Narrative:

We took off from pbi on a VFR flight plan for mybg on nov/sun/03 at XA48. After the climb out and well into the cruise, I endeavored to prepare the customs forms for the bahamas. After the PF had prepared his set to fill out mine and noticed that I had forgotten my passport. As the PF had once made a mistake with immigration he strongly advised to turn back immediately. I had initially intended to continue the flight and to deal with everything in the bahamas. I had been to mybg dozens of times before and was well acquainted with the immigrations and customs officers there. I considered the worst case to be that I would not be allowed to enter the country and forced to fly back. In west palm beach, I could easily have procured my passport by asking someone to fetch it from my apartment and deliver it to customs. As the flight was the main purpose of our trip, this would not have been a serious drawback for either of us. We turned back and I informed miami radio on 122.4 of our situation. Shortly thereafter, I contacted them again to be sure of the consequences of our return to pbi. I specifically asked if we would have to go through customs. The controller said he would get back to us on that and when he did, said 'as you have not departed the ADIZ you do not have to go through customs.' having just taken off from pbi, I now felt reassured that we could consider ourselves a local flight. The idea of requesting a different transponder code never crossed my mind, especially since the elaborate nature of my questions must have made it clear that I was actively working on doing everything right in the situation and not to leave anything out. After decades of flying, transponder codes were always assigned to me. A situation in which I would have to request one has never arisen in my life. A situation where I am actually in the process of discussing my situation with the controller who assigns the codes and am still not assigned one, even retrospectively, seems to indicate that the controller was sure that I didn't need one. Why else would he not simply have assigned one? The controller too was very much intent on doing everything to help us. As I noticed later, when calling to file a new flight plan for our second attempt at the trip, the controller had already done that for us. Even if I had thought of the possible need for a new code, I would have hesitated to ask for one. I am a foreign citizen and still feel like a guest in the united states. I was in touch with a gentleman who assigns transponder codes all day, every day. Why would I know better than him? It would have been like saying: 'didn't you forget something?' I would never dare to do that. Especially since I am aware of the impressive level of training and competence of the controllers that I have had the pleasure of dealing with in the united states. This particular gentleman had even actively asked if we had any problems before we had explained the reason for our return to pbi. Later he again actively offered his help if needed. There was nothing that could have triggered the thought in my mind that everyone involved could have forgotten something as simple and basic and vital as a new transponder code if it had then been needed. Especially since the controller was evidently not dealing with the situation alone since he had asked a superior before coming back to us with the answer. When I left miami radio for palm beach approach, I was asked to call a number after landing. I still thought nothing of it. The ensuing phone conversation in which the palm beach controller said 'you came in with a VFR code and we nearly scrambled the F16's' confused me but when I had answered his questions he seemed to have understood and said something like 'I'll see what I can do for you.' this reassured me completely. As a recommendation to improve the situation, I would say 'allow a continuous open channel or landline for constant direct communication between military and civil controllers.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT FORGOT HIS PASSPORT ON A FLT FROM PBI TO MYBG. HE RETURNED TO PBI TO GET IT. THE ZMA CTLR DID NOT ASSIGN ANOTHER XPONDER SQUAWK. HE WAS ASKED TO CALL THE ZMA SUPVR WHEN HE LANDED BECAUSE HE WAS STILL SQUAWKING VFR.

Narrative: WE TOOK OFF FROM PBI ON A VFR FLT PLAN FOR MYBG ON NOV/SUN/03 AT XA48. AFTER THE CLBOUT AND WELL INTO THE CRUISE, I ENDEAVORED TO PREPARE THE CUSTOMS FORMS FOR THE BAHAMAS. AFTER THE PF HAD PREPARED HIS SET TO FILL OUT MINE AND NOTICED THAT I HAD FORGOTTEN MY PASSPORT. AS THE PF HAD ONCE MADE A MISTAKE WITH IMMIGRATION HE STRONGLY ADVISED TO TURN BACK IMMEDIATELY. I HAD INITIALLY INTENDED TO CONTINUE THE FLT AND TO DEAL WITH EVERYTHING IN THE BAHAMAS. I HAD BEEN TO MYBG DOZENS OF TIMES BEFORE AND WAS WELL ACQUAINTED WITH THE IMMIGRATIONS AND CUSTOMS OFFICERS THERE. I CONSIDERED THE WORST CASE TO BE THAT I WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO ENTER THE COUNTRY AND FORCED TO FLY BACK. IN WEST PALM BEACH, I COULD EASILY HAVE PROCURED MY PASSPORT BY ASKING SOMEONE TO FETCH IT FROM MY APARTMENT AND DELIVER IT TO CUSTOMS. AS THE FLT WAS THE MAIN PURPOSE OF OUR TRIP, THIS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS DRAWBACK FOR EITHER OF US. WE TURNED BACK AND I INFORMED MIAMI RADIO ON 122.4 OF OUR SIT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, I CONTACTED THEM AGAIN TO BE SURE OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF OUR RETURN TO PBI. I SPECIFICALLY ASKED IF WE WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH CUSTOMS. THE CTLR SAID HE WOULD GET BACK TO US ON THAT AND WHEN HE DID, SAID 'AS YOU HAVE NOT DEPARTED THE ADIZ YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH CUSTOMS.' HAVING JUST TAKEN OFF FROM PBI, I NOW FELT REASSURED THAT WE COULD CONSIDER OURSELVES A LCL FLT. THE IDEA OF REQUESTING A DIFFERENT XPONDER CODE NEVER CROSSED MY MIND, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE ELABORATE NATURE OF MY QUESTIONS MUST HAVE MADE IT CLR THAT I WAS ACTIVELY WORKING ON DOING EVERYTHING RIGHT IN THE SIT AND NOT TO LEAVE ANYTHING OUT. AFTER DECADES OF FLYING, XPONDER CODES WERE ALWAYS ASSIGNED TO ME. A SIT IN WHICH I WOULD HAVE TO REQUEST ONE HAS NEVER ARISEN IN MY LIFE. A SIT WHERE I AM ACTUALLY IN THE PROCESS OF DISCUSSING MY SIT WITH THE CTLR WHO ASSIGNS THE CODES AND AM STILL NOT ASSIGNED ONE, EVEN RETROSPECTIVELY, SEEMS TO INDICATE THAT THE CTLR WAS SURE THAT I DIDN'T NEED ONE. WHY ELSE WOULD HE NOT SIMPLY HAVE ASSIGNED ONE? THE CTLR TOO WAS VERY MUCH INTENT ON DOING EVERYTHING TO HELP US. AS I NOTICED LATER, WHEN CALLING TO FILE A NEW FLT PLAN FOR OUR SECOND ATTEMPT AT THE TRIP, THE CTLR HAD ALREADY DONE THAT FOR US. EVEN IF I HAD THOUGHT OF THE POSSIBLE NEED FOR A NEW CODE, I WOULD HAVE HESITATED TO ASK FOR ONE. I AM A FOREIGN CITIZEN AND STILL FEEL LIKE A GUEST IN THE UNITED STATES. I WAS IN TOUCH WITH A GENTLEMAN WHO ASSIGNS XPONDER CODES ALL DAY, EVERY DAY. WHY WOULD I KNOW BETTER THAN HIM? IT WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE SAYING: 'DIDN'T YOU FORGET SOMETHING?' I WOULD NEVER DARE TO DO THAT. ESPECIALLY SINCE I AM AWARE OF THE IMPRESSIVE LEVEL OF TRAINING AND COMPETENCE OF THE CTLRS THAT I HAVE HAD THE PLEASURE OF DEALING WITH IN THE UNITED STATES. THIS PARTICULAR GENTLEMAN HAD EVEN ACTIVELY ASKED IF WE HAD ANY PROBS BEFORE WE HAD EXPLAINED THE REASON FOR OUR RETURN TO PBI. LATER HE AGAIN ACTIVELY OFFERED HIS HELP IF NEEDED. THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD HAVE TRIGGERED THE THOUGHT IN MY MIND THAT EVERYONE INVOLVED COULD HAVE FORGOTTEN SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AND BASIC AND VITAL AS A NEW XPONDER CODE IF IT HAD THEN BEEN NEEDED. ESPECIALLY SINCE THE CTLR WAS EVIDENTLY NOT DEALING WITH THE SIT ALONE SINCE HE HAD ASKED A SUPERIOR BEFORE COMING BACK TO US WITH THE ANSWER. WHEN I LEFT MIAMI RADIO FOR PALM BEACH APCH, I WAS ASKED TO CALL A NUMBER AFTER LNDG. I STILL THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT. THE ENSUING PHONE CONVERSATION IN WHICH THE PALM BEACH CTLR SAID 'YOU CAME IN WITH A VFR CODE AND WE NEARLY SCRAMBLED THE F16'S' CONFUSED ME BUT WHEN I HAD ANSWERED HIS QUESTIONS HE SEEMED TO HAVE UNDERSTOOD AND SAID SOMETHING LIKE 'I'LL SEE WHAT I CAN DO FOR YOU.' THIS REASSURED ME COMPLETELY. AS A RECOMMENDATION TO IMPROVE THE SIT, I WOULD SAY 'ALLOW A CONTINUOUS OPEN CHANNEL OR LANDLINE FOR CONSTANT DIRECT COM BTWN MIL AND CIVIL CTLRS.

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.