Narrative:

Departing frz (flight restr zone) from W32, I received an frz clearance out of the frz after calling leesburg FSS and the frz return clearance back in. I have been flying in and out of W32 and vkx (both in the frz for about 2 yrs) without any sits like this one. During the filing the FSS briefer pointed out the entry and exit points for the frz to the southwest, approximately 20 NM and 15 NM respectively. Prior to launch at W32 I received a squawk code and frequency as is standard procedure. I departed the frz under contact with potomac departure and was within 5 NM of exiting the ADIZ sbound. The controller was busy handling arrs at dca as well as me. Since I was near the exit of the ADIZ to help out the controller I said I was nearing the exit and was going to squawk 1200. The controller acknowledged this. I suspect that my squawk of 1200 created an alarm on their system since I may have squawked 1200 just inside the ADIZ. Since the WX was rough (moderate turbulence below 10000 ft) and surface winds gusty and variable, I decided to return to W32 without landing at my original destination. I made one practice landing at shannon and then departed towards brooke VOR. My TA system pointed out traffic within 2 NM at my altitude near the brooke VOR south of the ADIZ. I maneuvered my aircraft several times to 'get out of the way' but this aircraft seemed to change course so that I always perceived it to be a collision threat. This created an additional serious distraction in what were turbulent conditions. I called potomac and stated my intentions to land at W32 prior to entry into the ADIZ. I described intentions and my position as 10 mi southwest of irons intersection. At the same time, I again attempted to maneuver my aircraft out of the way of the traffic which continued to be displayed within approximately 2 NM at my altitude on my TA system. Potomac responded to my first call with my aircraft call sign, but may have missed the rest of my transmission because they asked me to 'state my intentions.' my second attempt at describing my intentions was successful and I received a squawk. They never stated that you are cleared into the ADIZ, you are to 'assume it' from getting the squawk. I only discovered that I had a problem when the potomac controller told me to copy a phone number and be sure to call them when I was on the ground. They felt I had 'violated the ADIZ' on departure and return. What can be done to prevent reoccurrence of the ADIZ infractions and confusions? The briefer should remind the pilot of the exit points of the ADIZ and not the frz during the preflight frz filing. The controller language should be consistent between arrs and departures. On arrival potomac always reminds you to 'change to advisory frequency, but stay on the squawk until you are on the ground.' on departure they should remind pilots with similar language 'stay on the squawk until you are clear of the ADIZ.' clearly if they see you in the ADIZ and you are telling them you are going to squawk 1200 they should remind you in the interest of safety and consistency. At no time did they do this since I was monitoring their frequency. Controllers should not be handling commercial traffic into dca and VFR traffic below the class B airspace at the same time. If united states security aircraft are operating in the vicinity of the ADIZ boundaries they should remain well clear and at a different altitude from VFR traffic. While at no time did I have a visual with this traffic, it was very, very disconcerting to have to address this potential collision threat on my TA system, raise the controller, obtain permission to enter the ADIZ, and navigation in moderate turbulence. The traffic collision advisories should trump all other issues. Clearance into and out of the ADIZ should have specific language which is stated by the controller and acknowledged by the pilot, just as it is for class B or other airspace. On other occasions I have heard controllers harshly admonish pilots for asking for clearance after they get a squawk code. This inhibits free exchange of information between pilots and controllers, may create a hostile atmosphere and circumstances that could set up a serious mishap. Consistent language on clrncs should be the rule.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF TBM7 DEPARTS W32 WITHIN THE DC ADIZ AND FAILS TO MAINTAIN DISCRETE CODE UNTIL BEYOND THE LATERAL EXTENTS OF THE ZONE.

Narrative: DEPARTING FRZ (FLT RESTR ZONE) FROM W32, I RECEIVED AN FRZ CLRNC OUT OF THE FRZ AFTER CALLING LEESBURG FSS AND THE FRZ RETURN CLRNC BACK IN. I HAVE BEEN FLYING IN AND OUT OF W32 AND VKX (BOTH IN THE FRZ FOR ABOUT 2 YRS) WITHOUT ANY SITS LIKE THIS ONE. DURING THE FILING THE FSS BRIEFER POINTED OUT THE ENTRY AND EXIT POINTS FOR THE FRZ TO THE SW, APPROX 20 NM AND 15 NM RESPECTIVELY. PRIOR TO LAUNCH AT W32 I RECEIVED A SQUAWK CODE AND FREQ AS IS STANDARD PROC. I DEPARTED THE FRZ UNDER CONTACT WITH POTOMAC DEP AND WAS WITHIN 5 NM OF EXITING THE ADIZ SBOUND. THE CTLR WAS BUSY HANDLING ARRS AT DCA AS WELL AS ME. SINCE I WAS NEAR THE EXIT OF THE ADIZ TO HELP OUT THE CTLR I SAID I WAS NEARING THE EXIT AND WAS GOING TO SQUAWK 1200. THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED THIS. I SUSPECT THAT MY SQUAWK OF 1200 CREATED AN ALARM ON THEIR SYS SINCE I MAY HAVE SQUAWKED 1200 JUST INSIDE THE ADIZ. SINCE THE WX WAS ROUGH (MODERATE TURB BELOW 10000 FT) AND SURFACE WINDS GUSTY AND VARIABLE, I DECIDED TO RETURN TO W32 WITHOUT LNDG AT MY ORIGINAL DEST. I MADE ONE PRACTICE LNDG AT SHANNON AND THEN DEPARTED TOWARDS BROOKE VOR. MY TA SYS POINTED OUT TFC WITHIN 2 NM AT MY ALT NEAR THE BROOKE VOR S OF THE ADIZ. I MANEUVERED MY ACFT SEVERAL TIMES TO 'GET OUT OF THE WAY' BUT THIS ACFT SEEMED TO CHANGE COURSE SO THAT I ALWAYS PERCEIVED IT TO BE A COLLISION THREAT. THIS CREATED AN ADDITIONAL SERIOUS DISTR IN WHAT WERE TURBULENT CONDITIONS. I CALLED POTOMAC AND STATED MY INTENTIONS TO LAND AT W32 PRIOR TO ENTRY INTO THE ADIZ. I DESCRIBED INTENTIONS AND MY POS AS 10 MI SW OF IRONS INTXN. AT THE SAME TIME, I AGAIN ATTEMPTED TO MANEUVER MY ACFT OUT OF THE WAY OF THE TFC WHICH CONTINUED TO BE DISPLAYED WITHIN APPROX 2 NM AT MY ALT ON MY TA SYS. POTOMAC RESPONDED TO MY FIRST CALL WITH MY ACFT CALL SIGN, BUT MAY HAVE MISSED THE REST OF MY XMISSION BECAUSE THEY ASKED ME TO 'STATE MY INTENTIONS.' MY SECOND ATTEMPT AT DESCRIBING MY INTENTIONS WAS SUCCESSFUL AND I RECEIVED A SQUAWK. THEY NEVER STATED THAT YOU ARE CLRED INTO THE ADIZ, YOU ARE TO 'ASSUME IT' FROM GETTING THE SQUAWK. I ONLY DISCOVERED THAT I HAD A PROB WHEN THE POTOMAC CTLR TOLD ME TO COPY A PHONE NUMBER AND BE SURE TO CALL THEM WHEN I WAS ON THE GND. THEY FELT I HAD 'VIOLATED THE ADIZ' ON DEP AND RETURN. WHAT CAN BE DONE TO PREVENT REOCCURRENCE OF THE ADIZ INFRACTIONS AND CONFUSIONS? THE BRIEFER SHOULD REMIND THE PLT OF THE EXIT POINTS OF THE ADIZ AND NOT THE FRZ DURING THE PREFLT FRZ FILING. THE CTLR LANGUAGE SHOULD BE CONSISTENT BTWN ARRS AND DEPS. ON ARR POTOMAC ALWAYS REMINDS YOU TO 'CHANGE TO ADVISORY FREQ, BUT STAY ON THE SQUAWK UNTIL YOU ARE ON THE GND.' ON DEP THEY SHOULD REMIND PLTS WITH SIMILAR LANGUAGE 'STAY ON THE SQUAWK UNTIL YOU ARE CLR OF THE ADIZ.' CLRLY IF THEY SEE YOU IN THE ADIZ AND YOU ARE TELLING THEM YOU ARE GOING TO SQUAWK 1200 THEY SHOULD REMIND YOU IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY AND CONSISTENCY. AT NO TIME DID THEY DO THIS SINCE I WAS MONITORING THEIR FREQ. CTLRS SHOULD NOT BE HANDLING COMMERCIAL TFC INTO DCA AND VFR TFC BELOW THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AT THE SAME TIME. IF UNITED STATES SECURITY ACFT ARE OPERATING IN THE VICINITY OF THE ADIZ BOUNDARIES THEY SHOULD REMAIN WELL CLR AND AT A DIFFERENT ALT FROM VFR TFC. WHILE AT NO TIME DID I HAVE A VISUAL WITH THIS TFC, IT WAS VERY, VERY DISCONCERTING TO HAVE TO ADDRESS THIS POTENTIAL COLLISION THREAT ON MY TA SYS, RAISE THE CTLR, OBTAIN PERMISSION TO ENTER THE ADIZ, AND NAV IN MODERATE TURB. THE TFC COLLISION ADVISORIES SHOULD TRUMP ALL OTHER ISSUES. CLRNC INTO AND OUT OF THE ADIZ SHOULD HAVE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE WHICH IS STATED BY THE CTLR AND ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE PLT, JUST AS IT IS FOR CLASS B OR OTHER AIRSPACE. ON OTHER OCCASIONS I HAVE HEARD CTLRS HARSHLY ADMONISH PLTS FOR ASKING FOR CLRNC AFTER THEY GET A SQUAWK CODE. THIS INHIBITS FREE EXCHANGE OF INFO BTWN PLTS AND CTLRS, MAY CREATE A HOSTILE ATMOSPHERE AND CIRCUMSTANCES THAT COULD SET UP A SERIOUS MISHAP. CONSISTENT LANGUAGE ON CLRNCS SHOULD BE THE RULE.

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.