Narrative:

I was unaware that a government official was in town, and a tfr was in effect for 3 hours. It was a clear, VFR day and I was going for a 1 hour sightseeing flight in uncontrolled airspace. After takeoff and flight (uncontrolled airport, below class B airspace): transponder and altitude on and functioning. I was 20-25 mi away from any large airport (near foothills cascade mountains), (far east of sea and boeing field), when an F15 circled around me. I immediately called 121.5 and contacted someone who knew my tail number. I idented myself and asked clarification and was informed I had violated a tfr. They did not give me a discrete transponder code or frequency change. I told them I would go back to my departure airport and land. While flying straight/level, I kept getting circled by the F15 and flares were dropped. I called again asking 'why?' and no clarification. 5-7 more mins went by. I did not see the F15 and was about 700-800 ft AGL approaching for a long downwind into my destination, when the F15 came from below me, directly in front (100-200 ft). Flares exploded directly in front of my windshield and I flew through jetwash turbulence and had a greater than 90 degree upset, but was able to recover. I landed then and called the FAA and secret service. I believe after contact for 5-7 mins, my life was endangered unnecessarily by the interceptor, and there needs to be an evaluation to prevent further incidents. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter admits error and situational awareness of public events. Reporter's greatest concern is that he was on 121.5, asking questions, and receiving none. Reporter asks, why wouldn't someone talk to him on 121.5, especially after knowing who he was? Reporter stated that all he got was partial inversion due to the military intercept maneuver. Reporter advised that he now appreciates the few courses he took in aircraft acrobatics, enabling him the understanding of quick recovering from unusual aircraft positioning.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT MOMENTARILY LOSES ACFT CTL AFTER AN F15 INTERCEPT MANEUVER DUE TO PENETRATING A GOV OFFICIAL TFR IN NORTHERN WASHINGTON STATE.

Narrative: I WAS UNAWARE THAT A GOV OFFICIAL WAS IN TOWN, AND A TFR WAS IN EFFECT FOR 3 HRS. IT WAS A CLR, VFR DAY AND I WAS GOING FOR A 1 HR SIGHTSEEING FLT IN UNCTLED AIRSPACE. AFTER TKOF AND FLT (UNCTLED ARPT, BELOW CLASS B AIRSPACE): XPONDER AND ALT ON AND FUNCTIONING. I WAS 20-25 MI AWAY FROM ANY LARGE ARPT (NEAR FOOTHILLS CASCADE MOUNTAINS), (FAR E OF SEA AND BOEING FIELD), WHEN AN F15 CIRCLED AROUND ME. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED 121.5 AND CONTACTED SOMEONE WHO KNEW MY TAIL NUMBER. I IDENTED MYSELF AND ASKED CLARIFICATION AND WAS INFORMED I HAD VIOLATED A TFR. THEY DID NOT GIVE ME A DISCRETE XPONDER CODE OR FREQ CHANGE. I TOLD THEM I WOULD GO BACK TO MY DEP ARPT AND LAND. WHILE FLYING STRAIGHT/LEVEL, I KEPT GETTING CIRCLED BY THE F15 AND FLARES WERE DROPPED. I CALLED AGAIN ASKING 'WHY?' AND NO CLARIFICATION. 5-7 MORE MINS WENT BY. I DID NOT SEE THE F15 AND WAS ABOUT 700-800 FT AGL APCHING FOR A LONG DOWNWIND INTO MY DEST, WHEN THE F15 CAME FROM BELOW ME, DIRECTLY IN FRONT (100-200 FT). FLARES EXPLODED DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF MY WINDSHIELD AND I FLEW THROUGH JETWASH TURB AND HAD A GREATER THAN 90 DEG UPSET, BUT WAS ABLE TO RECOVER. I LANDED THEN AND CALLED THE FAA AND SECRET SVC. I BELIEVE AFTER CONTACT FOR 5-7 MINS, MY LIFE WAS ENDANGERED UNNECESSARILY BY THE INTERCEPTOR, AND THERE NEEDS TO BE AN EVALUATION TO PREVENT FURTHER INCIDENTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADMITS ERROR AND SITUATIONAL AWARENESS OF PUBLIC EVENTS. RPTR'S GREATEST CONCERN IS THAT HE WAS ON 121.5, ASKING QUESTIONS, AND RECEIVING NONE. RPTR ASKS, WHY WOULDN'T SOMEONE TALK TO HIM ON 121.5, ESPECIALLY AFTER KNOWING WHO HE WAS? RPTR STATED THAT ALL HE GOT WAS PARTIAL INVERSION DUE TO THE MIL INTERCEPT MANEUVER. RPTR ADVISED THAT HE NOW APPRECIATES THE FEW COURSES HE TOOK IN ACFT ACROBATICS, ENABLING HIM THE UNDERSTANDING OF QUICK RECOVERING FROM UNUSUAL ACFT POSITIONING.

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.