANY DEP CHO HEADING TOWARD THE MRB VOR. I WAS FLYING AND HAD OUR GPS DIALED INTO THE MRB VOR. OUR INTENT WAS TO FLY TOWARD THE MRB VOR AND THEN AT SOME POINT PRIOR TO ACTUALLY ARRIVING AT THE VOR, TURN R (NE) AND FLY TO THE FDK VOR. THIS WOULD KEEP US WELL S OF PROHIBITED AREA P40. WHEN MY FELLOW PLT, WHO WAS THE NAVIGATOR, TOLD ME TO GO DIRECT TO THE VOR AT FREDRICK, I TURNED AND DIALED IN THE FDK VOR AND SEEM TO REMEMBER 063 DEGS AS THE REQUIRED HDG. (I DIALED FDK IN BY USING ONE OF OUR DUAL VOR RECEIVERS ON THE ACFT). SINCE WE DON'T NORMALLY USE OUR ACFT FOR ANYTHING, BUT VFR FLYING, THE VOR RECEIVERS ARE NOT ROUTINELY CHKED FOR ACCURACY. (A HDG OF 063 DEGS WOULD'VE KEPT US OUTSIDE OF THE OUTER EDGE OF CLASS B AIRSPACE). UPON LNDG AT 40N PA, WE WERE DETAINED BY LCL POLICE AND INTERVIEWED BY US CUSTOMS AND SECRET SERVICE AND THEN RELEASED. DURING OUR INTERVIEW WITH CUSTOMS THE AGENTS WERE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THE ADIZ EXTENDED 30 MILES W AND N FROM DULLES, WHICH WE WERE SURPRISED TO HEAR. THE INTERVIEW CONTINUED AND WE CALLED 2 FSS AND PULLED UP THE WRITTEN TEXT SHOWING THE LAST UPDATE DESCRIBING THE ADIZ. ALL THE INFORMATION VARIED SLIGHTLY, BUT NONE OF THE INFORMATION AGREED THAT IT WAS 30 MILES. WHEN IT WAS ALL SAID AND DONE, THE AGENTS LEFT THINKING THAT WE WERE IN THE ADIZ BECAUSE WE HAD NOT RECEIVED THE PROPER INFO THROUGH NO FAULT OF OUR OWN, AND AT THE TIME, WE THOUGHT THEY WERE CORRECT. UPON FURTHER CHKING, WE FOUND OUT THAT IN FACT, THE INFO THE AGENTS HAD ABOUT THE 30 MILES W AND N OF DULLES WAS NOT CORRECT. NEVER FROM THE TIME THE ADIZ WAS ESTABLISHED TO AND INCLUDING THE DATE OF OUR FLT, DID THE ADIZ ENCOMPASS ANY AREA FURTHER W OR N THAN THE EDGE OF CLASS B AIRSPACE. I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE END OF IT UNTIL I RECEIVED A LETTER OF INVESTIGATION FROM THE FAA AND WAS INFORMED TODAY THAT THE RADAR TRACK SHOWS US JUST BARELY INSIDE THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE ADIZ AND THEN SLIGHTLY MORE INSIDE WHEN WE TURNED TOWARD FREDERICK. THERE WERE MANY MISLEADING COMMENTS FROM FSS AND EVEN US CUSTOMS DID NOT HAVE THE ACCURATE DESCRIPTION OF THE ADIZ. WHEN FSS ASKS US IF WE ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE 30 MILE SIT RULE, OR ANY OTHER INACCURATE DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTUAL ADIZ, IT BECOMES CONFUSING. ESPECIALLY WHEN THE TERM ADIZ ISN'T USED. SINCE THE TERM ADIZ WAS NEVER USED AND I HAD NOT BEEN THROUGH THE DC AREA SINCE IT WAS ESTABLISHED IN FEBRUARY, I WAS NOT EVEN AWARE THAT THERE WAS AN ADIZ. I JUST THOUGHT I HAD TO STAY 30 MILES AWAY FROM WASHINGTON NATIONAL. IT TURNS OUT NEITHER DESCRIPTION IS CORRECT, SINCE THE DISTANCE FROM WASHINGTON NATIONAL IS 40 NM TO THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE ADIZ AND ONLY 20 NM FROM DULLES TO THE EDGE OF THE ADIZ. HAD ALL OF THIS BEEN CLEARLY STATED, WE SIMPLY WOULD HAVE CALLED ATC AND FLOWN TO FREDERICK VIA RADAR VECTORS.

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.