Narrative:

I took off on an IFR flight from gaithersburg, md, to gary, in, while inadvertently squawking the VFR transponder code instead of the assigned code. The potomac departure controller and I both detected the error immediately and virtually simultaneously. I squawked the wrong code for less than 2 mins and neither persons nor property were ever in danger. Potomac clearance delivery cleared me and released me on an IFR flight plan from gai to gyy. I took off, flew the assigned vector, and was climbing to the assigned altitude of 3000 ft MSL. At 1500-2000 ft MSL, while switching the radio from the gai CTAF frequency to potomac approach control frequency, I noticed that I had inadvertently not entered the assigned transponder code -- it was set to 1200. I was switching the transponder code as I made initial contact with potomac approach. I announced to the controller that I was off gai and climbing. The controller acknowledged my transmission and said, 'squawk XXXX.' I uttered like, 'oh, no!' I acknowledged the instruction and finished entering the correct transponder code and the controller stated, 'radar contact' and issued vector instructions for climbing. The principal cause of this incident was self-induced stress. My wife was frightened and she expressed concern about my planned departure on the next morning. That morning I left alone early for a round-trip from chicago to gai to fetch mail and run errands. My departure from chicago was delayed because I had to clear snow from the airplane and I needed an APU start because the battery was low from the bitter cold. The eastbound trip was uneventful, but I was about 1 hour behind schedule. Among the mail I fetched was a notice from the FAA informing me of a 30-day suspension for a minor violation in the dc ADIZ. In addition, the forecast for the return trip to chicago included light snow and I didn't want to arrive after dark. I elected to fly to gyy instead of mdw. Clearance delivery asked when I'd be ready to go, and I responded with 'immediately.' I began reprogramming the GPS's (interrupted routine) and the controller released me almost immediately. I took off without fully completing my predep checklist, ie, I did not enter the correct squawk code in the xponders. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: callback elicited very little additional information. He did review his backgnd as a high level military operative with many security clrncs as well as his more limited exposure to GA flying, primarily in comparatively high performance piston twins. The aircraft in question was new to him and the violation occurred in part because of unfamiliarity with the navigation/communication system, in particular, the dual xponders. He elaborated on his first violation of the dc ADIZ which did, in fact, result in a 30-day suspension from the FAA. He advised that no ASRS report was filed in that instance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SINGLE PLT OF PA46 FAILS TO SQUAWK DISCRETE XPONDER CODE ON DEP FROM GAI IN THE DC ADIZ.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF ON AN IFR FLT FROM GAITHERSBURG, MD, TO GARY, IN, WHILE INADVERTENTLY SQUAWKING THE VFR XPONDER CODE INSTEAD OF THE ASSIGNED CODE. THE POTOMAC DEP CTLR AND I BOTH DETECTED THE ERROR IMMEDIATELY AND VIRTUALLY SIMULTANEOUSLY. I SQUAWKED THE WRONG CODE FOR LESS THAN 2 MINS AND NEITHER PERSONS NOR PROPERTY WERE EVER IN DANGER. POTOMAC CLRNC DELIVERY CLRED ME AND RELEASED ME ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM GAI TO GYY. I TOOK OFF, FLEW THE ASSIGNED VECTOR, AND WAS CLBING TO THE ASSIGNED ALT OF 3000 FT MSL. AT 1500-2000 FT MSL, WHILE SWITCHING THE RADIO FROM THE GAI CTAF FREQ TO POTOMAC APCH CTL FREQ, I NOTICED THAT I HAD INADVERTENTLY NOT ENTERED THE ASSIGNED XPONDER CODE -- IT WAS SET TO 1200. I WAS SWITCHING THE XPONDER CODE AS I MADE INITIAL CONTACT WITH POTOMAC APCH. I ANNOUNCED TO THE CTLR THAT I WAS OFF GAI AND CLBING. THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED MY XMISSION AND SAID, 'SQUAWK XXXX.' I UTTERED LIKE, 'OH, NO!' I ACKNOWLEDGED THE INSTRUCTION AND FINISHED ENTERING THE CORRECT XPONDER CODE AND THE CTLR STATED, 'RADAR CONTACT' AND ISSUED VECTOR INSTRUCTIONS FOR CLBING. THE PRINCIPAL CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT WAS SELF-INDUCED STRESS. MY WIFE WAS FRIGHTENED AND SHE EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT MY PLANNED DEP ON THE NEXT MORNING. THAT MORNING I LEFT ALONE EARLY FOR A ROUND-TRIP FROM CHICAGO TO GAI TO FETCH MAIL AND RUN ERRANDS. MY DEP FROM CHICAGO WAS DELAYED BECAUSE I HAD TO CLR SNOW FROM THE AIRPLANE AND I NEEDED AN APU START BECAUSE THE BATTERY WAS LOW FROM THE BITTER COLD. THE EBOUND TRIP WAS UNEVENTFUL, BUT I WAS ABOUT 1 HR BEHIND SCHEDULE. AMONG THE MAIL I FETCHED WAS A NOTICE FROM THE FAA INFORMING ME OF A 30-DAY SUSPENSION FOR A MINOR VIOLATION IN THE DC ADIZ. IN ADDITION, THE FORECAST FOR THE RETURN TRIP TO CHICAGO INCLUDED LIGHT SNOW AND I DIDN'T WANT TO ARRIVE AFTER DARK. I ELECTED TO FLY TO GYY INSTEAD OF MDW. CLRNC DELIVERY ASKED WHEN I'D BE READY TO GO, AND I RESPONDED WITH 'IMMEDIATELY.' I BEGAN REPROGRAMMING THE GPS'S (INTERRUPTED ROUTINE) AND THE CTLR RELEASED ME ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. I TOOK OFF WITHOUT FULLY COMPLETING MY PREDEP CHKLIST, IE, I DID NOT ENTER THE CORRECT SQUAWK CODE IN THE XPONDERS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CALLBACK ELICITED VERY LITTLE ADDITIONAL INFO. HE DID REVIEW HIS BACKGND AS A HIGH LEVEL MIL OPERATIVE WITH MANY SECURITY CLRNCS AS WELL AS HIS MORE LIMITED EXPOSURE TO GA FLYING, PRIMARILY IN COMPARATIVELY HIGH PERFORMANCE PISTON TWINS. THE ACFT IN QUESTION WAS NEW TO HIM AND THE VIOLATION OCCURRED IN PART BECAUSE OF UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE NAV/COM SYS, IN PARTICULAR, THE DUAL XPONDERS. HE ELABORATED ON HIS FIRST VIOLATION OF THE DC ADIZ WHICH DID, IN FACT, RESULT IN A 30-DAY SUSPENSION FROM THE FAA. HE ADVISED THAT NO ASRS RPT WAS FILED IN THAT INSTANCE.

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.