Narrative:

I initiated a surveillance at a small grass strip on the southern boundary of R-2901 the avon park bombing range. The aircraft is utilized by the us treasury department, bureau of alcohol tobacco and firearms and was being utilized by secret service in a fugitive investigation. The slow flight orbit was established very close to, but not in, R-2901 which extends up to 4000'. After a period first officer inactivity it became apparent that I would have to widen the orbit in order not to attract the attention of the suspect. Cloud cover prevented a climb above 4000'. I contacted miami center, related my tail number and advised I was operating as an 'akron' aircraft. FAA establishes call signs to be used by federal and local law enforcement, in order to facilitate communications and provide some measure of confidentiality. The first controller had some difficulty with my request to enter the restr airspace and never did utilize the proper call sign. The controller did not initiate a request to the range master to gain approval. I was handed off to a second controller who failed to acknowledge my call sign even though I had already been issued a squawk and he refused to acknowledge my request. Only after specifically identifying my mission was I acknowledged and a request for approval to operate in the restr area initiated. In the meantime I had asked for a telephone number through which I could initiate my own request. This number was called by ground units and turned out to be a quality assurance section at center. The person at this number could not be reached. I received excellent cooperation from the air traffic controllers once my call sign was recognized. They solicited and received approval for me to enter the restr area and apologized for any inconvenience. Controllers in close proximity to arsa's seem to have little trouble recognizing law enforcement. Call signs and their attendant request. Maybe center personnel could become more familiar with FAA regulations regarding these request and eliminate a lot of confusion and excessive use of air time. In addition law enforcement should attempt to coordinate ahead of time by telephone if that is possible.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SURVEILLANCE ACFT ON GOVERNMENT MISSION HAS DIFFICULTY OBTAINING PERMISSION TO ENTER RESTRICTED AREA DUE TO ATC MISUNDERSTANDING OF SECRET CALL SIGN.

Narrative: I INITIATED A SURVEILLANCE AT A SMALL GRASS STRIP ON THE SOUTHERN BOUNDARY OF R-2901 THE AVON PARK BOMBING RANGE. THE ACFT IS UTILIZED BY THE U.S. TREASURY DEPT, BUREAU OF ALCOHOL TOBACCO AND FIREARMS AND WAS BEING UTILIZED BY SECRET SERVICE IN A FUGITIVE INVESTIGATION. THE SLOW FLT ORBIT WAS ESTABLISHED VERY CLOSE TO, BUT NOT IN, R-2901 WHICH EXTENDS UP TO 4000'. AFTER A PERIOD FO INACTIVITY IT BECAME APPARENT THAT I WOULD HAVE TO WIDEN THE ORBIT IN ORDER NOT TO ATTRACT THE ATTN OF THE SUSPECT. CLOUD COVER PREVENTED A CLIMB ABOVE 4000'. I CONTACTED MIAMI CENTER, RELATED MY TAIL NUMBER AND ADVISED I WAS OPERATING AS AN 'AKRON' ACFT. FAA ESTABLISHES CALL SIGNS TO BE USED BY FEDERAL AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, IN ORDER TO FACILITATE COMS AND PROVIDE SOME MEASURE OF CONFIDENTIALITY. THE FIRST CTLR HAD SOME DIFFICULTY WITH MY REQUEST TO ENTER THE RESTR AIRSPACE AND NEVER DID UTILIZE THE PROPER CALL SIGN. THE CTLR DID NOT INITIATE A REQUEST TO THE RANGE MASTER TO GAIN APPROVAL. I WAS HANDED OFF TO A SECOND CTLR WHO FAILED TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY CALL SIGN EVEN THOUGH I HAD ALREADY BEEN ISSUED A SQUAWK AND HE REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY REQUEST. ONLY AFTER SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFYING MY MISSION WAS I ACKNOWLEDGED AND A REQUEST FOR APPROVAL TO OPERATE IN THE RESTR AREA INITIATED. IN THE MEANTIME I HAD ASKED FOR A TELEPHONE NUMBER THROUGH WHICH I COULD INITIATE MY OWN REQUEST. THIS NUMBER WAS CALLED BY GND UNITS AND TURNED OUT TO BE A QUALITY ASSURANCE SECTION AT CENTER. THE PERSON AT THIS NUMBER COULD NOT BE REACHED. I RECEIVED EXCELLENT COOPERATION FROM THE AIR TFC CTLRS ONCE MY CALL SIGN WAS RECOGNIZED. THEY SOLICITED AND RECEIVED APPROVAL FOR ME TO ENTER THE RESTR AREA AND APOLOGIZED FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE. CTLRS IN CLOSE PROX TO ARSA'S SEEM TO HAVE LITTLE TROUBLE RECOGNIZING LAW ENFORCEMENT. CALL SIGNS AND THEIR ATTENDANT REQUEST. MAYBE CENTER PERSONNEL COULD BECOME MORE FAMILIAR WITH FAA REGS REGARDING THESE REQUEST AND ELIMINATE A LOT OF CONFUSION AND EXCESSIVE USE OF AIR TIME. IN ADDITION LAW ENFORCEMENT SHOULD ATTEMPT TO COORDINATE AHEAD OF TIME BY TELEPHONE IF THAT IS POSSIBLE.

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.