Narrative:

Wednesday started like most every other day the last 2 and 1 half months, up at XA00 am and arrive at helicopter before first light, approximately XB15 am. We had about 100 acres of pine plantation left to spray to complete our work on the eastern shore. There was dense fog, so I could not start spray operations until XE00. I completed the job at XE15 and ferried helicopter to salisbury airport, and awaited the support truck driver. While waiting, I made numerous phone calls to different parties to coordinate four spray projects in baltimore, harbor area. The truck driver and I departed for baltimore in the truck. I then resumed my coordination of jobs over the telephone. I also had to make a stop en route to the first job to meet with officials and to look at maps for the second spray job. I called my driver for company required flight following and departure salisbury airport at XI30 pm. My planned route of flight was to cross over bay bridge, and track north along the west side of the chesapeake bay. Everything was going well and for the first time this day, I was able to relax and do some sight seeing. I crossed over the bay bridge at 200 ft MSL, and dialed in bwi ATIS and approach frequencies. After listening to the ATIS, I made a call to bwi approach. I gave them position, altitude and destination when they replied with what my squawk code was, it hit me like a ton of bricks what I had just done. I penetrated into dc ADIZ without a VFR flight plan and discrete code. When I replied with squawking 1200 and my apologies, they gave me a code to squawk along with a phone number to call as soon as I landed. I knew I was in trouble and was angry with myself for this blatant oversight. When I landed at my first stop, I called pct TRACON, apologized and gave them my information. I resumed the spray operation after obtaining VFR flight and going through necessary procedures. I have flown into and worked inside the ADIZ numerous times this past year and was very familiar with the procedures and couldn't believe I had forgotten about it. The only thing that had popped into my head when crossing the bay bridge was that is was well clear east of the dc tfr around the capital. Other factors may have contributed to my momentary lapse of thinking may have been that I had done same exact job in almost identical fashion late last year, only before the ADIZ became effective. Other human performance factors include pilot fatigue, long demanding season, long stressful day, and recent family issues. Our busy season is almost over, and it is a good time to reflect on performance. With that said, all I can do in the future is to remain focused on pilot responsibilities, guard against complacency, and hope that I never have to situation down and write a report like this again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B06 PLT REALIZES A DC ADIZ VIOLATION WHEN INFORMING PCT OF POSITION AND ALT AS HE PROCEEDS TO A JOB SITE.

Narrative: WEDNESDAY STARTED LIKE MOST EVERY OTHER DAY THE LAST 2 AND 1 HALF MONTHS, UP AT XA00 AM AND ARRIVE AT HELI BEFORE FIRST LIGHT, APPROX XB15 AM. WE HAD ABOUT 100 ACRES OF PINE PLANTATION LEFT TO SPRAY TO COMPLETE OUR WORK ON THE EASTERN SHORE. THERE WAS DENSE FOG, SO I COULD NOT START SPRAY OPS UNTIL XE00. I COMPLETED THE JOB AT XE15 AND FERRIED HELI TO SALISBURY ARPT, AND AWAITED THE SUPPORT TRUCK DRIVER. WHILE WAITING, I MADE NUMEROUS PHONE CALLS TO DIFFERENT PARTIES TO COORDINATE FOUR SPRAY PROJECTS IN BALTIMORE, HARBOR AREA. THE TRUCK DRIVER AND I DEPARTED FOR BALTIMORE IN THE TRUCK. I THEN RESUMED MY COORDINATION OF JOBS OVER THE TELEPHONE. I ALSO HAD TO MAKE A STOP ENRTE TO THE FIRST JOB TO MEET WITH OFFICIALS AND TO LOOK AT MAPS FOR THE SECOND SPRAY JOB. I CALLED MY DRIVER FOR COMPANY REQUIRED FLT FOLLOWING AND DEP SALISBURY ARPT AT XI30 PM. MY PLANNED RTE OF FLT WAS TO CROSS OVER BAY BRIDGE, AND TRACK N ALONG THE W SIDE OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY. EVERYTHING WAS GOING WELL AND FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS DAY, I WAS ABLE TO RELAX AND DO SOME SIGHT SEEING. I CROSSED OVER THE BAY BRIDGE AT 200 FT MSL, AND DIALED IN BWI ATIS AND APCH FREQUENCIES. AFTER LISTENING TO THE ATIS, I MADE A CALL TO BWI APCH. I GAVE THEM POSITION, ALT AND DEST WHEN THEY REPLIED WITH WHAT MY SQUAWK CODE WAS, IT HIT ME LIKE A TON OF BRICKS WHAT I HAD JUST DONE. I PENETRATED INTO DC ADIZ WITHOUT A VFR FLT PLAN AND DISCRETE CODE. WHEN I REPLIED WITH SQUAWKING 1200 AND MY APOLOGIES, THEY GAVE ME A CODE TO SQUAWK ALONG WITH A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL AS SOON AS I LANDED. I KNEW I WAS IN TROUBLE AND WAS ANGRY WITH MYSELF FOR THIS BLATANT OVERSIGHT. WHEN I LANDED AT MY FIRST STOP, I CALLED PCT TRACON, APOLOGIZED AND GAVE THEM MY INFO. I RESUMED THE SPRAY OP AFTER OBTAINING VFR FLT AND GOING THROUGH NECESSARY PROCS. I HAVE FLOWN INTO AND WORKED INSIDE THE ADIZ NUMEROUS TIMES THIS PAST YEAR AND WAS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE PROCS AND COULDN'T BELIEVE I HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT IT. THE ONLY THING THAT HAD POPPED INTO MY HEAD WHEN CROSSING THE BAY BRIDGE WAS THAT IS WAS WELL CLR E OF THE DC TFR AROUND THE CAPITAL. OTHER FACTORS MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO MY MOMENTARY LAPSE OF THINKING MAY HAVE BEEN THAT I HAD DONE SAME EXACT JOB IN ALMOST IDENTICAL FASHION LATE LAST YEAR, ONLY BEFORE THE ADIZ BECAME EFFECTIVE. OTHER HUMAN PERFORMANCE FACTORS INCLUDE PLT FATIGUE, LONG DEMANDING SEASON, LONG STRESSFUL DAY, AND RECENT FAMILY ISSUES. OUR BUSY SEASON IS ALMOST OVER, AND IT IS A GOOD TIME TO REFLECT ON PERFORMANCE. WITH THAT SAID, ALL I CAN DO IN THE FUTURE IS TO REMAIN FOCUSED ON PLT RESPONSIBILITIES, GUARD AGAINST COMPLACENCY, AND HOPE THAT I NEVER HAVE TO SIT DOWN AND WRITE A REPORT LIKE THIS AGAIN.

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.