Narrative:

Filed 2 flight plans via duats to go to N96 (bellefonte, PA) and back from 2w5 (indian head, md). Called potomac approach for clearance, prior to leaving 2w5. Was told nothing on file. Called FSS and refilled 2 ADIZ flight plans. Called potomac back and got clearance and discrete code to leave 2w5. Left arrived at N96. Upon leaving N96, I called 118.55 (local clearance delivery) to activate ADIZ flight plan. I was told they don't do that. Called altoona FSS 122.1 listened 115.55 as soon as airborne, and asked if flight plan was on file, was told they could not look at every flight plan in the system. They would refile. He asked for my information, and I gave it to him. He then gave me the contact frequency of 124.65. Upon leaving him I went directly to 124.65 and asked for ADIZ flight plan stating I was 65 miles north of brook VOR, he then told me I was on the wrong frequency. I responded this is the frequency they gave me. He would not respond to me. At this point I monitored 124.65 and called again, at this point he gave me an transponder code, I put it in. At this point I was 45 miles north of brv (approximately). After a minute or two he gave me a phone number and asked me to call after I landed. I attempted to contact the frequency given to me and was not helped by that frequency at all. I attempted continued calls to this frequency and was not answered. I filed two flight plans thru duats that never made it. I filed two flight plans with FSS, and one made it. I tried several times to get a code from every facility I could contact and was blown off or FSS did refile. When I contacted the frequency I was given by FSS, I was blown off. As a pilot I did every thing I could do to get it right. I strongly feel the controllers and FSS do not understand how the system is supposed to work. Pilots attempt to do their best and it gets mishandled on the FAA side then the pilot is attacked. This is not right. Pilots are mostly compliant folks, but they cannot control the FAA. We usually do as we are told, if we are told wrong this is not our fault. The entire ADIZ situation is riddled with 'violations', largely due to work load at potomac approach, lack of consistent handling by the FAA, and a general lack of cooperation from potomac approach. If this ADIZ is to continue, there needs to be a simple procedure that everyone is aware of and follows consistently every time. Since 9/tue, I have had potomac approach vector me into the tfr while on a IFR flight plan, having them state 'oh I thought you could go there.' I have had potomac approach attempt to give me arrs for 2w5 that are for dca or iad, there are no arrs for 2w5.I upon questioning them I have never been given a good answer as to why. I suggest 2w5 either be included in these arrs, so the FMS databases will allow routing of these arrs or have potomac stop attempting to assign them. When 2w5's GPS approach first got approved and activated, I filed to 2w5, the weather being IFR, I was asked what my intentions were, I stated I wished to fly the GPS approach for 2w5 and was told there was not a procedure for 2w5,I corrected them and gave them the name of the approach as well as its activation date and the fact it was in my approach plates as well. The controller advised me to fly the approach, whatever it was, and call him upon landing. When I was called, I was asked to facsimile a copy of the approach to them as their books were over 3 years old. I have tried to file IFR flight plans to suit potomac approach, preferred rtes, rtes usually assigned by potomac approach direct. No matter which I file to clearance is never 'as filed.' one day I filed, and was given another routing. Returned from that flight, and went to leave on another one the same day, going to the same place. I filed the same route I was given 3 hours earlier and was told that route would never be approved, and to refile the flight plan with an acceptable route and to call back later. They never told me what 'an acceptable route' was. There is a broad lack of consistency in potomac approach that never seems to go away. This does not enhance flying safety or good operating procedure. Callback conversation with reporter revealed thefollowing information: the reporter emphasized the points he made on the original report and added that as long as you were an air carrier flying into dca, iad, bwi or andrews AFB, pct TRACON handling appeared to be adequate, but that GA IFR or VFR operation into/near the tfr and/or dca ADIZ were handled differently every day with multiple variations and with an unprofessional attitude. The reporter indicated that the pct, ZNY, and nearby FSS controllers simply did not understand the rules governing the tfr and/or dca ADIZ and indicated same on the frequency from time to time. The reporter stated that on one occasion, his IFR filed routing out of the dca area was not approved by ATC and was then re-filed per ATC instructions. Later in the same day an identical IFR routing was filed, per prior ATC instructions, and was disapproved with the controller indicating ATC never approved that particular routing. The reporter indicated that pct frequently issued stars to airports not listed on the published routing and were unfamiliar with approachs published to airports within their airspace. The reporter again stated that pct controllers were not aware of the restricted airspace anomalies around the dca area and were not providing adequate service to the GA user aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MU2 PLT EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION REGARDING DCA ADIZ PROCS AND PCT/FSS HANDLING OF FLT PLANS.

Narrative: FILED 2 FLIGHT PLANS VIA DUATS TO GO TO N96 (BELLEFONTE, PA) AND BACK FROM 2W5 (INDIAN HEAD, MD). CALLED POTOMAC APCH FOR CLRNC, PRIOR TO LEAVING 2W5. WAS TOLD NOTHING ON FILE. CALLED FSS AND REFILLED 2 ADIZ FLT PLANS. CALLED POTOMAC BACK AND GOT CLRNC AND DISCRETE CODE TO LEAVE 2W5. LEFT ARRIVED AT N96. UPON LEAVING N96, I CALLED 118.55 (LOCAL CLRNC DELIVERY) TO ACTIVATE ADIZ FLT PLAN. I WAS TOLD THEY DON'T DO THAT. CALLED ALTOONA FSS 122.1 LISTENED 115.55 AS SOON AS AIRBORNE, AND ASKED IF FLT PLAN WAS ON FILE, WAS TOLD THEY COULD NOT LOOK AT EVERY FLT PLAN IN THE SYSTEM. THEY WOULD REFILE. HE ASKED FOR MY INFO, AND I GAVE IT TO HIM. HE THEN GAVE ME THE CONTACT FREQ OF 124.65. UPON LEAVING HIM I WENT DIRECTLY TO 124.65 AND ASKED FOR ADIZ FLT PLAN STATING I WAS 65 MILES N OF BROOK VOR, HE THEN TOLD ME I WAS ON THE WRONG FREQ. I RESPONDED THIS IS THE FREQ THEY GAVE ME. HE WOULD NOT RESPOND TO ME. AT THIS POINT I MONITORED 124.65 AND CALLED AGAIN, AT THIS POINT HE GAVE ME AN XPONDER CODE, I PUT IT IN. AT THIS POINT I WAS 45 MILES N OF BRV (APPROX). AFTER A MINUTE OR TWO HE GAVE ME A PHONE NUMBER AND ASKED ME TO CALL AFTER I LANDED. I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE FREQ GIVEN TO ME AND WAS NOT HELPED BY THAT FREQ AT ALL. I ATTEMPTED CONTINUED CALLS TO THIS FREQ AND WAS NOT ANSWERED. I FILED TWO FLT PLANS THRU DUATS THAT NEVER MADE IT. I FILED TWO FLT PLANS WITH FSS, AND ONE MADE IT. I TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO GET A CODE FROM EVERY FACILITY I COULD CONTACT AND WAS BLOWN OFF OR FSS DID REFILE. WHEN I CONTACTED THE FREQ I WAS GIVEN BY FSS, I WAS BLOWN OFF. AS A PLT I DID EVERY THING I COULD DO TO GET IT RIGHT. I STRONGLY FEEL THE CTLRS AND FSS DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THE SYSTEM IS SUPPOSED TO WORK. PLTS ATTEMPT TO DO THEIR BEST AND IT GETS MISHANDLED ON THE FAA SIDE THEN THE PLT IS ATTACKED. THIS IS NOT RIGHT. PLTS ARE MOSTLY COMPLIANT FOLKS, BUT THEY CANNOT CONTROL THE FAA. WE USUALLY DO AS WE ARE TOLD, IF WE ARE TOLD WRONG THIS IS NOT OUR FAULT. THE ENTIRE ADIZ SITUATION IS RIDDLED WITH 'VIOLATIONS', LARGELY DUE TO WORK LOAD AT POTOMAC APCH, LACK OF CONSISTENT HANDLING BY THE FAA, AND A GENERAL LACK OF COOPERATION FROM POTOMAC APCH. IF THIS ADIZ IS TO CONTINUE, THERE NEEDS TO BE A SIMPLE PROC THAT EVERYONE IS AWARE OF AND FOLLOWS CONSISTENTLY EVERY TIME. SINCE 9/TUE, I HAVE HAD POTOMAC APCH VECTOR ME INTO THE TFR WHILE ON A IFR FLT PLAN, HAVING THEM STATE 'OH I THOUGHT YOU COULD GO THERE.' I HAVE HAD POTOMAC APCH ATTEMPT TO GIVE ME ARRS FOR 2W5 THAT ARE FOR DCA OR IAD, THERE ARE NO ARRS FOR 2W5.I UPON QUESTIONING THEM I HAVE NEVER BEEN GIVEN A GOOD ANSWER AS TO WHY. I SUGGEST 2W5 EITHER BE INCLUDED IN THESE ARRS, SO THE FMS DATABASES WILL ALLOW ROUTING OF THESE ARRS OR HAVE POTOMAC STOP ATTEMPTING TO ASSIGN THEM. WHEN 2W5'S GPS APCH FIRST GOT APPROVED AND ACTIVATED, I FILED TO 2W5, THE WEATHER BEING IFR, I WAS ASKED WHAT MY INTENTIONS WERE, I STATED I WISHED TO FLY THE GPS APCH FOR 2W5 AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOT A PROC FOR 2W5,I CORRECTED THEM AND GAVE THEM THE NAME OF THE APCH AS WELL AS ITS ACTIVATION DATE AND THE FACT IT WAS IN MY APCH PLATES AS WELL. THE CTLR ADVISED ME TO FLY THE APCH, WHATEVER IT WAS, AND CALL HIM UPON LNDG. WHEN I WAS CALLED, I WAS ASKED TO FAX A COPY OF THE APCH TO THEM AS THEIR BOOKS WERE OVER 3 YEARS OLD. I HAVE TRIED TO FILE IFR FLT PLANS TO SUIT POTOMAC APCH, PREFERRED RTES, RTES USUALLY ASSIGNED BY POTOMAC APCH DIRECT. NO MATTER WHICH I FILE TO CLRNC IS NEVER 'AS FILED.' ONE DAY I FILED, AND WAS GIVEN ANOTHER ROUTING. RETURNED FROM THAT FLT, AND WENT TO LEAVE ON ANOTHER ONE THE SAME DAY, GOING TO THE SAME PLACE. I FILED THE SAME RTE I WAS GIVEN 3 HOURS EARLIER AND WAS TOLD THAT RTE WOULD NEVER BE APPROVED, AND TO REFILE THE FLT PLAN WITH AN ACCEPTABLE RTE AND TO CALL BACK LATER. THEY NEVER TOLD ME WHAT 'AN ACCEPTABLE RTE' WAS. THERE IS A BROAD LACK OF CONSISTENCY IN POTOMAC APCH THAT NEVER SEEMS TO GO AWAY. THIS DOES NOT ENHANCE FLYING SAFETY OR GOOD OPERATING PROC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THEFOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR EMPHASIZED THE POINTS HE MADE ON THE ORIGINAL RPT AND ADDED THAT AS LONG AS YOU WERE AN AIR CARRIER FLYING INTO DCA, IAD, BWI OR ANDREWS AFB, PCT TRACON HANDLING APPEARED TO BE ADEQUATE, BUT THAT GA IFR OR VFR OP INTO/NEAR THE TFR AND/OR DCA ADIZ WERE HANDLED DIFFERENTLY EVERY DAY WITH MULTIPLE VARIATIONS AND WITH AN UNPROFESSIONAL ATTITUDE. THE RPTR INDICATED THAT THE PCT, ZNY, AND NEARBY FSS CTLRS SIMPLY DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE RULES GOVERNING THE TFR AND/OR DCA ADIZ AND INDICATED SAME ON THE FREQ FROM TIME TO TIME. THE RPTR STATED THAT ON ONE OCCASION, HIS IFR FILED ROUTING OUT OF THE DCA AREA WAS NOT APPROVED BY ATC AND WAS THEN RE-FILED PER ATC INSTRUCTIONS. LATER IN THE SAME DAY AN IDENTICAL IFR ROUTING WAS FILED, PER PRIOR ATC INSTRUCTIONS, AND WAS DISAPPROVED WITH THE CTLR INDICATING ATC NEVER APPROVED THAT PARTICULAR ROUTING. THE RPTR INDICATED THAT PCT FREQUENTLY ISSUED STARS TO ARPTS NOT LISTED ON THE PUBLISHED ROUTING AND WERE UNFAMILIAR WITH APCHS PUBLISHED TO ARPTS WITHIN THEIR AIRSPACE. THE RPTR AGAIN STATED THAT PCT CTLRS WERE NOT AWARE OF THE RESTRICTED AIRSPACE ANOMALIES AROUND THE DCA AREA AND WERE NOT PROVIDING ADEQUATE SERVICE TO THE GA USER ACFT.

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.