Narrative:

I was informed this morning via registered letter from the allentown FSDO of a possible arsa violation of the allentown, PA arsa. At the time of this alleged offense, I was en route to the dupage co-chicago airport where I was scheduled to have an annual inspection performed on my small aircraft. I was overflying the allentown arsa at 4500' MSL in VFR conditions between layers of clouds. I had just air filed an IFR flight plan with flight service and was advised to contact allentown approach control to pick up my IFR clearance. As soon as I was clear of the allentown arsa I descended through a hole in the broken layer to 3000' MSL and contacted allentown approach control where I picked up my IFR clearance. I was then given a telephone number and told to contact allentown via phone when I landed. Approximately 2 hours later I spoke to allentown radar who advised me that they had tracked me at 3000' MSL through the arsa. I assured him that I had been at 4500' MSL. Upon reaching chicago, the annual inspection disclosed the following: 1) a severe leak in the aircraft static system, 2) a leak in the altimeter case, 3) mode a&C completely out of alignment, 4) static system heater element was burned out, and 5) encoding altimeter has large errors. The above discrepancies were all corrected during the annual. It is my feeling the alleged arsa violation was either caused by erroneous mode C information being transmitted to the controllers or an altimeter error caused by the above discrepancies. It is my feeling that more frequent inspections than 24 months should be mandated for this equipment. Static leak check ok? No. Static system had major leak. Traced to open airspeed activated trim disconnect sensor. Encoding altimeter failed case leak test and altitude encoding incorrect. With excessive error. Replaced and installed ex O/H unit. Unit reported intermittent. Encoding information intermittent removed unit. Bench check intermittent as reported. Opened unit, found metal bar from faceplate floating inside. Also oily substance on component side of pc board. Mode a and C decode completely out of adjustment and tx frequency 3 MHZ low. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter has sent information on faulty equipment received from the repair station to the FAA with answer to their inquiry. Feels with static system heater inoperative could have had ice which would give wrong altitude indication. Has heard nothing from FAA since submitting information. Was told unofficially by FAA inspector investigating incident could possibly face 60 day suspension. Inspector also told him to file ASRS NASA report.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POSSIBLE VIOLATION OF ARSA BY GA SMA.

Narrative: I WAS INFORMED THIS MORNING VIA REGISTERED LETTER FROM THE ALLENTOWN FSDO OF A POSSIBLE ARSA VIOLATION OF THE ALLENTOWN, PA ARSA. AT THE TIME OF THIS ALLEGED OFFENSE, I WAS ENRTE TO THE DUPAGE CO-CHICAGO ARPT WHERE I WAS SCHEDULED TO HAVE AN ANNUAL INSPECTION PERFORMED ON MY SMA. I WAS OVERFLYING THE ALLENTOWN ARSA AT 4500' MSL IN VFR CONDITIONS BTWN LAYERS OF CLOUDS. I HAD JUST AIR FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN WITH FLT SVC AND WAS ADVISED TO CONTACT ALLENTOWN APCH CTL TO PICK UP MY IFR CLRNC. AS SOON AS I WAS CLR OF THE ALLENTOWN ARSA I DSNDED THROUGH A HOLE IN THE BROKEN LAYER TO 3000' MSL AND CONTACTED ALLENTOWN APCH CTL WHERE I PICKED UP MY IFR CLRNC. I WAS THEN GIVEN A TELEPHONE NUMBER AND TOLD TO CONTACT ALLENTOWN VIA PHONE WHEN I LANDED. APPROX 2 HRS LATER I SPOKE TO ALLENTOWN RADAR WHO ADVISED ME THAT THEY HAD TRACKED ME AT 3000' MSL THROUGH THE ARSA. I ASSURED HIM THAT I HAD BEEN AT 4500' MSL. UPON REACHING CHICAGO, THE ANNUAL INSPECTION DISCLOSED THE FOLLOWING: 1) A SEVERE LEAK IN THE ACFT STATIC SYS, 2) A LEAK IN THE ALTIMETER CASE, 3) MODE A&C COMPLETELY OUT OF ALIGNMENT, 4) STATIC SYS HEATER ELEMENT WAS BURNED OUT, AND 5) ENCODING ALTIMETER HAS LARGE ERRORS. THE ABOVE DISCREPANCIES WERE ALL CORRECTED DURING THE ANNUAL. IT IS MY FEELING THE ALLEGED ARSA VIOLATION WAS EITHER CAUSED BY ERRONEOUS MODE C INFO BEING TRANSMITTED TO THE CTLRS OR AN ALTIMETER ERROR CAUSED BY THE ABOVE DISCREPANCIES. IT IS MY FEELING THAT MORE FREQUENT INSPECTIONS THAN 24 MONTHS SHOULD BE MANDATED FOR THIS EQUIP. STATIC LEAK CHK OK? NO. STATIC SYS HAD MAJOR LEAK. TRACED TO OPEN AIRSPD ACTIVATED TRIM DISCONNECT SENSOR. ENCODING ALTIMETER FAILED CASE LEAK TEST AND ALT ENCODING INCORRECT. WITH EXCESSIVE ERROR. REPLACED AND INSTALLED EX O/H UNIT. UNIT RPTED INTERMITTENT. ENCODING INFO INTERMITTENT REMOVED UNIT. BENCH CHK INTERMITTENT AS RPTED. OPENED UNIT, FOUND METAL BAR FROM FACEPLATE FLOATING INSIDE. ALSO OILY SUBSTANCE ON COMPONENT SIDE OF PC BOARD. MODE A AND C DECODE COMPLETELY OUT OF ADJUSTMENT AND TX FREQ 3 MHZ LOW. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR HAS SENT INFO ON FAULTY EQUIP RECEIVED FROM THE REPAIR STATION TO THE FAA WITH ANSWER TO THEIR INQUIRY. FEELS WITH STATIC SYS HEATER INOP COULD HAVE HAD ICE WHICH WOULD GIVE WRONG ALT INDICATION. HAS HEARD NOTHING FROM FAA SINCE SUBMITTING INFO. WAS TOLD UNOFFICIALLY BY FAA INSPECTOR INVESTIGATING INCIDENT COULD POSSIBLY FACE 60 DAY SUSPENSION. INSPECTOR ALSO TOLD HIM TO FILE ASRS NASA RPT.

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