Narrative:

I made a flight to manassas, va (hef). My departure point was brookhaven, ny (hwv). Prior to making the flight, I called flight service from my cell phone at the brookhaven airport, to make an ADIZ flight plan. I spoke to a briefer and made an ADIZ flight plan. After confirming that he had filed the flight plan as described above, I asked the briefer for forecast WX in the area for the time of arrival. He gave me a good description of the marginal ceilings in some areas south and west of my destination. The briefer put me on hold for a considerable period of time to be sure that I had the right potomac approach frequency to call from the vicinity of easton. He gave me 124.55 as the correct frequency, and confirmed that a second time via reference to a map. I thanked him for the briefing and flight plan and departed brookhaven. I made most of the trip back at 6500 ft, except to clear the jfk class B above 7000 ft. Upon arrival on the eastern shore over easton, ceilings had deteriorated, as forecast, and I descended to approximately 2000 ft MSL. While flying overhead easton airport, I called potomac approach on 124.55. The first 4 or 5 calls were not answered, because the controller was very busy, and possibly because he could not hear me at that distance and altitude. I proceeded toward the bay and finally got a response about 3 mi southwest of easton. When I requested a squawk in accordance with my ADIZ flight plan, the controller instructed me to call 126.75 instead. I thanked him and called 126.75, and I was given a squawk code. I proceeded across the bay at approximately 2000 ft MSL. My line of flight did not result in ADIZ penetration until I was across the bay and inland a few mi, about 10 mins after receiving the squawk code. I proceeded toward 2w5 in accordance with the flight plan and continued to monitor 126.75. I noticed that the controller was handing off people that were south of easton because they were 'no longer in his area.' since I was well southwest of easton by then, I called him to remind him that I was approaching maryland airport, 2w5. He said that he didn't know anything about me. I told him that he had given me a code near easton, and I restated my present location and my intentions. He said to proceed with that code until I was on the ground. After a few mins, I reminded him that I was going to manassas (where a tower handoff would be necessary). He suggested that I call 128.35, so I did that. I checked in with 128.35 and told the next controller my location (over 2w5) and my intentions. He also advised me to keep the same code until I was on the ground. A few mins later, he asked me to squawk another code. I informed him that I was already squawking that code, and he said 'no, you are squawking the wrong code.' my passenger, who was also listening to the conversation, confirmed that the transponder was already set correctly. I told the controller that my instrument was set to the correct code, but that I would reset the transponder and try it again. The controller responded, 'yes, that sometimes helps.' I proceeded inbound from 2w5 for a few mins further, and then called 128.35 to advise him that I had the airport in sight. I got no response from 128.35. After a long period with no answer, I called manassas tower and told the tower controller my location (now 6 mi southeast of manassas). He gave me pattern/landing instructions. After rollout, the tower requested that I call pct controller.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CONFUSION BTWN A PVT PLT AND ATC CONCERNING LOCATION OF ACFT AND ASSIGNED XPONDER CODE. POSSIBLE PENETRATION OF ADIZ. PLT ASKED TO CALL PCT AFTER LNDG.

Narrative: I MADE A FLT TO MANASSAS, VA (HEF). MY DEP POINT WAS BROOKHAVEN, NY (HWV). PRIOR TO MAKING THE FLT, I CALLED FLT SVC FROM MY CELL PHONE AT THE BROOKHAVEN ARPT, TO MAKE AN ADIZ FLT PLAN. I SPOKE TO A BRIEFER AND MADE AN ADIZ FLT PLAN. AFTER CONFIRMING THAT HE HAD FILED THE FLT PLAN AS DESCRIBED ABOVE, I ASKED THE BRIEFER FOR FORECAST WX IN THE AREA FOR THE TIME OF ARR. HE GAVE ME A GOOD DESCRIPTION OF THE MARGINAL CEILINGS IN SOME AREAS S AND W OF MY DEST. THE BRIEFER PUT ME ON HOLD FOR A CONSIDERABLE PERIOD OF TIME TO BE SURE THAT I HAD THE RIGHT POTOMAC APCH FREQ TO CALL FROM THE VICINITY OF EASTON. HE GAVE ME 124.55 AS THE CORRECT FREQ, AND CONFIRMED THAT A SECOND TIME VIA REF TO A MAP. I THANKED HIM FOR THE BRIEFING AND FLT PLAN AND DEPARTED BROOKHAVEN. I MADE MOST OF THE TRIP BACK AT 6500 FT, EXCEPT TO CLR THE JFK CLASS B ABOVE 7000 FT. UPON ARR ON THE EASTERN SHORE OVER EASTON, CEILINGS HAD DETERIORATED, AS FORECAST, AND I DSNDED TO APPROX 2000 FT MSL. WHILE FLYING OVERHEAD EASTON ARPT, I CALLED POTOMAC APCH ON 124.55. THE FIRST 4 OR 5 CALLS WERE NOT ANSWERED, BECAUSE THE CTLR WAS VERY BUSY, AND POSSIBLY BECAUSE HE COULD NOT HEAR ME AT THAT DISTANCE AND ALT. I PROCEEDED TOWARD THE BAY AND FINALLY GOT A RESPONSE ABOUT 3 MI SW OF EASTON. WHEN I REQUESTED A SQUAWK IN ACCORDANCE WITH MY ADIZ FLT PLAN, THE CTLR INSTRUCTED ME TO CALL 126.75 INSTEAD. I THANKED HIM AND CALLED 126.75, AND I WAS GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE. I PROCEEDED ACROSS THE BAY AT APPROX 2000 FT MSL. MY LINE OF FLT DID NOT RESULT IN ADIZ PENETRATION UNTIL I WAS ACROSS THE BAY AND INLAND A FEW MI, ABOUT 10 MINS AFTER RECEIVING THE SQUAWK CODE. I PROCEEDED TOWARD 2W5 IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FLT PLAN AND CONTINUED TO MONITOR 126.75. I NOTICED THAT THE CTLR WAS HANDING OFF PEOPLE THAT WERE S OF EASTON BECAUSE THEY WERE 'NO LONGER IN HIS AREA.' SINCE I WAS WELL SW OF EASTON BY THEN, I CALLED HIM TO REMIND HIM THAT I WAS APCHING MARYLAND ARPT, 2W5. HE SAID THAT HE DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ME. I TOLD HIM THAT HE HAD GIVEN ME A CODE NEAR EASTON, AND I RESTATED MY PRESENT LOCATION AND MY INTENTIONS. HE SAID TO PROCEED WITH THAT CODE UNTIL I WAS ON THE GND. AFTER A FEW MINS, I REMINDED HIM THAT I WAS GOING TO MANASSAS (WHERE A TWR HDOF WOULD BE NECESSARY). HE SUGGESTED THAT I CALL 128.35, SO I DID THAT. I CHKED IN WITH 128.35 AND TOLD THE NEXT CTLR MY LOCATION (OVER 2W5) AND MY INTENTIONS. HE ALSO ADVISED ME TO KEEP THE SAME CODE UNTIL I WAS ON THE GND. A FEW MINS LATER, HE ASKED ME TO SQUAWK ANOTHER CODE. I INFORMED HIM THAT I WAS ALREADY SQUAWKING THAT CODE, AND HE SAID 'NO, YOU ARE SQUAWKING THE WRONG CODE.' MY PAX, WHO WAS ALSO LISTENING TO THE CONVERSATION, CONFIRMED THAT THE XPONDER WAS ALREADY SET CORRECTLY. I TOLD THE CTLR THAT MY INST WAS SET TO THE CORRECT CODE, BUT THAT I WOULD RESET THE XPONDER AND TRY IT AGAIN. THE CTLR RESPONDED, 'YES, THAT SOMETIMES HELPS.' I PROCEEDED INBOUND FROM 2W5 FOR A FEW MINS FURTHER, AND THEN CALLED 128.35 TO ADVISE HIM THAT I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. I GOT NO RESPONSE FROM 128.35. AFTER A LONG PERIOD WITH NO ANSWER, I CALLED MANASSAS TWR AND TOLD THE TWR CTLR MY LOCATION (NOW 6 MI SE OF MANASSAS). HE GAVE ME PATTERN/LNDG INSTRUCTIONS. AFTER ROLLOUT, THE TWR REQUESTED THAT I CALL PCT CTLR.

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.