Narrative:

I was flying from ewr to northeast pennsylvania. Before entering the class B airspace around dc (which I now know is much more restr than that) I was going to circumnav the area and then go direct lrp, direct to my destination. We had found a couple of little things that needed attention right as we were finishing the annual, so I left later than expected. I was tired, not having slept in my own bed for 2 days, and had put in a couple of long days and short nights. It was saturday night and I needed to be back in pennsylvania the next morning for a speaking engagement. I had borrowed a headset to use on the way home. In spite of this, I was still having difficulty using the communication equipment. Because of my unfamiliarity with the radios and audio panel, I was not in contact with anyone. I had a good tailwind and was coming up on vors quicker than expected. I knew that I was coming up on the dc area, but sooner than I expected. About this time I became aware that I was about to have a physiological emergency. I needed to relieve myself badly. I had put my bottle for that purpose back in the baggage area by mistake in my rush to leave. I was able to find a suitable container after reaching around the area. After this I all of a sudden realized that I had penetrated the dc airspace. I was on top of a layer. I was going to go to my right to circumnav but the area looked uncertain as far as visibility and ceiling. I did not want to descend through the layer to see better. I was also unsure of my fuel requirements and the validity of the gauges and this made me even more concerned about deviating. Just as I was trying to work all this out, I had the need to relieve myself again. By the time I took care of business, I concluded that I was quite a ways through the airspace. Just about that time I saw and heard a jet of some sort pass over top of me from left to right. I guess it was about 500 ft. It went out and turned and was perpendicular to my flight path. As I continued on my heading it passed over top of me again, this time slower. I concluded that it was probably checking me out because of my being in this restr airspace. I have to admit I was more than concerned. It appeared to go behind me and I had thoughts of being a target in his sight. Then he appeared to descend below the clouds. I was soon out of the dca/bwi area and in good visual contact with the ground. I continued on to and landed safely. Looking back I can see several failures on my part, a few of which are: improper preflight planning, incorrect calculation of time and distance, and failure to take the time to become familiar with the equipment, as well as unwise decision-making. I regret very much my incompetence.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DUE TO IMPROPER FLT PLANNING, PLT OF C172 TRANSITS THE DC ADIZ AND IS INTERCEPTED BY AN UNIDENTIFIED JET ACFT.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING FROM EWR TO NE PENNSYLVANIA. BEFORE ENTERING THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AROUND DC (WHICH I NOW KNOW IS MUCH MORE RESTR THAN THAT) I WAS GOING TO CIRCUMNAV THE AREA AND THEN GO DIRECT LRP, DIRECT TO MY DEST. WE HAD FOUND A COUPLE OF LITTLE THINGS THAT NEEDED ATTN RIGHT AS WE WERE FINISHING THE ANNUAL, SO I LEFT LATER THAN EXPECTED. I WAS TIRED, NOT HAVING SLEPT IN MY OWN BED FOR 2 DAYS, AND HAD PUT IN A COUPLE OF LONG DAYS AND SHORT NIGHTS. IT WAS SATURDAY NIGHT AND I NEEDED TO BE BACK IN PENNSYLVANIA THE NEXT MORNING FOR A SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT. I HAD BORROWED A HEADSET TO USE ON THE WAY HOME. IN SPITE OF THIS, I WAS STILL HAVING DIFFICULTY USING THE COM EQUIPMENT. BECAUSE OF MY UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE RADIOS AND AUDIO PANEL, I WAS NOT IN CONTACT WITH ANYONE. I HAD A GOOD TAILWIND AND WAS COMING UP ON VORS QUICKER THAN EXPECTED. I KNEW THAT I WAS COMING UP ON THE DC AREA, BUT SOONER THAN I EXPECTED. ABOUT THIS TIME I BECAME AWARE THAT I WAS ABOUT TO HAVE A PHYSIOLOGICAL EMER. I NEEDED TO RELIEVE MYSELF BADLY. I HAD PUT MY BOTTLE FOR THAT PURPOSE BACK IN THE BAGGAGE AREA BY MISTAKE IN MY RUSH TO LEAVE. I WAS ABLE TO FIND A SUITABLE CONTAINER AFTER REACHING AROUND THE AREA. AFTER THIS I ALL OF A SUDDEN REALIZED THAT I HAD PENETRATED THE DC AIRSPACE. I WAS ON TOP OF A LAYER. I WAS GOING TO GO TO MY R TO CIRCUMNAV BUT THE AREA LOOKED UNCERTAIN AS FAR AS VISIBILITY AND CEILING. I DID NOT WANT TO DSND THROUGH THE LAYER TO SEE BETTER. I WAS ALSO UNSURE OF MY FUEL REQUIREMENTS AND THE VALIDITY OF THE GAUGES AND THIS MADE ME EVEN MORE CONCERNED ABOUT DEVIATING. JUST AS I WAS TRYING TO WORK ALL THIS OUT, I HAD THE NEED TO RELIEVE MYSELF AGAIN. BY THE TIME I TOOK CARE OF BUSINESS, I CONCLUDED THAT I WAS QUITE A WAYS THROUGH THE AIRSPACE. JUST ABOUT THAT TIME I SAW AND HEARD A JET OF SOME SORT PASS OVER TOP OF ME FROM L TO R. I GUESS IT WAS ABOUT 500 FT. IT WENT OUT AND TURNED AND WAS PERPENDICULAR TO MY FLT PATH. AS I CONTINUED ON MY HDG IT PASSED OVER TOP OF ME AGAIN, THIS TIME SLOWER. I CONCLUDED THAT IT WAS PROBABLY CHKING ME OUT BECAUSE OF MY BEING IN THIS RESTR AIRSPACE. I HAVE TO ADMIT I WAS MORE THAN CONCERNED. IT APPEARED TO GO BEHIND ME AND I HAD THOUGHTS OF BEING A TARGET IN HIS SIGHT. THEN HE APPEARED TO DSND BELOW THE CLOUDS. I WAS SOON OUT OF THE DCA/BWI AREA AND IN GOOD VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE GND. I CONTINUED ON TO AND LANDED SAFELY. LOOKING BACK I CAN SEE SEVERAL FAILURES ON MY PART, A FEW OF WHICH ARE: IMPROPER PREFLT PLANNING, INCORRECT CALCULATION OF TIME AND DISTANCE, AND FAILURE TO TAKE THE TIME TO BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THE EQUIP, AS WELL AS UNWISE DECISION-MAKING. I REGRET VERY MUCH MY INCOMPETENCE.

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.