Narrative:

I left fdk at XA45 and flew to the 29 mi north point from armel 113.5. I called pct on 125.05 MHZ. They advised me to go to 134.20 MHZ, which I did. They then advised me to go to 126.1 MHZ, which I did. When I called pct on 126.1, they said they were busy, and to try 134.20. I advised them that they sent me on 126.1. They then said to stand by for 2 mins. (They sounded very busy.) I waited several mins while flying in circles at 25-27 mi from armel, then called them back. They then said they were too busy, and to try 134.20 again and if they could not help me, then they didn't know what to do. I called 134.20 MHZ and they gave me a discrete transponder code. I tuned the transponder and proceeded to jyo on a radial of 320 degrees while monitoring pct on the radio. When I was 8 mi north of jyo I called pct and advised them I had jyo in sight. They then asked me to identify, which I did. I did not hear anything back from them so I called back asking if they saw my identify. They advised me they had seen my identify and frequency change approved, stay clear of class B. I responded back with roger and changed frequency to jyo tower, and proceeded to jyo. When I was on the downwind leg for runway 17 landing at jyo, a local FBO called me on 122.975 and said that pct wants to talk with me and stand by, so I proceeded to land. When I was clear of the runway 17, a local FBO called and asked if I was clear of runway and could I change to frequency 132.00, so I did and they gave me the phone number for pct and advised me to call them as soon as possible. I called them right then and there on my cell phone, and the man who answered asked me did I know the ADIZ rules and was I aware of the fact that I broke the ADIZ rule that my transponder was not working and I flew well into the ADIZ airspace. I advised him that I knew the rules and that I was not aware that my transponder was not working, and recounted how pct asked me to identify. He then proceeded to ask for my information and advised me to write my story down and that someone would be calling me soon. I want to emphasize that before I called pct to advise them I had jyo in sight, I was never contacted by pct to inform me that they did not have my transponder on radar. I was advised by pct that helicopter's were dispatched to find me even before anyone had tried to contact me on the assigned frequency of 134.20 by pct. While I was monitoring pct on 134.20 they were very busy with other traffic. In my opinion the situation was completely mishandled. All of this could have been prevented had pct advised me that they did not have me on their radar and asked me to identify earlier. As I write this it hasn't yet been determined whether the transponder is functioning properly or not.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INEXPERIENCED PVT PLT OF PA28 ENTERS DC ADIZ WITH DISCRETE CODE BUT A XPONDER THAT IS APPARENTLY NOT WORKING.

Narrative: I LEFT FDK AT XA45 AND FLEW TO THE 29 MI N POINT FROM ARMEL 113.5. I CALLED PCT ON 125.05 MHZ. THEY ADVISED ME TO GO TO 134.20 MHZ, WHICH I DID. THEY THEN ADVISED ME TO GO TO 126.1 MHZ, WHICH I DID. WHEN I CALLED PCT ON 126.1, THEY SAID THEY WERE BUSY, AND TO TRY 134.20. I ADVISED THEM THAT THEY SENT ME ON 126.1. THEY THEN SAID TO STAND BY FOR 2 MINS. (THEY SOUNDED VERY BUSY.) I WAITED SEVERAL MINS WHILE FLYING IN CIRCLES AT 25-27 MI FROM ARMEL, THEN CALLED THEM BACK. THEY THEN SAID THEY WERE TOO BUSY, AND TO TRY 134.20 AGAIN AND IF THEY COULD NOT HELP ME, THEN THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. I CALLED 134.20 MHZ AND THEY GAVE ME A DISCRETE XPONDER CODE. I TUNED THE XPONDER AND PROCEEDED TO JYO ON A RADIAL OF 320 DEGS WHILE MONITORING PCT ON THE RADIO. WHEN I WAS 8 MI N OF JYO I CALLED PCT AND ADVISED THEM I HAD JYO IN SIGHT. THEY THEN ASKED ME TO IDENT, WHICH I DID. I DID NOT HEAR ANYTHING BACK FROM THEM SO I CALLED BACK ASKING IF THEY SAW MY IDENT. THEY ADVISED ME THEY HAD SEEN MY IDENT AND FREQ CHANGE APPROVED, STAY CLR OF CLASS B. I RESPONDED BACK WITH ROGER AND CHANGED FREQ TO JYO TWR, AND PROCEEDED TO JYO. WHEN I WAS ON THE DOWNWIND LEG FOR RWY 17 LNDG AT JYO, A LCL FBO CALLED ME ON 122.975 AND SAID THAT PCT WANTS TO TALK WITH ME AND STAND BY, SO I PROCEEDED TO LAND. WHEN I WAS CLR OF THE RWY 17, A LCL FBO CALLED AND ASKED IF I WAS CLR OF RWY AND COULD I CHANGE TO FREQ 132.00, SO I DID AND THEY GAVE ME THE PHONE NUMBER FOR PCT AND ADVISED ME TO CALL THEM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I CALLED THEM RIGHT THEN AND THERE ON MY CELL PHONE, AND THE MAN WHO ANSWERED ASKED ME DID I KNOW THE ADIZ RULES AND WAS I AWARE OF THE FACT THAT I BROKE THE ADIZ RULE THAT MY XPONDER WAS NOT WORKING AND I FLEW WELL INTO THE ADIZ AIRSPACE. I ADVISED HIM THAT I KNEW THE RULES AND THAT I WAS NOT AWARE THAT MY XPONDER WAS NOT WORKING, AND RECOUNTED HOW PCT ASKED ME TO IDENT. HE THEN PROCEEDED TO ASK FOR MY INFO AND ADVISED ME TO WRITE MY STORY DOWN AND THAT SOMEONE WOULD BE CALLING ME SOON. I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT BEFORE I CALLED PCT TO ADVISE THEM I HAD JYO IN SIGHT, I WAS NEVER CONTACTED BY PCT TO INFORM ME THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE MY XPONDER ON RADAR. I WAS ADVISED BY PCT THAT HELI'S WERE DISPATCHED TO FIND ME EVEN BEFORE ANYONE HAD TRIED TO CONTACT ME ON THE ASSIGNED FREQ OF 134.20 BY PCT. WHILE I WAS MONITORING PCT ON 134.20 THEY WERE VERY BUSY WITH OTHER TFC. IN MY OPINION THE SIT WAS COMPLETELY MISHANDLED. ALL OF THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED HAD PCT ADVISED ME THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE ME ON THEIR RADAR AND ASKED ME TO IDENT EARLIER. AS I WRITE THIS IT HASN'T YET BEEN DETERMINED WHETHER THE XPONDER IS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY OR NOT.

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.