Narrative:

This was to be a purely VFR flight to L12 to drop my brother off at the local airport. I did not obtain a preflight standard briefing from either a briefer at rancho murieta or from the computer system as I usually do. The proposed route of flight was to be from our home base of tsp direct vny direct L67 direct L12; our destination. We were using an apollo GPS system; and were cross checking our course using local VOR stations. We had both a current los angeles sectional and a current los angeles tac aboard; as well as an airport guide. We did not deviate from our proposed route of flight. The cruise altitude was 7500 ft MSL. I fly down to the los angeles area frequently; and I am familiar with the airspace of the area. The route and altitude of the flight was intended to keep us well away from the class B; C; and D airspaces that are abundant in the area. Usually I would be using flight following with socal approach; but on this flight I deferred its use. We were cruising at approximately 173 KTS at 7500 ft MSL approximately 5 mi north of poc and 21 mi west of L67 when we were first intercepted by an F16 off of our left wing. The F16 was in a slow-flight configuration as it pulled next to us and fired three flares. I issued the standard FAA response to the interceptor by bobbing the wings three times; and flashing my navigation lights three times. The interceptor then banked sharply to the left and lit its afterburners and was gone. I immediately contacted the local ATC controller at socal; reporting my aircraft type; equipment; altitude and exact position; and advised him that we had just been intercepted; we had acknowledged the interceptor; and were awaiting instructions. We were assigned a squawk code of XXXX and we immediately entered it and received a radar contact confirmation from the controller. I did not know of any restricted airspace in the area; but I judged that since we were just intercepted; we must have inadvertently busted some form of restricted airspace; likely a tfr. The controller then instructed me to reverse course immediately back towards van nuys; and I complied. I asked the controller if there was a tfr active in the area; and he did not apparently know exactly where it was; or if we had indeed violated it. Just then; we were intercepted by another F16; and he fired another volley of 3 flares; and we responded again bobbing our wings and flashing our navigation lights. We advised the controller at socal that we had just been intercepted again; and had responded accordingly. I asked the controller if there was any way for us to advise the fighters that we understood their purpose; and we were complying with their wishes and the controller's instructions. The advisor responded that there was no way that they could talk to the fighters and could not advise them that we were currently in compliance. This caused me some distress; as it would seem that the fighters did not notice my FAA sanctioned response; and the controller has no means to advise the fighters that we were in compliance. The controller instructed us to begin an immediate VFR descent and proceed directly to el monte for landing. We acknowledged immediately; and set a direct GPS course to el monte and began a 700 ft per min descent. The second fighter then peeled off to the left and was gone. The next few min of the flight were otherwise normal; a standard descent and a setting up for a normal left downwind entry into el monte's traffic pattern for runway 19. At an altitude of 2500 ft MSL over the densely populated city of el monte a third F16 intercepted us; this time very close (less than 30 ft wingtip to wingtip) and fired three flares. Since my T18 has fixed gear; and we were still well above the white arc on the airspeed indicator; we could not lower our gear or drop our flaps to indicate our landing intentions. We responded again with bobbing wings and navigation light flashes; and advised the controller that we had been intercepted for a third time. At this point I waived my hand to the pilot to get his/her attention; and signaled with my downward pointed index finger that we were coming down. I did this because I was beginning to believe that thefighters did not know for sure if we were complying with their wishes. The controller acknowledged; and advised us to contact el monte tower. I acknowledged and switched to the tower's frequency. I advised my altitude; position; and landing intentions and was advised to enter a left downwind for runway 19. I acknowledged the instructions with a correct readback; and reported my left downwind as per their requests. I was cleared to land and the rest of the flight was routine; although I could hear over the tower frequency the F16's circling above; confirming that I was on final; that I had touched down; and that I was leaving the active runway. I switched to the ground frequency and taxied to the transient parking area per the ground controller's instructions. I shut down the engine and secured the aircraft. That was the end of the flight. We were detained by the police and government officials. As I had suspected; we were unknowing and unintentionally violated a tfr. We had thoroughly questioned by both agencies; we were found to have no intentions to violate the airspace; and their investigations were closed and we were released. In retrospect; I would have contacted guard frequency on 121.5 and advised the interceptors directly; but I was sticking to the procedure that I could remember offhand; and I did not was to go off frequency with the socal controller. It was rather unsettling to not be able to advise the F16's that we had acknowledged and were complying with their wishes. In hindsight: it was my responsibility to know about the tfr; and to get the information I needed from the appropriate source; east G computer flight plan program on rancho murieta. This incident; at its core; was my responsibility; my failure; and my fault. The safety of a flight is always the responsibility of the pilot; and ignorance is never an excuse. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter is being processed by the FAA legal departure for possible violation. He was not certain; but thought the tfr was around rancho cucamonga. In retrospect he states that what he would have done differently was call the fighters on guard.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT PENETRATES A TFR; AND IS INTERCEPTED BY MIL ACFT THREE TIMES WHILE ATTEMPTING TO COMPLY WITH INTERCEPT PROCEDURES. PLT REPORTS CONCERN OVER LACK OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN ATC AND MIL INTERCEPT ACFT.

Narrative: THIS WAS TO BE A PURELY VFR FLT TO L12 TO DROP MY BROTHER OFF AT THE LOCAL ARPT. I DID NOT OBTAIN A PREFLT STANDARD BRIEFING FROM EITHER A BRIEFER AT RANCHO MURIETA OR FROM THE COMPUTER SYSTEM AS I USUALLY DO. THE PROPOSED RTE OF FLT WAS TO BE FROM OUR HOME BASE OF TSP DIRECT VNY DIRECT L67 DIRECT L12; OUR DEST. WE WERE USING AN APOLLO GPS SYSTEM; AND WERE CROSS CHKING OUR COURSE USING LOCAL VOR STATIONS. WE HAD BOTH A CURRENT LOS ANGELES SECTIONAL AND A CURRENT LOS ANGELES TAC ABOARD; AS WELL AS AN ARPT GUIDE. WE DID NOT DEVIATE FROM OUR PROPOSED RTE OF FLT. THE CRUISE ALT WAS 7500 FT MSL. I FLY DOWN TO THE LOS ANGELES AREA FREQUENTLY; AND I AM FAMILIAR WITH THE AIRSPACE OF THE AREA. THE RTE AND ALT OF THE FLT WAS INTENDED TO KEEP US WELL AWAY FROM THE CLASS B; C; AND D AIRSPACES THAT ARE ABUNDANT IN THE AREA. USUALLY I WOULD BE USING FLT FOLLOWING WITH SOCAL APCH; BUT ON THIS FLT I DEFERRED ITS USE. WE WERE CRUISING AT APPROX 173 KTS AT 7500 FT MSL APPROX 5 MI N OF POC AND 21 MI W OF L67 WHEN WE WERE FIRST INTERCEPTED BY AN F16 OFF OF OUR L WING. THE F16 WAS IN A SLOW-FLT CONFIGURATION AS IT PULLED NEXT TO US AND FIRED THREE FLARES. I ISSUED THE STANDARD FAA RESPONSE TO THE INTERCEPTOR BY BOBBING THE WINGS THREE TIMES; AND FLASHING MY NAV LIGHTS THREE TIMES. THE INTERCEPTOR THEN BANKED SHARPLY TO THE L AND LIT ITS AFTERBURNERS AND WAS GONE. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED THE LOCAL ATC CTLR AT SOCAL; RPTING MY ACFT TYPE; EQUIPMENT; ALT AND EXACT POS; AND ADVISED HIM THAT WE HAD JUST BEEN INTERCEPTED; WE HAD ACKNOWLEDGED THE INTERCEPTOR; AND WERE AWAITING INSTRUCTIONS. WE WERE ASSIGNED A SQUAWK CODE OF XXXX AND WE IMMEDIATELY ENTERED IT AND RECEIVED A RADAR CONTACT CONFIRMATION FROM THE CTLR. I DID NOT KNOW OF ANY RESTRICTED AIRSPACE IN THE AREA; BUT I JUDGED THAT SINCE WE WERE JUST INTERCEPTED; WE MUST HAVE INADVERTENTLY BUSTED SOME FORM OF RESTRICTED AIRSPACE; LIKELY A TFR. THE CTLR THEN INSTRUCTED ME TO REVERSE COURSE IMMEDIATELY BACK TOWARDS VAN NUYS; AND I COMPLIED. I ASKED THE CTLR IF THERE WAS A TFR ACTIVE IN THE AREA; AND HE DID NOT APPARENTLY KNOW EXACTLY WHERE IT WAS; OR IF WE HAD INDEED VIOLATED IT. JUST THEN; WE WERE INTERCEPTED BY ANOTHER F16; AND HE FIRED ANOTHER VOLLEY OF 3 FLARES; AND WE RESPONDED AGAIN BOBBING OUR WINGS AND FLASHING OUR NAV LIGHTS. WE ADVISED THE CTLR AT SOCAL THAT WE HAD JUST BEEN INTERCEPTED AGAIN; AND HAD RESPONDED ACCORDINGLY. I ASKED THE CTLR IF THERE WAS ANY WAY FOR US TO ADVISE THE FIGHTERS THAT WE UNDERSTOOD THEIR PURPOSE; AND WE WERE COMPLYING WITH THEIR WISHES AND THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS. THE ADVISOR RESPONDED THAT THERE WAS NO WAY THAT THEY COULD TALK TO THE FIGHTERS AND COULD NOT ADVISE THEM THAT WE WERE CURRENTLY IN COMPLIANCE. THIS CAUSED ME SOME DISTRESS; AS IT WOULD SEEM THAT THE FIGHTERS DID NOT NOTICE MY FAA SANCTIONED RESPONSE; AND THE CTLR HAS NO MEANS TO ADVISE THE FIGHTERS THAT WE WERE IN COMPLIANCE. THE CTLR INSTRUCTED US TO BEGIN AN IMMEDIATE VFR DSCNT AND PROCEED DIRECTLY TO EL MONTE FOR LNDG. WE ACKNOWLEDGED IMMEDIATELY; AND SET A DIRECT GPS COURSE TO EL MONTE AND BEGAN A 700 FT PER MIN DSCNT. THE SECOND FIGHTER THEN PEELED OFF TO THE L AND WAS GONE. THE NEXT FEW MIN OF THE FLT WERE OTHERWISE NORMAL; A STANDARD DSCNT AND A SETTING UP FOR A NORMAL L DOWNWIND ENTRY INTO EL MONTE'S TFC PATTERN FOR RWY 19. AT AN ALT OF 2500 FT MSL OVER THE DENSELY POPULATED CITY OF EL MONTE A THIRD F16 INTERCEPTED US; THIS TIME VERY CLOSE (LESS THAN 30 FT WINGTIP TO WINGTIP) AND FIRED THREE FLARES. SINCE MY T18 HAS FIXED GEAR; AND WE WERE STILL WELL ABOVE THE WHITE ARC ON THE AIRSPEED INDICATOR; WE COULD NOT LOWER OUR GEAR OR DROP OUR FLAPS TO INDICATE OUR LNDG INTENTIONS. WE RESPONDED AGAIN WITH BOBBING WINGS AND NAV LIGHT FLASHES; AND ADVISED THE CTLR THAT WE HAD BEEN INTERCEPTED FOR A THIRD TIME. AT THIS POINT I WAIVED MY HAND TO THE PLT TO GET HIS/HER ATTENTION; AND SIGNALED WITH MY DOWNWARD POINTED INDEX FINGER THAT WE WERE COMING DOWN. I DID THIS BECAUSE I WAS BEGINNING TO BELIEVE THAT THEFIGHTERS DID NOT KNOW FOR SURE IF WE WERE COMPLYING WITH THEIR WISHES. THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED; AND ADVISED US TO CONTACT EL MONTE TWR. I ACKNOWLEDGED AND SWITCHED TO THE TWR'S FREQUENCY. I ADVISED MY ALT; POS; AND LNDG INTENTIONS AND WAS ADVISED TO ENTER A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 19. I ACKNOWLEDGED THE INSTRUCTIONS WITH A CORRECT READBACK; AND RPTED MY L DOWNWIND AS PER THEIR REQUESTS. I WAS CLRED TO LAND AND THE REST OF THE FLT WAS ROUTINE; ALTHOUGH I COULD HEAR OVER THE TWR FREQUENCY THE F16'S CIRCLING ABOVE; CONFIRMING THAT I WAS ON FINAL; THAT I HAD TOUCHED DOWN; AND THAT I WAS LEAVING THE ACTIVE RWY. I SWITCHED TO THE GND FREQUENCY AND TAXIED TO THE TRANSIENT PARKING AREA PER THE GND CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS. I SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND SECURED THE ACFT. THAT WAS THE END OF THE FLT. WE WERE DETAINED BY THE POLICE AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. AS I HAD SUSPECTED; WE WERE UNKNOWING AND UNINTENTIONALLY VIOLATED A TFR. WE HAD THOROUGHLY QUESTIONED BY BOTH AGENCIES; WE WERE FOUND TO HAVE NO INTENTIONS TO VIOLATE THE AIRSPACE; AND THEIR INVESTIGATIONS WERE CLOSED AND WE WERE RELEASED. IN RETROSPECT; I WOULD HAVE CONTACTED GUARD FREQUENCY ON 121.5 AND ADVISED THE INTERCEPTORS DIRECTLY; BUT I WAS STICKING TO THE PROC THAT I COULD REMEMBER OFFHAND; AND I DID NOT WAS TO GO OFF FREQUENCY WITH THE SOCAL CTLR. IT WAS RATHER UNSETTLING TO NOT BE ABLE TO ADVISE THE F16'S THAT WE HAD ACKNOWLEDGED AND WERE COMPLYING WITH THEIR WISHES. IN HINDSIGHT: IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO KNOW ABOUT THE TFR; AND TO GET THE INFO I NEEDED FROM THE APPROPRIATE SOURCE; E G COMPUTER FLT PLAN PROGRAM ON RANCHO MURIETA. THIS INCIDENT; AT ITS CORE; WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY; MY FAILURE; AND MY FAULT. THE SAFETY OF A FLT IS ALWAYS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PLT; AND IGNORANCE IS NEVER AN EXCUSE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR IS BEING PROCESSED BY THE FAA LEGAL DEP FOR POSSIBLE VIOLATION. HE WAS NOT CERTAIN; BUT THOUGHT THE TFR WAS AROUND RANCHO CUCAMONGA. IN RETROSPECT HE STATES THAT WHAT HE WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY WAS CALL THE FIGHTERS ON GUARD.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.