Narrative:

The private pilot involved routinely takes a local vicinity sunday pleasure flight from the plant city airport in a vintage dehavilland chipmunk outside of tampa class B airspace. As a matter of routine, the private pilot stays clear of tampa's class B airspace and was doing so on oct/sun/04. On this day, the private pilot was cruising at approximately 1200 ft and was complying with all the FAA rules and regulations known to him, including the use of a mode C transponder. At approximately XA20 hours local time, an F16 military aircraft 'buzzed' his aircraft and attempted to draw near. The private pilot decided to land at the closest airport available at the time which was the zephyrhills airport. The F16 pilot did not land but departed the area. The private pilot was one of several pilots who had been intercepted that weekend under similar circumstances, said the FAA when the pilot contacted the FAA through counsel. Apparently the F16's actions were related to a presidential visit to tampa, fl. In relation to this visit, a tfr was issued on oct/fri/04, under 14 crash fire rescue equipment 91.141, flight restrs in the proximity of the presidential and other parties. The private pilot now files this form 277B to express regret that this event occurred and to express concern that the oct/fri/04, 91.141 tfr was not adequately communicated to local pilots. Although the tfr was apparently published in a NOTAM, it is common practice in this part of florida for private pilots to take short local pleasure flts in clear WX on weekends. The private pilot respectively suggests that factors contributing to this event may have included: a need for the secret service to contact the FAA and/or regional airports concerning the tfr's in effect for a presidential visit. A need for an exterior visual posting of the tfr notice at affected airports, especially uncontrolled airports. A need for the FAA to directly contact regional airport mgrs to advise them that a special tfr is in effect. A need for the FAA to directly contact regional airport mgrs to advise them that a 91.141 tfr raises unique national security concerns and may be subject to change on short notice. A need for regional airport mgrs to advise private pilots at GA areas that a special NOTAM has been issued relevant to national security. The private pilot submits that these measures would pose no substantial burden to the FAA, because presidential party visits are relatively rare. By contrast, these measures would lend a substantial benefit to air safety and national by ensuring that private pilots had additional opportunities to receive notice of 91.141 tfr's and to comply with those tfr's. The oct/sun/04 event did not arise out of a knowing, intentional, or reckless violation by the private pilot. The private pilot also has taken corrective action by retaining counsel to research the type and nature of the alleged tfr violation, and to assist in preparing this form for submission to NASA. The private pilot submits that neither he, nor any of the other several pilots intercepted, were ever a threat to the safety and security of the president. It is assumed that the object of the FAA in issuing the tfr is to keep pilots who are in no way a threat to the safety and securing of the president on the ground so that true airborne threats may be more easily idented. The private pilot submits that if safety and security for the president is truly the issue, then the current procedures do not effectively accomplish the stated objective.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF CIVILIAN REGISTERED ACFT VIOLATES PRESIDENTIAL TFR IN FLORIDA AND IS INTERCEPTED BY MIL FIGHTERS.

Narrative: THE PVT PLT INVOLVED ROUTINELY TAKES A LCL VICINITY SUNDAY PLEASURE FLT FROM THE PLANT CITY ARPT IN A VINTAGE DEHAVILLAND CHIPMUNK OUTSIDE OF TAMPA CLASS B AIRSPACE. AS A MATTER OF ROUTINE, THE PVT PLT STAYS CLR OF TAMPA'S CLASS B AIRSPACE AND WAS DOING SO ON OCT/SUN/04. ON THIS DAY, THE PVT PLT WAS CRUISING AT APPROX 1200 FT AND WAS COMPLYING WITH ALL THE FAA RULES AND REGS KNOWN TO HIM, INCLUDING THE USE OF A MODE C XPONDER. AT APPROX XA20 HRS LCL TIME, AN F16 MIL ACFT 'BUZZED' HIS ACFT AND ATTEMPTED TO DRAW NEAR. THE PVT PLT DECIDED TO LAND AT THE CLOSEST ARPT AVAILABLE AT THE TIME WHICH WAS THE ZEPHYRHILLS ARPT. THE F16 PLT DID NOT LAND BUT DEPARTED THE AREA. THE PVT PLT WAS ONE OF SEVERAL PLTS WHO HAD BEEN INTERCEPTED THAT WEEKEND UNDER SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES, SAID THE FAA WHEN THE PLT CONTACTED THE FAA THROUGH COUNSEL. APPARENTLY THE F16'S ACTIONS WERE RELATED TO A PRESIDENTIAL VISIT TO TAMPA, FL. IN RELATION TO THIS VISIT, A TFR WAS ISSUED ON OCT/FRI/04, UNDER 14 CFR 91.141, FLT RESTRS IN THE PROX OF THE PRESIDENTIAL AND OTHER PARTIES. THE PVT PLT NOW FILES THIS FORM 277B TO EXPRESS REGRET THAT THIS EVENT OCCURRED AND TO EXPRESS CONCERN THAT THE OCT/FRI/04, 91.141 TFR WAS NOT ADEQUATELY COMMUNICATED TO LCL PLTS. ALTHOUGH THE TFR WAS APPARENTLY PUBLISHED IN A NOTAM, IT IS COMMON PRACTICE IN THIS PART OF FLORIDA FOR PVT PLTS TO TAKE SHORT LCL PLEASURE FLTS IN CLR WX ON WEEKENDS. THE PVT PLT RESPECTIVELY SUGGESTS THAT FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS EVENT MAY HAVE INCLUDED: A NEED FOR THE SECRET SVC TO CONTACT THE FAA AND/OR REGIONAL ARPTS CONCERNING THE TFR'S IN EFFECT FOR A PRESIDENTIAL VISIT. A NEED FOR AN EXTERIOR VISUAL POSTING OF THE TFR NOTICE AT AFFECTED ARPTS, ESPECIALLY UNCTLED ARPTS. A NEED FOR THE FAA TO DIRECTLY CONTACT REGIONAL ARPT MGRS TO ADVISE THEM THAT A SPECIAL TFR IS IN EFFECT. A NEED FOR THE FAA TO DIRECTLY CONTACT REGIONAL ARPT MGRS TO ADVISE THEM THAT A 91.141 TFR RAISES UNIQUE NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS AND MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE ON SHORT NOTICE. A NEED FOR REGIONAL ARPT MGRS TO ADVISE PVT PLTS AT GA AREAS THAT A SPECIAL NOTAM HAS BEEN ISSUED RELEVANT TO NATIONAL SECURITY. THE PVT PLT SUBMITS THAT THESE MEASURES WOULD POSE NO SUBSTANTIAL BURDEN TO THE FAA, BECAUSE PRESIDENTIAL PARTY VISITS ARE RELATIVELY RARE. BY CONTRAST, THESE MEASURES WOULD LEND A SUBSTANTIAL BENEFIT TO AIR SAFETY AND NATIONAL BY ENSURING THAT PVT PLTS HAD ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES TO RECEIVE NOTICE OF 91.141 TFR'S AND TO COMPLY WITH THOSE TFR'S. THE OCT/SUN/04 EVENT DID NOT ARISE OUT OF A KNOWING, INTENTIONAL, OR RECKLESS VIOLATION BY THE PVT PLT. THE PVT PLT ALSO HAS TAKEN CORRECTIVE ACTION BY RETAINING COUNSEL TO RESEARCH THE TYPE AND NATURE OF THE ALLEGED TFR VIOLATION, AND TO ASSIST IN PREPARING THIS FORM FOR SUBMISSION TO NASA. THE PVT PLT SUBMITS THAT NEITHER HE, NOR ANY OF THE OTHER SEVERAL PLTS INTERCEPTED, WERE EVER A THREAT TO THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF THE PRESIDENT. IT IS ASSUMED THAT THE OBJECT OF THE FAA IN ISSUING THE TFR IS TO KEEP PLTS WHO ARE IN NO WAY A THREAT TO THE SAFETY AND SECURING OF THE PRESIDENT ON THE GND SO THAT TRUE AIRBORNE THREATS MAY BE MORE EASILY IDENTED. THE PVT PLT SUBMITS THAT IF SAFETY AND SECURITY FOR THE PRESIDENT IS TRULY THE ISSUE, THEN THE CURRENT PROCS DO NOT EFFECTIVELY ACCOMPLISH THE STATED OBJECTIVE.

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.