Narrative:

I flew from lns to mtn near baltimore, md, on an IFR clearance until about 25 mi from mtn where I cancelled IFR and landed with a visual approach. Later that day, I returned on same route mtn to lns. Tower at mtn closed 30 mins before departure. ATIS at field gave WX and tower closure information, nothing else. I tried to contact potomac approach on ground before departure using my inbound frequency. I was not able to establish contact. I departed and immediately called potomac approach, they gave me another frequency and transponder code. The flight continued VFR to lns at 1500 ft for 10 mi then the remainder at 3000 ft with flight following. Taxiing in at lns the tower there asked I telephone potomac approach. On first telephone call potomac approach told me they had a radar track on my aircraft out of gai. I told them I had departed mtn not gai and they must have been looking at another aircraft. Later during a second telephone call potomac approach was concerned that I had departed mtn without first having a transponder code. Potomac approach said there was a NOTAM that said no 1200 transponder squawk in that area. I received a telephone WX brief from FSS prior to both flts and neither mentioned that NOTAM. There was no information on the ATIS of that transponder requirement nor was there anything on the approach charts at mtn. Looking at the commercial northeast 1/2 route chart around washington a dotted line marks an ADIZ and labels in washington ADIZ. On the baltimore side the class B airspace is depicted with a magenta line and altitude restrs which show mtn class B airspace starts above 3500 ft. The magenta class B line completely covers the ADIZ dotted line making it invisible. There is no labeling of a baltimore ADIZ on map, only on the washington side is it labeled some 65 mi away on the map. Previous information I had was that a 30 mi ADIZ had been established around washington. Mtn is 40 mi from dca. I would suggest the commercial map revise their chart so the magenta class B line does not obscure the dots marking an ADIZ and that it be labeled as washington/baltimore ADIZ at least on all 4 sides of the airspace. Also, altitude restrs of class B printed on map lead one toward a conclusion that the area around mtn is not restr until you are above 3500 ft given that the ADIZ line is not visible. The ATIS should mention the NOTAM requirement or the transponder code requirement and what frequency will work on the ground, whether the tower is closed or open but certainly if it is closed. As a 32 yr pilot with 22000 hours of professional flight time I feel I was steered toward the path of an airspace incursion by lack of available information and poor presentation of information that was available. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: it was gratifying for this analyst that the reporter on the inbound IFR leg to mtn was advised upon canceling IFR that he should continue to squawk his discrete code. This reflects at least a token admission by pct that they need to do more to enhance and insure compliance with their own requirements within the ADIZ. The reporter properly emphasized his suggestion that all airports within the ADIZ should be required to mention the need to follow ADIZ requirements for 'all' flts on their ATIS broadcasts. The reporter commented in support of this view that flts within this ADIZ are so unique in their demands that every effort should be made by agencies involved to assure compliance by properly informing the users. The ATIS suggestion is a painless way of helping to accomplish that mission that should be implemented. The reporter felt it should not need to be stated that the more the FAA is able to gain voluntary compliance with the requirements of the ADIZ the less the cost of the agencies involved for enforcement, the greater the level of security provided and the less the risk to the users who might otherwise jeopardize their licenses.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMT TAKES OFF FROM MTN WITHIN THE DC ADIZ WITHOUT DISCRETE CODE OR COM WITH PCT.

Narrative: I FLEW FROM LNS TO MTN NEAR BALTIMORE, MD, ON AN IFR CLRNC UNTIL ABOUT 25 MI FROM MTN WHERE I CANCELLED IFR AND LANDED WITH A VISUAL APCH. LATER THAT DAY, I RETURNED ON SAME RTE MTN TO LNS. TWR AT MTN CLOSED 30 MINS BEFORE DEP. ATIS AT FIELD GAVE WX AND TWR CLOSURE INFO, NOTHING ELSE. I TRIED TO CONTACT POTOMAC APCH ON GND BEFORE DEP USING MY INBOUND FREQ. I WAS NOT ABLE TO ESTABLISH CONTACT. I DEPARTED AND IMMEDIATELY CALLED POTOMAC APCH, THEY GAVE ME ANOTHER FREQ AND XPONDER CODE. THE FLT CONTINUED VFR TO LNS AT 1500 FT FOR 10 MI THEN THE REMAINDER AT 3000 FT WITH FLT FOLLOWING. TAXIING IN AT LNS THE TWR THERE ASKED I TELEPHONE POTOMAC APCH. ON FIRST TELEPHONE CALL POTOMAC APCH TOLD ME THEY HAD A RADAR TRACK ON MY ACFT OUT OF GAI. I TOLD THEM I HAD DEPARTED MTN NOT GAI AND THEY MUST HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT ANOTHER ACFT. LATER DURING A SECOND TELEPHONE CALL POTOMAC APCH WAS CONCERNED THAT I HAD DEPARTED MTN WITHOUT FIRST HAVING A XPONDER CODE. POTOMAC APCH SAID THERE WAS A NOTAM THAT SAID NO 1200 XPONDER SQUAWK IN THAT AREA. I RECEIVED A TELEPHONE WX BRIEF FROM FSS PRIOR TO BOTH FLTS AND NEITHER MENTIONED THAT NOTAM. THERE WAS NO INFO ON THE ATIS OF THAT XPONDER REQUIREMENT NOR WAS THERE ANYTHING ON THE APCH CHARTS AT MTN. LOOKING AT THE COMMERCIAL NE 1/2 RTE CHART AROUND WASHINGTON A DOTTED LINE MARKS AN ADIZ AND LABELS IN WASHINGTON ADIZ. ON THE BALTIMORE SIDE THE CLASS B AIRSPACE IS DEPICTED WITH A MAGENTA LINE AND ALT RESTRS WHICH SHOW MTN CLASS B AIRSPACE STARTS ABOVE 3500 FT. THE MAGENTA CLASS B LINE COMPLETELY COVERS THE ADIZ DOTTED LINE MAKING IT INVISIBLE. THERE IS NO LABELING OF A BALTIMORE ADIZ ON MAP, ONLY ON THE WASHINGTON SIDE IS IT LABELED SOME 65 MI AWAY ON THE MAP. PREVIOUS INFO I HAD WAS THAT A 30 MI ADIZ HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED AROUND WASHINGTON. MTN IS 40 MI FROM DCA. I WOULD SUGGEST THE COMMERCIAL MAP REVISE THEIR CHART SO THE MAGENTA CLASS B LINE DOES NOT OBSCURE THE DOTS MARKING AN ADIZ AND THAT IT BE LABELED AS WASHINGTON/BALTIMORE ADIZ AT LEAST ON ALL 4 SIDES OF THE AIRSPACE. ALSO, ALT RESTRS OF CLASS B PRINTED ON MAP LEAD ONE TOWARD A CONCLUSION THAT THE AREA AROUND MTN IS NOT RESTR UNTIL YOU ARE ABOVE 3500 FT GIVEN THAT THE ADIZ LINE IS NOT VISIBLE. THE ATIS SHOULD MENTION THE NOTAM REQUIREMENT OR THE XPONDER CODE REQUIREMENT AND WHAT FREQ WILL WORK ON THE GND, WHETHER THE TWR IS CLOSED OR OPEN BUT CERTAINLY IF IT IS CLOSED. AS A 32 YR PLT WITH 22000 HRS OF PROFESSIONAL FLT TIME I FEEL I WAS STEERED TOWARD THE PATH OF AN AIRSPACE INCURSION BY LACK OF AVAILABLE INFO AND POOR PRESENTATION OF INFO THAT WAS AVAILABLE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: IT WAS GRATIFYING FOR THIS ANALYST THAT THE RPTR ON THE INBOUND IFR LEG TO MTN WAS ADVISED UPON CANCELING IFR THAT HE SHOULD CONTINUE TO SQUAWK HIS DISCRETE CODE. THIS REFLECTS AT LEAST A TOKEN ADMISSION BY PCT THAT THEY NEED TO DO MORE TO ENHANCE AND INSURE COMPLIANCE WITH THEIR OWN REQUIREMENTS WITHIN THE ADIZ. THE RPTR PROPERLY EMPHASIZED HIS SUGGESTION THAT ALL ARPTS WITHIN THE ADIZ SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO MENTION THE NEED TO FOLLOW ADIZ REQUIREMENTS FOR 'ALL' FLTS ON THEIR ATIS BROADCASTS. THE RPTR COMMENTED IN SUPPORT OF THIS VIEW THAT FLTS WITHIN THIS ADIZ ARE SO UNIQUE IN THEIR DEMANDS THAT EVERY EFFORT SHOULD BE MADE BY AGENCIES INVOLVED TO ASSURE COMPLIANCE BY PROPERLY INFORMING THE USERS. THE ATIS SUGGESTION IS A PAINLESS WAY OF HELPING TO ACCOMPLISH THAT MISSION THAT SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED. THE RPTR FELT IT SHOULD NOT NEED TO BE STATED THAT THE MORE THE FAA IS ABLE TO GAIN VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE ADIZ THE LESS THE COST OF THE AGENCIES INVOLVED FOR ENFORCEMENT, THE GREATER THE LEVEL OF SECURITY PROVIDED AND THE LESS THE RISK TO THE USERS WHO MIGHT OTHERWISE JEOPARDIZE THEIR LICENSES.

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.