Narrative:

While flying VFR from sacramento to van nuys I called la center while approximately 50 mi, 315 degrees from van nuys airport. They asked me to contact burbank approach. Burbank assigned me a squawk code. Several mins later the controller asked me my altitude and I responded 7500'. He told me to squawk my altitude. I replied, 'squawking 7500', and the controller confirmed my code. When the controller cleared me to tower frequency he asked me to continue my current squawk. After landing ground directed me to a specific parking area and I was immediately surrounded by 3 police cars with a number of officers pointing their weapons at me. It was about 20 mins before the helicopter circling overhead said something that was unintelligible and an officer motioned me out of my plane. They instructed me to lie face down spread eagle with my forehead on tight 100 degree plus rarmack. They frisked me and handcuffed me. They really roughed me up. During this they went through the cabin rifling through my personal effects even though I was the only one in the plane. I would suggest that controllers never use the terminology, 'squawk your altitude'. Had the controller at any time indicated that he was not receiving my altitude I could have recycled my transponder. Incidently I heard others having trouble with their xponders and didn't hear that terminology used. He also asked me at one point, 'what is your beacon number'. I had to respond I didn't know what he meant. It seems a private light aircraft with no change in destination and not crossing any borders should be treated differently than a commercial carrier under these circumstances. I had been in communication 30 mins out with an expressed intention of landing at the van nuys airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA SQUAWKS 7500 BY MISTAKE AND IS MET BY POLICE UPON ARRIVAL AT VNY.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING VFR FROM SACRAMENTO TO VAN NUYS I CALLED LA CTR WHILE APPROX 50 MI, 315 DEGS FROM VAN NUYS ARPT. THEY ASKED ME TO CONTACT BURBANK APCH. BURBANK ASSIGNED ME A SQUAWK CODE. SEVERAL MINS LATER THE CTLR ASKED ME MY ALT AND I RESPONDED 7500'. HE TOLD ME TO SQUAWK MY ALT. I REPLIED, 'SQUAWKING 7500', AND THE CTLR CONFIRMED MY CODE. WHEN THE CTLR CLRED ME TO TWR FREQ HE ASKED ME TO CONTINUE MY CURRENT SQUAWK. AFTER LNDG GND DIRECTED ME TO A SPECIFIC PARKING AREA AND I WAS IMMEDIATELY SURROUNDED BY 3 POLICE CARS WITH A NUMBER OF OFFICERS POINTING THEIR WEAPONS AT ME. IT WAS ABOUT 20 MINS BEFORE THE HELI CIRCLING OVERHEAD SAID SOMETHING THAT WAS UNINTELLIGIBLE AND AN OFFICER MOTIONED ME OUT OF MY PLANE. THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO LIE FACE DOWN SPREAD EAGLE WITH MY FOREHEAD ON TIGHT 100 DEG PLUS RARMACK. THEY FRISKED ME AND HANDCUFFED ME. THEY REALLY ROUGHED ME UP. DURING THIS THEY WENT THROUGH THE CABIN RIFLING THROUGH MY PERSONAL EFFECTS EVEN THOUGH I WAS THE ONLY ONE IN THE PLANE. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT CTLRS NEVER USE THE TERMINOLOGY, 'SQUAWK YOUR ALT'. HAD THE CTLR AT ANY TIME INDICATED THAT HE WAS NOT RECEIVING MY ALT I COULD HAVE RECYCLED MY XPONDER. INCIDENTLY I HEARD OTHERS HAVING TROUBLE WITH THEIR XPONDERS AND DIDN'T HEAR THAT TERMINOLOGY USED. HE ALSO ASKED ME AT ONE POINT, 'WHAT IS YOUR BEACON NUMBER'. I HAD TO RESPOND I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HE MEANT. IT SEEMS A PRIVATE LIGHT ACFT WITH NO CHANGE IN DEST AND NOT XING ANY BORDERS SHOULD BE TREATED DIFFERENTLY THAN A COMMERCIAL CARRIER UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES. I HAD BEEN IN COM 30 MINS OUT WITH AN EXPRESSED INTENTION OF LNDG AT THE VAN NUYS ARPT.

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