Narrative:

At approximately XA00 on sep/tue/03, I reported for duty as PIC of an emergency medical services helicopter (BK117) at a medical center. Knowing that a tfr was in effect on sep/tue-wed/03 for a government official visit to an international organization, I asked the pilot I was relieving how it was working out, as he had just completed a flight. I had read the tfr and had a lot of previous experience with tfr's. In the past, a discrete transponder code was issued to each EMS aircraft for the duration of the tfr and we would call ATC as soon as possible after liftoff for our clearance. This saved precious time and was the simplest arrangement for all concerned. The pilot I was relieving informed me that ZZZ TRACON could not issue a discrete transponder for this operation that would last longer than 3 hours so the decision was made to acquire the code from ATC for each flight. It was my understanding that this could be done by radio. At XA50 on the morning of sep/wed/03, we received an emergency medical request to proceed to the scene of a motorcycle accident which was located on a bearing of 343 degrees magnetic and 33 NM from the medical center. This route of flight would take us well to the northwest of the region and out of the limits of the tfr. Upon liftoff with the medical crew on board, I called ATC X frequency and received an immediate transponder code of XXXX and direct clearance to destination. Approximately 1/2 way to the scene, I was handed off to Y frequency and proceeded to the accident scene. I also contacted mr X at center tower ZZZ as they were along our route of flight. Before landing at the landing zone, I was advised by ATC to keep the same transponder code on my out as my intended route of flight would be back to medical center. We landed in the landing zone. Upon liftoff from the scene with the patient and medical crew on board, I contacted ZZZ tower and ATC approach and was cleared direct to medical center. On descent into the medical center, I advised ATC that our landing at medical center was assured. ATC advised that radar service was terminated, squawk VFR and to have a nice night. I thanked them and landed. I considered this flight uneventful and completely routine. I went off shift at XB00 on sep/wed/03. I advised the oncoming pilot of my experience with ATC regarding the tfr and also that the tfr would be in effect until XK20. Shortly after the incoming pilot came on shift, he received a request to proceed to an accident scene that was in the same direction as the one that I had just completed. He did as I had done regarding calls to ATC. Upon his return to medical center, he was requested to call the ZZZ TRACON, which he did. He was informed that everyone 'upstairs' was upset because he did not call ATC on the telephone prior to liftoff to receive a transponder code. He assured them that he would do whatever they wanted and it was mutually decided that from there on we would call ATC by telephone informing them of our intended route of flight and receive a transponder code each time a mission came up even though that would cost several valuable mins of time. With that, we think the matter ended. This misunderstanding could have been avoided with better communications between all parties concerned. It resulted, in my opinion, from deviating from previously established procedures with virtually no change in the wording of the tfr.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMS HELI PLT RPTED THE PROCS TO ENTER A TFR CHANGED WHILE ON SHIFT. NO TFR WORDING WAS CHANGED, HOWEVER.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA00 ON SEP/TUE/03, I RPTED FOR DUTY AS PIC OF AN EMER MEDICAL SVCS HELI (BK117) AT A MEDICAL CENTER. KNOWING THAT A TFR WAS IN EFFECT ON SEP/TUE-WED/03 FOR A GOV OFFICIAL VISIT TO AN INTL ORGANIZATION, I ASKED THE PLT I WAS RELIEVING HOW IT WAS WORKING OUT, AS HE HAD JUST COMPLETED A FLT. I HAD READ THE TFR AND HAD A LOT OF PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH TFR'S. IN THE PAST, A DISCRETE XPONDER CODE WAS ISSUED TO EACH EMS ACFT FOR THE DURATION OF THE TFR AND WE WOULD CALL ATC ASAP AFTER LIFTOFF FOR OUR CLRNC. THIS SAVED PRECIOUS TIME AND WAS THE SIMPLEST ARRANGEMENT FOR ALL CONCERNED. THE PLT I WAS RELIEVING INFORMED ME THAT ZZZ TRACON COULD NOT ISSUE A DISCRETE XPONDER FOR THIS OP THAT WOULD LAST LONGER THAN 3 HRS SO THE DECISION WAS MADE TO ACQUIRE THE CODE FROM ATC FOR EACH FLT. IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS COULD BE DONE BY RADIO. AT XA50 ON THE MORNING OF SEP/WED/03, WE RECEIVED AN EMER MEDICAL REQUEST TO PROCEED TO THE SCENE OF A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT WHICH WAS LOCATED ON A BEARING OF 343 DEGS MAGNETIC AND 33 NM FROM THE MEDICAL CENTER. THIS RTE OF FLT WOULD TAKE US WELL TO THE NW OF THE REGION AND OUT OF THE LIMITS OF THE TFR. UPON LIFTOFF WITH THE MEDICAL CREW ON BOARD, I CALLED ATC X FREQ AND RECEIVED AN IMMEDIATE XPONDER CODE OF XXXX AND DIRECT CLRNC TO DEST. APPROX 1/2 WAY TO THE SCENE, I WAS HANDED OFF TO Y FREQ AND PROCEEDED TO THE ACCIDENT SCENE. I ALSO CONTACTED MR X AT CTR TWR ZZZ AS THEY WERE ALONG OUR RTE OF FLT. BEFORE LNDG AT THE LNDG ZONE, I WAS ADVISED BY ATC TO KEEP THE SAME XPONDER CODE ON MY OUT AS MY INTENDED RTE OF FLT WOULD BE BACK TO MEDICAL CENTER. WE LANDED IN THE LNDG ZONE. UPON LIFTOFF FROM THE SCENE WITH THE PATIENT AND MEDICAL CREW ON BOARD, I CONTACTED ZZZ TWR AND ATC APCH AND WAS CLRED DIRECT TO MEDICAL CENTER. ON DSCNT INTO THE MEDICAL CENTER, I ADVISED ATC THAT OUR LNDG AT MEDICAL CENTER WAS ASSURED. ATC ADVISED THAT RADAR SVC WAS TERMINATED, SQUAWK VFR AND TO HAVE A NICE NIGHT. I THANKED THEM AND LANDED. I CONSIDERED THIS FLT UNEVENTFUL AND COMPLETELY ROUTINE. I WENT OFF SHIFT AT XB00 ON SEP/WED/03. I ADVISED THE ONCOMING PLT OF MY EXPERIENCE WITH ATC REGARDING THE TFR AND ALSO THAT THE TFR WOULD BE IN EFFECT UNTIL XK20. SHORTLY AFTER THE INCOMING PLT CAME ON SHIFT, HE RECEIVED A REQUEST TO PROCEED TO AN ACCIDENT SCENE THAT WAS IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE ONE THAT I HAD JUST COMPLETED. HE DID AS I HAD DONE REGARDING CALLS TO ATC. UPON HIS RETURN TO MEDICAL CENTER, HE WAS REQUESTED TO CALL THE ZZZ TRACON, WHICH HE DID. HE WAS INFORMED THAT EVERYONE 'UPSTAIRS' WAS UPSET BECAUSE HE DID NOT CALL ATC ON THE TELEPHONE PRIOR TO LIFTOFF TO RECEIVE A XPONDER CODE. HE ASSURED THEM THAT HE WOULD DO WHATEVER THEY WANTED AND IT WAS MUTUALLY DECIDED THAT FROM THERE ON WE WOULD CALL ATC BY TELEPHONE INFORMING THEM OF OUR INTENDED RTE OF FLT AND RECEIVE A XPONDER CODE EACH TIME A MISSION CAME UP EVEN THOUGH THAT WOULD COST SEVERAL VALUABLE MINS OF TIME. WITH THAT, WE THINK THE MATTER ENDED. THIS MISUNDERSTANDING COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED WITH BETTER COMS BTWN ALL PARTIES CONCERNED. IT RESULTED, IN MY OPINION, FROM DEVIATING FROM PREVIOUSLY ESTABLISHED PROCS WITH VIRTUALLY NO CHANGE IN THE WORDING OF THE TFR.

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.