Narrative:

For a trip from my home airport ZZZ to cbe (cumberland; md) I obtained a WX briefing; including NOTAMS and filed a flight plan prior to departure. Route was plotted from ZZZ to westminster VOR; and from there to cbe. Departed ZZZ and contacted jyo FSS on 122.2 soon thereafter to open flight plan. Cruising altitude was 2500 ft. Tuned VOR to EMI 117.9; but could only get the 'off' flag; could not get the audible identify code either. Thought maybe too far away; so maintained heading and kept trying to get the needle to respond. Started checking for landmarks and passed over I-83. Became concerned about P-40 intrusion; so I decided to bear slightly south to follow I-70 which would safely skirt P-40. Did not locate I-70; but instead passed another major n-s highway which I thought was I-795. This would have put me even closer to P-40; but pretty much west of ADIZ; so I adjusted course even further south in a vain attempt to locate I-70 and frederick; md. Instead; I kept passing unfamiliar N-2 hwys; but tried to maintain a path well north of suburban areas and stay over green; undeveloped areas. It was at this point that I saw red and green flashing lights coming from atop a building to the south. Having read advisories about this warning system; I knew that it meant to turn back; so I changed course to northwest. Although I knew the light meant trouble and that I was too close; I actually felt relief that I had been warned off by the light; still thinking that I was safely north of the ADIZ somewhere near frederick. Then I spotted a large; multi-runway airport that I thought might be jyo but the runways did not match. Still wary of penetrating P-40 I did not want to venture too far north; so I continued in a westerly direction when I encountered the potomac river. I started following this as I knew it would eventually lead me to I-70 or I-68; and safely keeping me away from P-40; and eventually to cbe. What seemed like mins after I started following the potomac; a homeland security chopper immediately appeared off my left wing. It was then that I realized that I had actually entered the ADIZ without authorization. I contacted jyo FSS on 122.2; which was still dialed in on my radio. In the midst of having trouble explaining my predicament and having FSS personnel comprehend what I was relating; I noticed '121.5.' on the chopper's nose. So I immediately switched to the emergency channel and got the chopper right away. I explained that I was lost with an inoperative VOR. The chopper asked me to go to jyo and provided a vector. They also assisted by making radio calls for me in the pattern. I landed uneventfully and taxied up to FBO as instructed. After talking to the required personnel; I requested and went up with a local flight instructor to see if she could figure out the VOR. She verified that it did not work; briefed me on ADIZ departure procedures; recommended that I head north to frederick to depart ADIZ as quickly as possible and skirt it to the north on my way back to ZZZ. If I had been able to get the VOR to work; the incursion would not have occurred. However; as soon as I realized the VOR was not working I should have immediately contacted leesburg FSS; who would have put me in touch with potomac TRACON. To prevent recurrence in the future; I will always be in contact with potomac TRACON any time I am even near the ADIZ.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 VIOLATED THE DCA ADIZ BECAUSE OF A VOR FAILURE.

Narrative: FOR A TRIP FROM MY HOME ARPT ZZZ TO CBE (CUMBERLAND; MD) I OBTAINED A WX BRIEFING; INCLUDING NOTAMS AND FILED A FLT PLAN PRIOR TO DEP. RTE WAS PLOTTED FROM ZZZ TO WESTMINSTER VOR; AND FROM THERE TO CBE. DEPARTED ZZZ AND CONTACTED JYO FSS ON 122.2 SOON THEREAFTER TO OPEN FLT PLAN. CRUISING ALT WAS 2500 FT. TUNED VOR TO EMI 117.9; BUT COULD ONLY GET THE 'OFF' FLAG; COULD NOT GET THE AUDIBLE IDENT CODE EITHER. THOUGHT MAYBE TOO FAR AWAY; SO MAINTAINED HDG AND KEPT TRYING TO GET THE NEEDLE TO RESPOND. STARTED CHKING FOR LANDMARKS AND PASSED OVER I-83. BECAME CONCERNED ABOUT P-40 INTRUSION; SO I DECIDED TO BEAR SLIGHTLY S TO FOLLOW I-70 WHICH WOULD SAFELY SKIRT P-40. DID NOT LOCATE I-70; BUT INSTEAD PASSED ANOTHER MAJOR N-S HWY WHICH I THOUGHT WAS I-795. THIS WOULD HAVE PUT ME EVEN CLOSER TO P-40; BUT PRETTY MUCH W OF ADIZ; SO I ADJUSTED COURSE EVEN FURTHER S IN A VAIN ATTEMPT TO LOCATE I-70 AND FREDERICK; MD. INSTEAD; I KEPT PASSING UNFAMILIAR N-2 HWYS; BUT TRIED TO MAINTAIN A PATH WELL N OF SUBURBAN AREAS AND STAY OVER GREEN; UNDEVELOPED AREAS. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT I SAW RED AND GREEN FLASHING LIGHTS COMING FROM ATOP A BUILDING TO THE S. HAVING READ ADVISORIES ABOUT THIS WARNING SYS; I KNEW THAT IT MEANT TO TURN BACK; SO I CHANGED COURSE TO NW. ALTHOUGH I KNEW THE LIGHT MEANT TROUBLE AND THAT I WAS TOO CLOSE; I ACTUALLY FELT RELIEF THAT I HAD BEEN WARNED OFF BY THE LIGHT; STILL THINKING THAT I WAS SAFELY N OF THE ADIZ SOMEWHERE NEAR FREDERICK. THEN I SPOTTED A LARGE; MULTI-RWY ARPT THAT I THOUGHT MIGHT BE JYO BUT THE RWYS DID NOT MATCH. STILL WARY OF PENETRATING P-40 I DID NOT WANT TO VENTURE TOO FAR N; SO I CONTINUED IN A WESTERLY DIRECTION WHEN I ENCOUNTERED THE POTOMAC RIVER. I STARTED FOLLOWING THIS AS I KNEW IT WOULD EVENTUALLY LEAD ME TO I-70 OR I-68; AND SAFELY KEEPING ME AWAY FROM P-40; AND EVENTUALLY TO CBE. WHAT SEEMED LIKE MINS AFTER I STARTED FOLLOWING THE POTOMAC; A HOMELAND SECURITY CHOPPER IMMEDIATELY APPEARED OFF MY L WING. IT WAS THEN THAT I REALIZED THAT I HAD ACTUALLY ENTERED THE ADIZ WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION. I CONTACTED JYO FSS ON 122.2; WHICH WAS STILL DIALED IN ON MY RADIO. IN THE MIDST OF HAVING TROUBLE EXPLAINING MY PREDICAMENT AND HAVING FSS PERSONNEL COMPREHEND WHAT I WAS RELATING; I NOTICED '121.5.' ON THE CHOPPER'S NOSE. SO I IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED TO THE EMER CHANNEL AND GOT THE CHOPPER RIGHT AWAY. I EXPLAINED THAT I WAS LOST WITH AN INOP VOR. THE CHOPPER ASKED ME TO GO TO JYO AND PROVIDED A VECTOR. THEY ALSO ASSISTED BY MAKING RADIO CALLS FOR ME IN THE PATTERN. I LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AND TAXIED UP TO FBO AS INSTRUCTED. AFTER TALKING TO THE REQUIRED PERSONNEL; I REQUESTED AND WENT UP WITH A LCL FLT INSTRUCTOR TO SEE IF SHE COULD FIGURE OUT THE VOR. SHE VERIFIED THAT IT DID NOT WORK; BRIEFED ME ON ADIZ DEP PROCS; RECOMMENDED THAT I HEAD N TO FREDERICK TO DEPART ADIZ AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND SKIRT IT TO THE N ON MY WAY BACK TO ZZZ. IF I HAD BEEN ABLE TO GET THE VOR TO WORK; THE INCURSION WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. HOWEVER; AS SOON AS I REALIZED THE VOR WAS NOT WORKING I SHOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED LEESBURG FSS; WHO WOULD HAVE PUT ME IN TOUCH WITH POTOMAC TRACON. TO PREVENT RECURRENCE IN THE FUTURE; I WILL ALWAYS BE IN CONTACT WITH POTOMAC TRACON ANY TIME I AM EVEN NEAR THE ADIZ.

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.