Narrative:

My aircraft, a TB20, was at fme on the edge of the floor to ceiling airspace of baltimore, so only 1 side of the runway can be used for landing and takeoff, plus the ceiling is only 1500 ft. For the yrs I have been using this airport, when cleared through bravo airspace from the north, you are not sure what direction or how many planes are in the pattern when you say you have airport in sight. Before becoming an ADIZ, you would try to get on CTAF frequency and squawk 1200 as fast as you could, so you could get your eyes out of the plane as to enter the pattern almost immediately. Since becoming an ADIZ, and the customs for 3 other airports in the ADIZ plus having to talk to approach, the pattern has been very interesting to say the least. On this occasion, when reporting airport in sight and was told frequency change approved, I, by reflex, started to change transponder to 1200, only changing 2 numbers when hearing the controller say, 'stay on code until on ground,' which I know to do. I told the controller I changed 2 numbers, and he told me to change back to the original numbers, which I did not remember. I was approximately 1 mi from field by this time, and he gave me 2 other numbers to put in. When I landed (pattern was empty) and unicom was closed for advisories, I called potomac to cancel on the ground. The controller, who answered the phone immediately, started to reprimand me like a child, and said I could get 90 days suspension. I was trying to get ahead of the airplane anticipating a busy uncontrolled pattern. The last nice day I flew out of tipton, the controller could not keep up with the traffic, and told people to circle the airport, the pattern is 1000 ft and the ceiling is 1500 ft, very scary. On the day of the incident, all the controllers were great, and I was given 3 transponder codes for the 1 1/2 hour trip from connecticut, which being a holiday, helped account for the low volume.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A TB20 PLT CHANGES XPONDER CODE PREMATURELY WHEN GIVEN APPROVAL FOR FREQ CHANGE WHEN ENTERING PATTERN FOR LNDG AT FME, MD.

Narrative: MY ACFT, A TB20, WAS AT FME ON THE EDGE OF THE FLOOR TO CEILING AIRSPACE OF BALTIMORE, SO ONLY 1 SIDE OF THE RWY CAN BE USED FOR LNDG AND TKOF, PLUS THE CEILING IS ONLY 1500 FT. FOR THE YRS I HAVE BEEN USING THIS ARPT, WHEN CLRED THROUGH BRAVO AIRSPACE FROM THE N, YOU ARE NOT SURE WHAT DIRECTION OR HOW MANY PLANES ARE IN THE PATTERN WHEN YOU SAY YOU HAVE ARPT IN SIGHT. BEFORE BECOMING AN ADIZ, YOU WOULD TRY TO GET ON CTAF FREQ AND SQUAWK 1200 AS FAST AS YOU COULD, SO YOU COULD GET YOUR EYES OUT OF THE PLANE AS TO ENTER THE PATTERN ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. SINCE BECOMING AN ADIZ, AND THE CUSTOMS FOR 3 OTHER ARPTS IN THE ADIZ PLUS HAVING TO TALK TO APCH, THE PATTERN HAS BEEN VERY INTERESTING TO SAY THE LEAST. ON THIS OCCASION, WHEN RPTING ARPT IN SIGHT AND WAS TOLD FREQ CHANGE APPROVED, I, BY REFLEX, STARTED TO CHANGE XPONDER TO 1200, ONLY CHANGING 2 NUMBERS WHEN HEARING THE CTLR SAY, 'STAY ON CODE UNTIL ON GND,' WHICH I KNOW TO DO. I TOLD THE CTLR I CHANGED 2 NUMBERS, AND HE TOLD ME TO CHANGE BACK TO THE ORIGINAL NUMBERS, WHICH I DID NOT REMEMBER. I WAS APPROX 1 MI FROM FIELD BY THIS TIME, AND HE GAVE ME 2 OTHER NUMBERS TO PUT IN. WHEN I LANDED (PATTERN WAS EMPTY) AND UNICOM WAS CLOSED FOR ADVISORIES, I CALLED POTOMAC TO CANCEL ON THE GND. THE CTLR, WHO ANSWERED THE PHONE IMMEDIATELY, STARTED TO REPRIMAND ME LIKE A CHILD, AND SAID I COULD GET 90 DAYS SUSPENSION. I WAS TRYING TO GET AHEAD OF THE AIRPLANE ANTICIPATING A BUSY UNCTLED PATTERN. THE LAST NICE DAY I FLEW OUT OF TIPTON, THE CTLR COULD NOT KEEP UP WITH THE TFC, AND TOLD PEOPLE TO CIRCLE THE ARPT, THE PATTERN IS 1000 FT AND THE CEILING IS 1500 FT, VERY SCARY. ON THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT, ALL THE CTLRS WERE GREAT, AND I WAS GIVEN 3 XPONDER CODES FOR THE 1 1/2 HR TRIP FROM CONNECTICUT, WHICH BEING A HOLIDAY, HELPED ACCOUNT FOR THE LOW VOLUME.

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.