Narrative:

I was flying the aircraft VFR to reposition from shd to N73. I was level cruising VFR at 11500 ft MSL when I noticed the military F16. Prior to departure from shd, I received a flight briefing via computer and purchased a current washington sectional for the VFR trip. The trip needed to be conducted VFR due to the lack of aircraft communication radios. After reviewing the WX and washington sectional chart, which clearly showed the ceiling of the class B controled airspace at 10000 ft MSL, I departed shd for N73 and climbed to the appropriate altitude for direction of flight 11500 ft MSL. Due to the inoperative aircraft communication radios, I carried a hand held communication radio for communications at the departure and landing airports. The transponder and encoder were squawking 1200. After seeing the F16, I turned on the hand held and talked using 121.5 (guard) and followed the instructions given by the F16 pilot to proceed to easton, md, and land. With the lowering of the nation's terrorist alert status recently, it was my understanding high altitude veils around selected major metropolitan area were also lowered. Therefore, there was no concern for a VFR flight at 11500 ft as long as I remained clear of all restr areas, which I did. Finally, if the FAA is going to continue the veil around the washington, dc area, then that information should be presented on the VFR sectionals. An example would be to present the altitude above washington, dc class B airspace as the warning or alert areas are currently shown, that way, everyone would have the same information. In my case, none of this regrettable occurrence would have occurred.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: L12A PLT ENTERED DC ADIZ WITHOUT CLRNC OR A DISCRETE XPONDER CODE. HE WAS INTERCEPTED BY A MILITARY F16.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING THE ACFT VFR TO REPOSITION FROM SHD TO N73. I WAS LEVEL CRUISING VFR AT 11500 FT MSL WHEN I NOTICED THE MILITARY F16. PRIOR TO DEP FROM SHD, I RECEIVED A FLT BRIEFING VIA COMPUTER AND PURCHASED A CURRENT WASHINGTON SECTIONAL FOR THE VFR TRIP. THE TRIP NEEDED TO BE CONDUCTED VFR DUE TO THE LACK OF ACFT COM RADIOS. AFTER REVIEWING THE WX AND WASHINGTON SECTIONAL CHART, WHICH CLRLY SHOWED THE CEILING OF THE CLASS B CTLED AIRSPACE AT 10000 FT MSL, I DEPARTED SHD FOR N73 AND CLBED TO THE APPROPRIATE ALT FOR DIRECTION OF FLT 11500 FT MSL. DUE TO THE INOPERATIVE ACFT COM RADIOS, I CARRIED A HAND HELD COM RADIO FOR COMS AT THE DEP AND LNDG ARPTS. THE XPONDER AND ENCODER WERE SQUAWKING 1200. AFTER SEEING THE F16, I TURNED ON THE HAND HELD AND TALKED USING 121.5 (GUARD) AND FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN BY THE F16 PLT TO PROCEED TO EASTON, MD, AND LAND. WITH THE LOWERING OF THE NATION'S TERRORIST ALERT STATUS RECENTLY, IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING HIGH ALT VEILS AROUND SELECTED MAJOR METROPOLITAN AREA WERE ALSO LOWERED. THEREFORE, THERE WAS NO CONCERN FOR A VFR FLT AT 11500 FT AS LONG AS I REMAINED CLR OF ALL RESTR AREAS, WHICH I DID. FINALLY, IF THE FAA IS GOING TO CONTINUE THE VEIL AROUND THE WASHINGTON, DC AREA, THEN THAT INFO SHOULD BE PRESENTED ON THE VFR SECTIONALS. AN EXAMPLE WOULD BE TO PRESENT THE ALT ABOVE WASHINGTON, DC CLASS B AIRSPACE AS THE WARNING OR ALERT AREAS ARE CURRENTLY SHOWN, THAT WAY, EVERYONE WOULD HAVE THE SAME INFO. IN MY CASE, NONE OF THIS REGRETTABLE OCCURRENCE WOULD HAVE OCCURRED.

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.