Narrative:

Piper cherokee 180 (P28A/G) departed tangier island, va (tgi) at approximately check times EDT on jul/sun/03. A DVFR flight plan (for ADIZ entry) was filed with leesburg AFSS to initiate at the brooke VOR (brv) starting at XA30 local, destination leesburg, va (jyo). VFR flight following was obtained from patuxent river approach for the initial phase of the flight by departing tgi on runway 20, circling over the field climbing to 2500 ft, and initiating contact prior to entering nhk restr areas. After receiving notice of radar contact, aircraft X, proceeded on course. During this phase of the flight, aircraft X advised nhk 'climbing to 4500 ft,' and received the response 'VFR altitude your discretion.' unable to maintain VFR at 4500 ft, aircraft X descended to 3000 ft for the remainder of the flight. Prior to arrival at brv, aircraft X advised nhk approach that aircraft X had an ADIZ flight plan on file and the final destination was jyo. Nhk coordinated with potomac TRACON and a new transponder code was received by aircraft X from nhk approach. Nhk approach then handed off aircraft X to potomac approach in the vicinity of the brv VOR sometime around XA10 local. On handoff, aircraft X established 2-WAY communications with potomac TRACON and received clearance to enter the class B airspace. When queried for the desired route of flight, aircraft X responded 'remain east of the demonstration restr area, downwind transition at dulles.' potomac TRACON acknowledged this transmission. Then proceeded north, remaining clear of the DEMO1 area, and flew the typical iad downwind transition, monitoring potomac approach. The sector controller was working multiple heavy departures from dulles off runways 19L/right in a very compressed time. During this period, aircraft X maintained the intercom on isolate (keeping passenger conversations out of the pilot's headset) and monitored the radio carefully, as previous trips down this flight path have resulted in multiple traffic calls, some with only 1 mi separation. When abeam dulles, and having heard no further communication (a rarity on the many times aircraft X has made this trip), aircraft X requested, 'direct jyo when able,' knowing full well this probably wouldn't be approved. 'Typically, the arrival sector controller (to whom aircraft X was not yet speaking) will require VFR aircraft to descend out of the class B, then on-course wbound along the potomac river to leesburg, to avoid heavy arrs to runway 19. The call primarily was made to prompt a handoff to the arrival sector controller. At this point, the controller advised in an excited tone of voice 'I didn't know I was working you, everyone's been looking for you, we didn't know where you were (or words to that effect) contact potomac on 125.8.' after switching, aircraft X was directed to 'remain at or above 3000 ft, turn left heading 270 degrees.' after several other vectors, and advising approach that the destination airport was in sight, aircraft X was directed to change to leesburg advisory and remain on assigned code. No direction was received to contact anyone regarding the incident. The major contributing factor to this incident is, in my opinion, the excessive workload pushed onto potomac TRACON by NOTAM 3-0853 (sfar-94, the washington, dc flight restr zone), and NOTAM 3/2126 (the washington, dc air defense identify zone). These administrative security measures, designed by non-aviation people, have created a burden on the leesburg automated flight service station and potomac TRACON that have relegated VFR pilots to second-class citizen status. By regulation, FAA controllers give aircraft X significantly better service under IFR flight plans, and this puts VFR flts at a disadvantage. 1 aircraft has already crashed, injuring 3 occupants, because they ran out of fuel trying to coordinate ADIZ entry.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 ENRTE TO JYO EXPERIENCED CONFUSION WITH PCT REGARDING CLASS B, ADIZ CLRNC.

Narrative: PIPER CHEROKEE 180 (P28A/G) DEPARTED TANGIER ISLAND, VA (TGI) AT APPROX CHK TIMES EDT ON JUL/SUN/03. A DVFR FLT PLAN (FOR ADIZ ENTRY) WAS FILED WITH LEESBURG AFSS TO INITIATE AT THE BROOKE VOR (BRV) STARTING AT XA30 LCL, DEST LEESBURG, VA (JYO). VFR FLT FOLLOWING WAS OBTAINED FROM PATUXENT RIVER APCH FOR THE INITIAL PHASE OF THE FLT BY DEPARTING TGI ON RWY 20, CIRCLING OVER THE FIELD CLBING TO 2500 FT, AND INITIATING CONTACT PRIOR TO ENTERING NHK RESTR AREAS. AFTER RECEIVING NOTICE OF RADAR CONTACT, ACFT X, PROCEEDED ON COURSE. DURING THIS PHASE OF THE FLT, ACFT X ADVISED NHK 'CLBING TO 4500 FT,' AND RECEIVED THE RESPONSE 'VFR ALT YOUR DISCRETION.' UNABLE TO MAINTAIN VFR AT 4500 FT, ACFT X DSNDED TO 3000 FT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT. PRIOR TO ARR AT BRV, ACFT X ADVISED NHK APCH THAT ACFT X HAD AN ADIZ FLT PLAN ON FILE AND THE FINAL DEST WAS JYO. NHK COORDINATED WITH POTOMAC TRACON AND A NEW XPONDER CODE WAS RECEIVED BY ACFT X FROM NHK APCH. NHK APCH THEN HANDED OFF ACFT X TO POTOMAC APCH IN THE VICINITY OF THE BRV VOR SOMETIME AROUND XA10 LCL. ON HDOF, ACFT X ESTABLISHED 2-WAY COMS WITH POTOMAC TRACON AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO ENTER THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. WHEN QUERIED FOR THE DESIRED RTE OF FLT, ACFT X RESPONDED 'REMAIN E OF THE DEMO RESTR AREA, DOWNWIND TRANSITION AT DULLES.' POTOMAC TRACON ACKNOWLEDGED THIS XMISSION. THEN PROCEEDED N, REMAINING CLR OF THE DEMO1 AREA, AND FLEW THE TYPICAL IAD DOWNWIND TRANSITION, MONITORING POTOMAC APCH. THE SECTOR CTLR WAS WORKING MULTIPLE HVY DEPS FROM DULLES OFF RWYS 19L/R IN A VERY COMPRESSED TIME. DURING THIS PERIOD, ACFT X MAINTAINED THE INTERCOM ON ISOLATE (KEEPING PAX CONVERSATIONS OUT OF THE PLT'S HEADSET) AND MONITORED THE RADIO CAREFULLY, AS PREVIOUS TRIPS DOWN THIS FLT PATH HAVE RESULTED IN MULTIPLE TFC CALLS, SOME WITH ONLY 1 MI SEPARATION. WHEN ABEAM DULLES, AND HAVING HEARD NO FURTHER COM (A RARITY ON THE MANY TIMES ACFT X HAS MADE THIS TRIP), ACFT X REQUESTED, 'DIRECT JYO WHEN ABLE,' KNOWING FULL WELL THIS PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE APPROVED. 'TYPICALLY, THE ARR SECTOR CTLR (TO WHOM ACFT X WAS NOT YET SPEAKING) WILL REQUIRE VFR ACFT TO DSND OUT OF THE CLASS B, THEN ON-COURSE WBOUND ALONG THE POTOMAC RIVER TO LEESBURG, TO AVOID HVY ARRS TO RWY 19. THE CALL PRIMARILY WAS MADE TO PROMPT A HDOF TO THE ARR SECTOR CTLR. AT THIS POINT, THE CTLR ADVISED IN AN EXCITED TONE OF VOICE 'I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS WORKING YOU, EVERYONE'S BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU, WE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE YOU WERE (OR WORDS TO THAT EFFECT) CONTACT POTOMAC ON 125.8.' AFTER SWITCHING, ACFT X WAS DIRECTED TO 'REMAIN AT OR ABOVE 3000 FT, TURN L HEADING 270 DEGS.' AFTER SEVERAL OTHER VECTORS, AND ADVISING APCH THAT THE DEST ARPT WAS IN SIGHT, ACFT X WAS DIRECTED TO CHANGE TO LEESBURG ADVISORY AND REMAIN ON ASSIGNED CODE. NO DIRECTION WAS RECEIVED TO CONTACT ANYONE REGARDING THE INCIDENT. THE MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THIS INCIDENT IS, IN MY OPINION, THE EXCESSIVE WORKLOAD PUSHED ONTO POTOMAC TRACON BY NOTAM 3-0853 (SFAR-94, THE WASHINGTON, DC FLT RESTR ZONE), AND NOTAM 3/2126 (THE WASHINGTON, DC AIR DEFENSE IDENT ZONE). THESE ADMINISTRATIVE SECURITY MEASURES, DESIGNED BY NON-AVIATION PEOPLE, HAVE CREATED A BURDEN ON THE LEESBURG AUTOMATED FLT SVC STATION AND POTOMAC TRACON THAT HAVE RELEGATED VFR PLTS TO SECOND-CLASS CITIZEN STATUS. BY REG, FAA CTLRS GIVE ACFT X SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER SVC UNDER IFR FLT PLANS, AND THIS PUTS VFR FLTS AT A DISADVANTAGE. 1 ACFT HAS ALREADY CRASHED, INJURING 3 OCCUPANTS, BECAUSE THEY RAN OUT OF FUEL TRYING TO COORDINATE ADIZ ENTRY.

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.