Narrative:

There were 2 issues with the GPS runway 24 approach into ezf: 1) a legal dc ADIZ entry is unclr. 2) CFIT risk. Reference #1 above; a legal dc ADIZ entry is unclr. Situation: while executing the GPS runway 24 approach (as a practice approach) the other night my safety pilot and I had a situation that at best was confusing and at worse caused a safety of flight issue. The procedure turn (and missed hold) for this approach crosses the dc ADIZ boundary. Our flight was at night to ezf. We were on an IFR flight plan in VMC. Potomac approach told us we were cleared for the approach; that radar services were terminated and to switch to CTAF. Ok fine. We start the approach and go to the CTAF. As we approach the ADIZ boundary my safety pilot questions if we are legal to fly into the ADIZ. I 'get it;' and immediately bank 30 degrees to the right and reverse direction. The right turn was away from the procedure turn but the quickest way to remain clear of the ADIZ (the GPS showed us on the ADIZ boundary when we started flying back away from the ADIZ. I am not sure if we penetrated the ADIZ or not. But at night; at 2000 ft MSL; I was not going to go beyond 30 degrees bank). Once re-established on the inbound portion of the approach; we review aloud the basic ADIZ requirements; including 'squawk' and 'talk.' we were on an IFR flight plan; we still had our unique transponder code; but with radar services terminated and on CTAF we weren't 'talking' to ATC. Thus; our confusion if it is legal to follow the ezf GPS runway 24 approach to the letter while IFR; but being on CTAF. Suggestions: a) whatever the legal answer to this question; there should be a note on the approach plate saying what IFR and practicing VFR traffic can or cannot do on this approach (when on CTAF). Why should this be done? Safety. A) I did a 30 degree bank at night at 2000 ft to remain clear of the ADIZ. Not something I like to do. B) because of our confusion over the regulations here; it was not possible to follow the approach plate. We did something unexpected which could confuse a controller or VFR traffic. C) did we check for conflicting traffic before making that sharp turn? I was under the hood; so I did not. My safety pilot was looking around; but since this happened so fast it was reactive rather than proactive. 2) CFIT-risk. Situation: again; GPS runway 24 into ezf. The hill and trees at the approach end of runway 24 are a recipe for disaster at night. I come out of the hood and the airport environment is in sight. So; I begin a slow descent below MDA. Subsequently; I am able to determine that the trees are obstructing the runway end. I stop the descent. Shortly I see the un-obscured runway end and resume descent. At this point I look down and out side of airplane and see the trees just below the aircraft. My safety pilot; who knows this airport; had been watching the trees and we were quite ok; but it surprised and scared me so I went missed. It would be easy for a pilot to drive his/her airplane into those trees when executing this approach at night. After the flight; I have tried various resources that would have better briefed me on the CFIT risk with that approach and don't see any that would have helped. Suggestion: the approach plate should note the hill and trees on the approach end of runway 24.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PILOT COMMENTS THAT THE EZF GPS RWY 24 PROCEDURE TURN/MISSED APCH HOLDING IS IN THE PCT ADIZ AND THE CFIT RISK BECAUSE OF TREES AT THE APCH END OF RWY 24.

Narrative: THERE WERE 2 ISSUES WITH THE GPS RWY 24 APCH INTO EZF: 1) A LEGAL DC ADIZ ENTRY IS UNCLR. 2) CFIT RISK. REF #1 ABOVE; A LEGAL DC ADIZ ENTRY IS UNCLR. SITUATION: WHILE EXECUTING THE GPS RWY 24 APCH (AS A PRACTICE APCH) THE OTHER NIGHT MY SAFETY PLT AND I HAD A SITUATION THAT AT BEST WAS CONFUSING AND AT WORSE CAUSED A SAFETY OF FLT ISSUE. THE PROC TURN (AND MISSED HOLD) FOR THIS APCH CROSSES THE DC ADIZ BOUNDARY. OUR FLT WAS AT NIGHT TO EZF. WE WERE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN IN VMC. POTOMAC APCH TOLD US WE WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH; THAT RADAR SVCS WERE TERMINATED AND TO SWITCH TO CTAF. OK FINE. WE START THE APCH AND GO TO THE CTAF. AS WE APCH THE ADIZ BOUNDARY MY SAFETY PLT QUESTIONS IF WE ARE LEGAL TO FLY INTO THE ADIZ. I 'GET IT;' AND IMMEDIATELY BANK 30 DEGS TO THE R AND REVERSE DIRECTION. THE R TURN WAS AWAY FROM THE PROC TURN BUT THE QUICKEST WAY TO REMAIN CLR OF THE ADIZ (THE GPS SHOWED US ON THE ADIZ BOUNDARY WHEN WE STARTED FLYING BACK AWAY FROM THE ADIZ. I AM NOT SURE IF WE PENETRATED THE ADIZ OR NOT. BUT AT NIGHT; AT 2000 FT MSL; I WAS NOT GOING TO GO BEYOND 30 DEGS BANK). ONCE RE-ESTABLISHED ON THE INBOUND PORTION OF THE APCH; WE REVIEW ALOUD THE BASIC ADIZ REQUIREMENTS; INCLUDING 'SQUAWK' AND 'TALK.' WE WERE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN; WE STILL HAD OUR UNIQUE XPONDER CODE; BUT WITH RADAR SVCS TERMINATED AND ON CTAF WE WEREN'T 'TALKING' TO ATC. THUS; OUR CONFUSION IF IT IS LEGAL TO FOLLOW THE EZF GPS RWY 24 APCH TO THE LETTER WHILE IFR; BUT BEING ON CTAF. SUGGESTIONS: A) WHATEVER THE LEGAL ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION; THERE SHOULD BE A NOTE ON THE APCH PLATE SAYING WHAT IFR AND PRACTICING VFR TFC CAN OR CANNOT DO ON THIS APCH (WHEN ON CTAF). WHY SHOULD THIS BE DONE? SAFETY. A) I DID A 30 DEG BANK AT NIGHT AT 2000 FT TO REMAIN CLR OF THE ADIZ. NOT SOMETHING I LIKE TO DO. B) BECAUSE OF OUR CONFUSION OVER THE REGS HERE; IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO FOLLOW THE APCH PLATE. WE DID SOMETHING UNEXPECTED WHICH COULD CONFUSE A CTLR OR VFR TFC. C) DID WE CHK FOR CONFLICTING TFC BEFORE MAKING THAT SHARP TURN? I WAS UNDER THE HOOD; SO I DID NOT. MY SAFETY PLT WAS LOOKING AROUND; BUT SINCE THIS HAPPENED SO FAST IT WAS REACTIVE RATHER THAN PROACTIVE. 2) CFIT-RISK. SITUATION: AGAIN; GPS RWY 24 INTO EZF. THE HILL AND TREES AT THE APCH END OF RWY 24 ARE A RECIPE FOR DISASTER AT NIGHT. I COME OUT OF THE HOOD AND THE ARPT ENVIRONMENT IS IN SIGHT. SO; I BEGIN A SLOW DSCNT BELOW MDA. SUBSEQUENTLY; I AM ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT THE TREES ARE OBSTRUCTING THE RWY END. I STOP THE DSCNT. SHORTLY I SEE THE UN-OBSCURED RWY END AND RESUME DSCNT. AT THIS POINT I LOOK DOWN AND OUT SIDE OF AIRPLANE AND SEE THE TREES JUST BELOW THE ACFT. MY SAFETY PLT; WHO KNOWS THIS ARPT; HAD BEEN WATCHING THE TREES AND WE WERE QUITE OK; BUT IT SURPRISED AND SCARED ME SO I WENT MISSED. IT WOULD BE EASY FOR A PLT TO DRIVE HIS/HER AIRPLANE INTO THOSE TREES WHEN EXECUTING THIS APCH AT NIGHT. AFTER THE FLT; I HAVE TRIED VARIOUS RESOURCES THAT WOULD HAVE BETTER BRIEFED ME ON THE CFIT RISK WITH THAT APCH AND DON'T SEE ANY THAT WOULD HAVE HELPED. SUGGESTION: THE APCH PLATE SHOULD NOTE THE HILL AND TREES ON THE APCH END OF RWY 24.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.