Narrative:

This flight in sikorsky helicopter originated at poughkeepsie, ny, with a passenger pickup in new york city and subsequent flight to dulles international. I am familiar with ADIZ flight plans and tfr's as having flown around the nyc area since 1996. I am also familiar with the route from nyc to iad having conducted probably 40-50 flts between the 2 during 1999-2000. Although I hadn't done any flts within recent memory, I felt confident with the route. I filed an ADIZ flight plan with new york FSS that was to begin at westminster VOR (EMI). I looked at a VFR sectional and a map with the ADIZ depiction to be sure that my course would remain outside the ADIZ until cleared into the airspace. New york FSS informed me to contact approach on 125.52 to pick up my clearance. We were proceeding from nyc to mei on a course of approximately 257 degrees when about 15 NM from EMI I attempted my first contact with potomac approach. They did not answer until my third attempt and then only to tell me to contact approach on a different frequency. I then tried approach on the other frequency. Again approach only answered me after the second or third attempt and then issued me a transponder code. I continued on my present course towards EMI and iad even though I did not have clearance to enter the ADIZ because I thought that I would be clear of the ADIZ with my current heading. They called me back shortly thereafter to tell me that I was already in the ADIZ but to just continue on course to iad. Within a few mins he called and instructed me to call a 540 area code number which was for potomac TRACON. Aircraft avionics may have been a contributing factor in this incident. A few weeks earlier the aircraft had been written up after being notified by ATC that they were some 4 mi off course. The aircraft was checked out by maintenance, the situation could not be duplicated, and the write-up was subsequently signed off. Additionally, one of the VOR's DME readouts was inoperative so we were continually changing VOR stations to get accurate DME readings. According to the aircraft's MEL, it is authority/authorized to be flown with DME inoperative. Maintenance has been and is continually working to correct the deficiencies with helicopter.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELI FLT FROM NEW YORK AREA TO IAD ENTERS ADIZ PRIOR TO ATC CLRNC.

Narrative: THIS FLT IN SIKORSKY HELI ORIGINATED AT POUGHKEEPSIE, NY, WITH A PAX PICKUP IN NEW YORK CITY AND SUBSEQUENT FLT TO DULLES INTL. I AM FAMILIAR WITH ADIZ FLT PLANS AND TFR'S AS HAVING FLOWN AROUND THE NYC AREA SINCE 1996. I AM ALSO FAMILIAR WITH THE RTE FROM NYC TO IAD HAVING CONDUCTED PROBABLY 40-50 FLTS BTWN THE 2 DURING 1999-2000. ALTHOUGH I HADN'T DONE ANY FLTS WITHIN RECENT MEMORY, I FELT CONFIDENT WITH THE RTE. I FILED AN ADIZ FLT PLAN WITH NEW YORK FSS THAT WAS TO BEGIN AT WESTMINSTER VOR (EMI). I LOOKED AT A VFR SECTIONAL AND A MAP WITH THE ADIZ DEPICTION TO BE SURE THAT MY COURSE WOULD REMAIN OUTSIDE THE ADIZ UNTIL CLRED INTO THE AIRSPACE. NEW YORK FSS INFORMED ME TO CONTACT APCH ON 125.52 TO PICK UP MY CLRNC. WE WERE PROCEEDING FROM NYC TO MEI ON A COURSE OF APPROX 257 DEGS WHEN ABOUT 15 NM FROM EMI I ATTEMPTED MY FIRST CONTACT WITH POTOMAC APCH. THEY DID NOT ANSWER UNTIL MY THIRD ATTEMPT AND THEN ONLY TO TELL ME TO CONTACT APCH ON A DIFFERENT FREQ. I THEN TRIED APCH ON THE OTHER FREQ. AGAIN APCH ONLY ANSWERED ME AFTER THE SECOND OR THIRD ATTEMPT AND THEN ISSUED ME A XPONDER CODE. I CONTINUED ON MY PRESENT COURSE TOWARDS EMI AND IAD EVEN THOUGH I DID NOT HAVE CLRNC TO ENTER THE ADIZ BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT I WOULD BE CLR OF THE ADIZ WITH MY CURRENT HDG. THEY CALLED ME BACK SHORTLY THEREAFTER TO TELL ME THAT I WAS ALREADY IN THE ADIZ BUT TO JUST CONTINUE ON COURSE TO IAD. WITHIN A FEW MINS HE CALLED AND INSTRUCTED ME TO CALL A 540 AREA CODE NUMBER WHICH WAS FOR POTOMAC TRACON. ACFT AVIONICS MAY HAVE BEEN A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN THIS INCIDENT. A FEW WKS EARLIER THE ACFT HAD BEEN WRITTEN UP AFTER BEING NOTIFIED BY ATC THAT THEY WERE SOME 4 MI OFF COURSE. THE ACFT WAS CHKED OUT BY MAINT, THE SIT COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED, AND THE WRITE-UP WAS SUBSEQUENTLY SIGNED OFF. ADDITIONALLY, ONE OF THE VOR'S DME READOUTS WAS INOP SO WE WERE CONTINUALLY CHANGING VOR STATIONS TO GET ACCURATE DME READINGS. ACCORDING TO THE ACFT'S MEL, IT IS AUTH TO BE FLOWN WITH DME INOP. MAINT HAS BEEN AND IS CONTINUALLY WORKING TO CORRECT THE DEFICIENCIES WITH HELI.

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.