Narrative:

I obtained a WX briefing via the automated WX service for a flight from lns to oxb. Departure was at XA30 with a return flight planned for approximately XG00. The forecast indicated VFR WX with a 30% chance of thunderstorms near wilmington, de, after XI00. The flight to oxb was without incident, except that, despite several requests to the en route approach control facilities, no ATC facility even acknowledged my radio xmissions, let alone responded to my intended request for flight following, except for dover AFB, whose controllers did acknowledge my request and did provide flight following. This situation was also repeated on the return trip from oxb to the intended destination, lns. Lack of ATC response to radio xmissions was a significant contributing factor to the incursion into restr airspace. Prior to the return flight, I contacted leesburg flight service station for a WX briefing. I specifically asked the leesburg briefer about thunderstorm activity. The briefer provided a standard WX briefing with the same 30% chance of thunderstorms in the wilmington, de area. Since I had specifically requested information concerning any thunderstorm activity and none was forthcoming. I assumed that thunderstorms would not be a factor. However, had the briefer taken time to review the radar graphics available to him, he could clearly have seen a storm cell in the vicinity of hagerstown, md, moving eastward at about 30 KTS. This was the most significant contributing factor to the incursion into restr airspace. I departed oxb for the 1 hour 15 min flight to lns. Again, I received flight following from dover AFB. Dover gave me the frequency for the next potomac ATC sector, but upon call-up, the potomac controller suggested I call dover for flight following. I informed him that dover had just turned me loose, and the potomac controller then suggested another frequency, which, like the trip down to oxb, did not acknowledge my call. About 20 mi northwest of dover AFB I noticed a very abrupt darkening of clouds and discovered that I was in the vicinity of a storm cell. Using a hand held GPS, I naved around the northern border of R4001A. I could see lightning strikes ahead and very dark clouds to the north and east. I called ATC twice with no response. With no other recourse, I turned south to avoid the storm cell into R4001A without a clearance, again called ATC, this time declaring an emergency. This transmission was finally acknowledged. I informed the controller that I was on the edge of a storm cell, had lightning in my immediate vicinity, and needed assistance to avoid the cell. At this time, the controller was very helpful, asking me to identify, giving me a discrete transponder code, and headings and altitude to fly. The controller vectored me to martin state airport, mtn, where I landed without further incident. After landing, I called a flight service station, for a clearance from the ADIZ. Martin state airport had computer WX graphics, and I was upset to see that the leesburg briefer should have easily anticipated the time the active cell would move directly across my flight path. It was also evident, according to both the WX graphics I was viewing and the williamsport briefer I was speaking to, that the storm cell which created the emergency for me would soon clear the martin state area. Furthermore, the WX radar also showed a second cell in the hagerstown area, about 30 mi northwest from mtn, which I could easily avoid if I departed mtn promptly. This I did under an ADIZ flight plan to the belay intersection, and the remainder of the flight to lancaster was uneventful. I recommend that flight service briefers be made more aware of their responsibility to comply with pilot requests for specific information. I am disturbed that, despite my specific request, the briefer apparently did not bother to check WX radar. I further recommend that air traffic controllers be given recurrent training concerning communications with VFR pilots. At the very least controllers should acknowledge radio xmissions, even if they are too busy to provide flight following. In fairness I must add that, after declaring the emergency, I was provided all the help I needed, but it should not have come to that level to get assistance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF C172 FEELS THAT POOR FSS SVC REGARDING TSTMS ON HIS RTE AND THE UNWILLINGNESS OF ATC FACILITIES TO RESPOND TO HIS REQUESTS FOR SVC IN THE DC ADIZ AREA CONTRIBUTED TO HIS INCURSION INTO R4001A.

Narrative: I OBTAINED A WX BRIEFING VIA THE AUTOMATED WX SVC FOR A FLT FROM LNS TO OXB. DEP WAS AT XA30 WITH A RETURN FLT PLANNED FOR APPROX XG00. THE FORECAST INDICATED VFR WX WITH A 30% CHANCE OF TSTMS NEAR WILMINGTON, DE, AFTER XI00. THE FLT TO OXB WAS WITHOUT INCIDENT, EXCEPT THAT, DESPITE SEVERAL REQUESTS TO THE ENRTE APCH CTL FACILITIES, NO ATC FACILITY EVEN ACKNOWLEDGED MY RADIO XMISSIONS, LET ALONE RESPONDED TO MY INTENDED REQUEST FOR FLT FOLLOWING, EXCEPT FOR DOVER AFB, WHOSE CTLRS DID ACKNOWLEDGE MY REQUEST AND DID PROVIDE FLT FOLLOWING. THIS SIT WAS ALSO REPEATED ON THE RETURN TRIP FROM OXB TO THE INTENDED DEST, LNS. LACK OF ATC RESPONSE TO RADIO XMISSIONS WAS A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THE INCURSION INTO RESTR AIRSPACE. PRIOR TO THE RETURN FLT, I CONTACTED LEESBURG FLT SVC STATION FOR A WX BRIEFING. I SPECIFICALLY ASKED THE LEESBURG BRIEFER ABOUT TSTM ACTIVITY. THE BRIEFER PROVIDED A STANDARD WX BRIEFING WITH THE SAME 30% CHANCE OF TSTMS IN THE WILMINGTON, DE AREA. SINCE I HAD SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED INFO CONCERNING ANY TSTM ACTIVITY AND NONE WAS FORTHCOMING. I ASSUMED THAT TSTMS WOULD NOT BE A FACTOR. HOWEVER, HAD THE BRIEFER TAKEN TIME TO REVIEW THE RADAR GRAPHICS AVAILABLE TO HIM, HE COULD CLRLY HAVE SEEN A STORM CELL IN THE VICINITY OF HAGERSTOWN, MD, MOVING EASTWARD AT ABOUT 30 KTS. THIS WAS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THE INCURSION INTO RESTR AIRSPACE. I DEPARTED OXB FOR THE 1 HR 15 MIN FLT TO LNS. AGAIN, I RECEIVED FLT FOLLOWING FROM DOVER AFB. DOVER GAVE ME THE FREQ FOR THE NEXT POTOMAC ATC SECTOR, BUT UPON CALL-UP, THE POTOMAC CTLR SUGGESTED I CALL DOVER FOR FLT FOLLOWING. I INFORMED HIM THAT DOVER HAD JUST TURNED ME LOOSE, AND THE POTOMAC CTLR THEN SUGGESTED ANOTHER FREQ, WHICH, LIKE THE TRIP DOWN TO OXB, DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE MY CALL. ABOUT 20 MI NW OF DOVER AFB I NOTICED A VERY ABRUPT DARKENING OF CLOUDS AND DISCOVERED THAT I WAS IN THE VICINITY OF A STORM CELL. USING A HAND HELD GPS, I NAVED AROUND THE NORTHERN BORDER OF R4001A. I COULD SEE LIGHTNING STRIKES AHEAD AND VERY DARK CLOUDS TO THE N AND E. I CALLED ATC TWICE WITH NO RESPONSE. WITH NO OTHER RECOURSE, I TURNED S TO AVOID THE STORM CELL INTO R4001A WITHOUT A CLRNC, AGAIN CALLED ATC, THIS TIME DECLARING AN EMER. THIS XMISSION WAS FINALLY ACKNOWLEDGED. I INFORMED THE CTLR THAT I WAS ON THE EDGE OF A STORM CELL, HAD LIGHTNING IN MY IMMEDIATE VICINITY, AND NEEDED ASSISTANCE TO AVOID THE CELL. AT THIS TIME, THE CTLR WAS VERY HELPFUL, ASKING ME TO IDENT, GIVING ME A DISCRETE XPONDER CODE, AND HEADINGS AND ALT TO FLY. THE CTLR VECTORED ME TO MARTIN STATE ARPT, MTN, WHERE I LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. AFTER LNDG, I CALLED A FLT SVC STATION, FOR A CLRNC FROM THE ADIZ. MARTIN STATE ARPT HAD COMPUTER WX GRAPHICS, AND I WAS UPSET TO SEE THAT THE LEESBURG BRIEFER SHOULD HAVE EASILY ANTICIPATED THE TIME THE ACTIVE CELL WOULD MOVE DIRECTLY ACROSS MY FLT PATH. IT WAS ALSO EVIDENT, ACCORDING TO BOTH THE WX GRAPHICS I WAS VIEWING AND THE WILLIAMSPORT BRIEFER I WAS SPEAKING TO, THAT THE STORM CELL WHICH CREATED THE EMER FOR ME WOULD SOON CLR THE MARTIN STATE AREA. FURTHERMORE, THE WX RADAR ALSO SHOWED A SECOND CELL IN THE HAGERSTOWN AREA, ABOUT 30 MI NW FROM MTN, WHICH I COULD EASILY AVOID IF I DEPARTED MTN PROMPTLY. THIS I DID UNDER AN ADIZ FLT PLAN TO THE BELAY INTXN, AND THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT TO LANCASTER WAS UNEVENTFUL. I RECOMMEND THAT FLT SVC BRIEFERS BE MADE MORE AWARE OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO COMPLY WITH PLT REQUESTS FOR SPECIFIC INFO. I AM DISTURBED THAT, DESPITE MY SPECIFIC REQUEST, THE BRIEFER APPARENTLY DID NOT BOTHER TO CHK WX RADAR. I FURTHER RECOMMEND THAT AIR TFC CTLRS BE GIVEN RECURRENT TRAINING CONCERNING COMS WITH VFR PLTS. AT THE VERY LEAST CTLRS SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE RADIO XMISSIONS, EVEN IF THEY ARE TOO BUSY TO PROVIDE FLT FOLLOWING. IN FAIRNESS I MUST ADD THAT, AFTER DECLARING THE EMER, I WAS PROVIDED ALL THE HELP I NEEDED, BUT IT SHOULD NOT HAVE COME TO THAT LEVEL TO GET ASSISTANCE.

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.