Narrative:

I was plting a bell 206l4 on a ferry flight. This ferry flight was conducted VFR. Preflight planning including filing international VFR flight plans in ZZZZ and notifying united states customs telephonically along with placing 'adcus' on the remarks section of the flight plan. United states customs provided confirmation initials of receipt of the notification. The local tower controller confirmed upon being queried twice; that the flight plan was opened. Contact was established with abc approach to provide position updates. Abc approach further directed us to contact xyz radio for further flight following. Abc approach directed us to contact xyz radio on frequency XXX.X. This frequency was also found on the current sectional as a frequency to contact xyz approach when approaching the ZZZ class C airspace. Neither facility was assigned that frequency rather it is a ZZZ tower frequency. At this point; while flying at 4500 ft MSL; my aircraft had a rotor RPM tachometer failure. This was later determined to be a tachometer generator failure. This occurred approximately 65 NM from ZZZ. This failure was followed by a hydraulic system failure. The 2 system share a common drive shaft with the hydraulic system outboard of the rotor RPM tachometer generator. This occurred approximately 50 NM from ZZZ. At this point I reviewed the emergency procedure for this system failure and determined that the action items were to be performed when in sight of ZZZ. Contact was established with xyz approach approximately 45 NM from ZZZ. They advised contacting them at 30 NM out when we were in their airspace. At 30 NM; xyz approach issued a squawk code to me. Radar contact was established and xyz approach effected a handoff and frequency change to ZZZ tower controller at approximately 15 NM out. Upon performing the required action items it was determined that the system would not be restored. At that point I declared an emergency with ZZZ tower and provided them with information requested. The landing was in accordance with the emergency procedures established by the rotorcraft flight manual and was uneventful. Upon shutdown of the aircraft; ZZZ ground controller provided me with a phone number to contact the xyz watch desk. Upon contacting the watch desk; I was informed that we had entered the ADIZ without a flight plan and had not contacted xyz radio to notify them prior to entering the ADIZ. I informed the individual of the circumstances described in this report. He initially stated that this was going to be handled as a pilot deviation and then stated that it would be 'handled' based upon the information provided. This problem arose due to a convoluted system established to comply with ADIZ crossing requirements. Mitigating circumstances include lack of radio coverage in the areas surrounding this sector of the ADIZ and incorrect frequencys published in the current sectional. Although based upon my experience and how this flight terminated; I believe the proper procedures were followed. The xyz FAA watch desk discovered what they initially stated was a pilot deviation. I am unaware of NOTAMS or PIREPS that reference frequency publishing errors or lack of frequency coverage. I believe that the following corrective actions should be taken: correct the frequency errors on the sectional; verify that appropriate united states and foreign facilities have the proper frequencys to contact xyz ATC for both normal and ADIZ operations; establish a 1-STOP; telephone; internet or radio communication outlet for notifying both united states customs and united states ATC of flts planning to cross the conus ADIZ. This is already done with phones provided at foreign airports of entry to contact united states customs but is not done for contacting ATC. Based upon my contacts with united states ATC was that the proper notification was completed well before crossing the ADIZ. Unfortunately; the xyz watch desk did not see it that way initially and gave the impression that they were more concerned with classifying this event as a 'pilot deviation' rather than listening to the chain of events. If I encounter this situation again I would advise whichever ATC facility that I had establish contact with that I was unable to reach the appropriate facility to notify of the ADIZ crossing. The bottom line is that on thisflt I thought I had followed the appropriate procedures to enter the ADIZ. In addition; I had to deal with an in-flight emergency. Although my outcome was safe; successful and proper; another pilot with equal experience might have had a different closure to a similar event. Clearly; the changes in the domestic ADIZ system need to be modernized with communications capabilities established and procedures simplified.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A VFR FLT PILOT WITH A HYDRAULIC EMER ENTERED THE US ADIZ AND WAS TOLD BY ATC THAT HE ENTERED ILLEGALLY ALTHOUGH HE WAS IN CONTACT WITH ATC THE ENTIRE FLT.

Narrative: I WAS PLTING A BELL 206L4 ON A FERRY FLT. THIS FERRY FLT WAS CONDUCTED VFR. PREFLT PLANNING INCLUDING FILING INTL VFR FLT PLANS IN ZZZZ AND NOTIFYING UNITED STATES CUSTOMS TELEPHONICALLY ALONG WITH PLACING 'ADCUS' ON THE REMARKS SECTION OF THE FLT PLAN. UNITED STATES CUSTOMS PROVIDED CONFIRMATION INITIALS OF RECEIPT OF THE NOTIFICATION. THE LCL TWR CTLR CONFIRMED UPON BEING QUERIED TWICE; THAT THE FLT PLAN WAS OPENED. CONTACT WAS ESTABLISHED WITH ABC APCH TO PROVIDE POS UPDATES. ABC APCH FURTHER DIRECTED US TO CONTACT XYZ RADIO FOR FURTHER FLT FOLLOWING. ABC APCH DIRECTED US TO CONTACT XYZ RADIO ON FREQ XXX.X. THIS FREQ WAS ALSO FOUND ON THE CURRENT SECTIONAL AS A FREQ TO CONTACT XYZ APCH WHEN APCHING THE ZZZ CLASS C AIRSPACE. NEITHER FACILITY WAS ASSIGNED THAT FREQ RATHER IT IS A ZZZ TWR FREQ. AT THIS POINT; WHILE FLYING AT 4500 FT MSL; MY ACFT HAD A ROTOR RPM TACHOMETER FAILURE. THIS WAS LATER DETERMINED TO BE A TACHOMETER GENERATOR FAILURE. THIS OCCURRED APPROX 65 NM FROM ZZZ. THIS FAILURE WAS FOLLOWED BY A HYD SYS FAILURE. THE 2 SYS SHARE A COMMON DRIVE SHAFT WITH THE HYD SYS OUTBOARD OF THE ROTOR RPM TACHOMETER GENERATOR. THIS OCCURRED APPROX 50 NM FROM ZZZ. AT THIS POINT I REVIEWED THE EMER PROC FOR THIS SYS FAILURE AND DETERMINED THAT THE ACTION ITEMS WERE TO BE PERFORMED WHEN IN SIGHT OF ZZZ. CONTACT WAS ESTABLISHED WITH XYZ APCH APPROX 45 NM FROM ZZZ. THEY ADVISED CONTACTING THEM AT 30 NM OUT WHEN WE WERE IN THEIR AIRSPACE. AT 30 NM; XYZ APCH ISSUED A SQUAWK CODE TO ME. RADAR CONTACT WAS ESTABLISHED AND XYZ APCH EFFECTED A HDOF AND FREQ CHANGE TO ZZZ TWR CTLR AT APPROX 15 NM OUT. UPON PERFORMING THE REQUIRED ACTION ITEMS IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE SYS WOULD NOT BE RESTORED. AT THAT POINT I DECLARED AN EMER WITH ZZZ TWR AND PROVIDED THEM WITH INFO REQUESTED. THE LNDG WAS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE EMER PROCS ESTABLISHED BY THE ROTORCRAFT FLT MANUAL AND WAS UNEVENTFUL. UPON SHUTDOWN OF THE ACFT; ZZZ GND CTLR PROVIDED ME WITH A PHONE NUMBER TO CONTACT THE XYZ WATCH DESK. UPON CONTACTING THE WATCH DESK; I WAS INFORMED THAT WE HAD ENTERED THE ADIZ WITHOUT A FLT PLAN AND HAD NOT CONTACTED XYZ RADIO TO NOTIFY THEM PRIOR TO ENTERING THE ADIZ. I INFORMED THE INDIVIDUAL OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED IN THIS RPT. HE INITIALLY STATED THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE HANDLED AS A PLTDEV AND THEN STATED THAT IT WOULD BE 'HANDLED' BASED UPON THE INFO PROVIDED. THIS PROB AROSE DUE TO A CONVOLUTED SYS ESTABLISHED TO COMPLY WITH ADIZ XING REQUIREMENTS. MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES INCLUDE LACK OF RADIO COVERAGE IN THE AREAS SURROUNDING THIS SECTOR OF THE ADIZ AND INCORRECT FREQS PUBLISHED IN THE CURRENT SECTIONAL. ALTHOUGH BASED UPON MY EXPERIENCE AND HOW THIS FLT TERMINATED; I BELIEVE THE PROPER PROCS WERE FOLLOWED. THE XYZ FAA WATCH DESK DISCOVERED WHAT THEY INITIALLY STATED WAS A PLTDEV. I AM UNAWARE OF NOTAMS OR PIREPS THAT REF FREQ PUBLISHING ERRORS OR LACK OF FREQ COVERAGE. I BELIEVE THAT THE FOLLOWING CORRECTIVE ACTIONS SHOULD BE TAKEN: CORRECT THE FREQ ERRORS ON THE SECTIONAL; VERIFY THAT APPROPRIATE UNITED STATES AND FOREIGN FACILITIES HAVE THE PROPER FREQS TO CONTACT XYZ ATC FOR BOTH NORMAL AND ADIZ OPS; ESTABLISH A 1-STOP; TELEPHONE; INTERNET OR RADIO COM OUTLET FOR NOTIFYING BOTH UNITED STATES CUSTOMS AND UNITED STATES ATC OF FLTS PLANNING TO CROSS THE CONUS ADIZ. THIS IS ALREADY DONE WITH PHONES PROVIDED AT FOREIGN ARPTS OF ENTRY TO CONTACT UNITED STATES CUSTOMS BUT IS NOT DONE FOR CONTACTING ATC. BASED UPON MY CONTACTS WITH UNITED STATES ATC WAS THAT THE PROPER NOTIFICATION WAS COMPLETED WELL BEFORE XING THE ADIZ. UNFORTUNATELY; THE XYZ WATCH DESK DID NOT SEE IT THAT WAY INITIALLY AND GAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT THEY WERE MORE CONCERNED WITH CLASSIFYING THIS EVENT AS A 'PLTDEV' RATHER THAN LISTENING TO THE CHAIN OF EVENTS. IF I ENCOUNTER THIS SITUATION AGAIN I WOULD ADVISE WHICHEVER ATC FACILITY THAT I HAD ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH THAT I WAS UNABLE TO REACH THE APPROPRIATE FACILITY TO NOTIFY OF THE ADIZ XING. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT ON THISFLT I THOUGHT I HAD FOLLOWED THE APPROPRIATE PROCS TO ENTER THE ADIZ. IN ADDITION; I HAD TO DEAL WITH AN INFLT EMER. ALTHOUGH MY OUTCOME WAS SAFE; SUCCESSFUL AND PROPER; ANOTHER PLT WITH EQUAL EXPERIENCE MIGHT HAVE HAD A DIFFERENT CLOSURE TO A SIMILAR EVENT. CLEARLY; THE CHANGES IN THE DOMESTIC ADIZ SYS NEED TO BE MODERNIZED WITH COMS CAPABILITIES ESTABLISHED AND PROCS SIMPLIFIED.

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.