Narrative:

I am responding to a letter concerning an investigation of an incident which took place on jul/sat/04. (I did not receive your letter until today.) I was PIC of a christian eagle 2 biplane. I filed ADIZ flight plans with the leesburg flight service station to depart towards martinsburg, wv. I obtained my transponder code and TRACON frequency from potomac clearance delivery while taxiing for takeoff at leesburg airport (jyo). After takeoff, I contacted potomac approach and departed the area to the northwest. After leaving the ADIZ, I switched transponder code to 1200 and headed toward front royal, va. I departed front royal in the early afternoon, headed back to leesburg. I contacted potomac approach, 25 NM west and requested an ADIZ squawk based on my earlier filed flight plan. A controller responded, but told me to standby. I called again at about 21 NM, and again was told to standby. This controller in my opinion and with no disrespect, sounded a little overwhelmed even though the amount of traffic was not unusual for a saturday afternoon. There were long periods of silence from her even though several airplanes were attempting to contact her multiple times. Several times when pilots reported leesburg in sight, the controller instructed them to switch to 1200 and frequency change approved. She had to correct herself each time and instruct the pilot to maintain the discrete code until on the ground. I got to the ridge west of the upperville airport and knew I was getting close to the ADIZ, therefore, I turned northwest. As I did so, at about 16 NM west, I contacted the controller again and was given a discrete code. I turned once again toward leesburg, reporting it in sight at about 9 NM. The controller instructed me to switch to 1200, frequency change approved, then corrected herself again, telling me to maintain the discrete code. I believed myself to be just outside the ADIZ when I turned northwest. I know and understand the procedures dealing with operations within the ADIZ and their importance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE AWAITING REQUESTED CLRNC INTO THE DC ADIZ, THE PLT OF A CHRISTIAN EAGLE INADVERTENTLY ENTERS THE AREA. LEARNS OF VIOLATION VIA LETTER FROM FAA.

Narrative: I AM RESPONDING TO A LETTER CONCERNING AN INVESTIGATION OF AN INCIDENT WHICH TOOK PLACE ON JUL/SAT/04. (I DID NOT RECEIVE YOUR LETTER UNTIL TODAY.) I WAS PIC OF A CHRISTIAN EAGLE 2 BIPLANE. I FILED ADIZ FLT PLANS WITH THE LEESBURG FLT SVC STATION TO DEPART TOWARDS MARTINSBURG, WV. I OBTAINED MY XPONDER CODE AND TRACON FREQ FROM POTOMAC CLRNC DELIVERY WHILE TAXIING FOR TKOF AT LEESBURG ARPT (JYO). AFTER TKOF, I CONTACTED POTOMAC APCH AND DEPARTED THE AREA TO THE NW. AFTER LEAVING THE ADIZ, I SWITCHED XPONDER CODE TO 1200 AND HEADED TOWARD FRONT ROYAL, VA. I DEPARTED FRONT ROYAL IN THE EARLY AFTERNOON, HEADED BACK TO LEESBURG. I CONTACTED POTOMAC APCH, 25 NM W AND REQUESTED AN ADIZ SQUAWK BASED ON MY EARLIER FILED FLT PLAN. A CTLR RESPONDED, BUT TOLD ME TO STANDBY. I CALLED AGAIN AT ABOUT 21 NM, AND AGAIN WAS TOLD TO STANDBY. THIS CTLR IN MY OPINION AND WITH NO DISRESPECT, SOUNDED A LITTLE OVERWHELMED EVEN THOUGH THE AMOUNT OF TFC WAS NOT UNUSUAL FOR A SATURDAY AFTERNOON. THERE WERE LONG PERIODS OF SILENCE FROM HER EVEN THOUGH SEVERAL AIRPLANES WERE ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT HER MULTIPLE TIMES. SEVERAL TIMES WHEN PLTS RPTED LEESBURG IN SIGHT, THE CTLR INSTRUCTED THEM TO SWITCH TO 1200 AND FREQ CHANGE APPROVED. SHE HAD TO CORRECT HERSELF EACH TIME AND INSTRUCT THE PLT TO MAINTAIN THE DISCRETE CODE UNTIL ON THE GND. I GOT TO THE RIDGE W OF THE UPPERVILLE ARPT AND KNEW I WAS GETTING CLOSE TO THE ADIZ, THEREFORE, I TURNED NW. AS I DID SO, AT ABOUT 16 NM W, I CONTACTED THE CTLR AGAIN AND WAS GIVEN A DISCRETE CODE. I TURNED ONCE AGAIN TOWARD LEESBURG, RPTING IT IN SIGHT AT ABOUT 9 NM. THE CTLR INSTRUCTED ME TO SWITCH TO 1200, FREQ CHANGE APPROVED, THEN CORRECTED HERSELF AGAIN, TELLING ME TO MAINTAIN THE DISCRETE CODE. I BELIEVED MYSELF TO BE JUST OUTSIDE THE ADIZ WHEN I TURNED NW. I KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THE PROCS DEALING WITH OPS WITHIN THE ADIZ AND THEIR IMPORTANCE.

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.