Narrative:

We ran into an FSS or ATC problem entering the us from the bahamas, which resulted in our being in the ADIZ unidented and having to be idented by us fighter jets. From information that I have received after this incident, this is a common problem that should be addressed by the us govt. Sequence of events: I called us customs service at wilmington, nc. Talked about arrival on 4/sun/91 at P.M. EST. Faxed him a filled out private aircraft arrival report for our arrival, along with information about our flight plan. Called FSS at grand bahamas, got a WX briefing and filed a IFR flight plan, as follows: IFR identify small transport 190 KTS myaw :30Z FL180 myaw BR65V adoor AR7 AR3 climb D ilm 2:00, 4:00, name and phone #, 4 souls, orange life vests, orange 6-M raft, advise customs. Took off from myaw and tried to contact ZMA on 133.4. No contact made as we were over 100 mi off shore and needed to reach a higher altitude for them to receive us. Was able to contact ZMA on 126.7 passing 8000'. Idented myself and they responded. Told them I was en route from walkers cay to wilmington, nc and requested to pick up my IFR clearance. Their response was, 'stand by.' after a 10 min delay I thought that they might have forgotten us, so I tried to re-contact them. But, due to my range they must not have been able to receive my radio anymore. However, we could hear them and they never called us back. Was able to contact ZMA on 128.47. We were level at 16540' heading north on BR65V awaiting a clearance into the flight levels. I idented myself and they responded. Told them that I was en route from walkers cay to wilmington, nc, and requested to pick up my IFR clearance. Their response was, 'stand by.' again, after a long delay, I tried to re-contact them, but due to my range they must not have been able to receive my radio anymore. Again we could hear them and they never called us back. In neither case did any of the 2 above controllers mention that there was any problem with my flight plan or anything else. We still don't know what the problem was. Was idented by 2 us fgt's who came to look at our identify #south. Contacted ZJX via their transmitter at daytona, fl. They gave me ZJX's frequency of 134.85, who finally gave my IFR clearance and squawk code of 3236, then 0767. He did mention that he was not clearly receiving my transponder code from that distance, so we switched to our #2 transponder, which he was clearly able to receive. Landed at ilm within 5 mins of the time we had told us customs in wilmington, nc that we could be there. From information that I have gathered since the incident, it is quite common for the bahamian FSS to loose or not to bother to pass along flight plans to the us govt. The us customs agent in wilmington, nc said that I was the third one she had handled. AOPA personnel said that they estimate the flight plan loss rate from the bahamian FSS as 30%. What bothers me the most is that the 2 ZMA controllers that I was contact with dropped the ball, either by being too busy or not caring, since I was not their responsibility until they gave me a clearance. This appears to be a systematic ongoing problem that needs to be better addressed by the FAA, by establishing non-use of bahamian FSS or improved ATC operation. This is a problem with the system, not the rules. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states that after landing he informed customs of contacts with ZMA. Customs then checked with ZMA, who checked tapes and confirmed contact. Supervisor at ZMA indicated could not understand what had happened after initial contact. 2 people dropped the ball. After the fgt intercept, ZMA called ilm who confirmed the arrival report on file. Further investigation revealed the problem was that freeport departure was holding the flight plan due to no contact to activate. Reporter has always contacted and opened with us ATC. If pilots file with bahama FSS, they must open with freeport approach, not us ATC. Supervisor also gave reporter frequency of remote transmitters which would assist in better contact. Informed that in worst case situations pilots should contact FSS for a squawk before entering ADIZ.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT DEPARTING MYAW UNABLE TO GET CLRNC FROM ZMA. TOLD TO STAND BY. HAS FGT INTERCEPT.

Narrative: WE RAN INTO AN FSS OR ATC PROB ENTERING THE U.S. FROM THE BAHAMAS, WHICH RESULTED IN OUR BEING IN THE ADIZ UNIDENTED AND HAVING TO BE IDENTED BY U.S. FIGHTER JETS. FROM INFO THAT I HAVE RECEIVED AFTER THIS INCIDENT, THIS IS A COMMON PROB THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE U.S. GOVT. SEQUENCE OF EVENTS: I CALLED U.S. CUSTOMS SVC AT WILMINGTON, NC. TALKED ABOUT ARR ON 4/SUN/91 AT P.M. EST. FAXED HIM A FILLED OUT PVT ACFT ARR RPT FOR OUR ARR, ALONG WITH INFO ABOUT OUR FLT PLAN. CALLED FSS AT GRAND BAHAMAS, GOT A WX BRIEFING AND FILED A IFR FLT PLAN, AS FOLLOWS: IFR IDENT SMT 190 KTS MYAW :30Z FL180 MYAW BR65V ADOOR AR7 AR3 CLB D ILM 2:00, 4:00, NAME AND PHONE #, 4 SOULS, ORANGE LIFE VESTS, ORANGE 6-M RAFT, ADVISE CUSTOMS. TOOK OFF FROM MYAW AND TRIED TO CONTACT ZMA ON 133.4. NO CONTACT MADE AS WE WERE OVER 100 MI OFF SHORE AND NEEDED TO REACH A HIGHER ALT FOR THEM TO RECEIVE US. WAS ABLE TO CONTACT ZMA ON 126.7 PASSING 8000'. IDENTED MYSELF AND THEY RESPONDED. TOLD THEM I WAS ENRTE FROM WALKERS CAY TO WILMINGTON, NC AND REQUESTED TO PICK UP MY IFR CLRNC. THEIR RESPONSE WAS, 'STAND BY.' AFTER A 10 MIN DELAY I THOUGHT THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE FORGOTTEN US, SO I TRIED TO RE-CONTACT THEM. BUT, DUE TO MY RANGE THEY MUST NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RECEIVE MY RADIO ANYMORE. HOWEVER, WE COULD HEAR THEM AND THEY NEVER CALLED US BACK. WAS ABLE TO CONTACT ZMA ON 128.47. WE WERE LEVEL AT 16540' HDG N ON BR65V AWAITING A CLRNC INTO THE FLT LEVELS. I IDENTED MYSELF AND THEY RESPONDED. TOLD THEM THAT I WAS ENRTE FROM WALKERS CAY TO WILMINGTON, NC, AND REQUESTED TO PICK UP MY IFR CLRNC. THEIR RESPONSE WAS, 'STAND BY.' AGAIN, AFTER A LONG DELAY, I TRIED TO RE-CONTACT THEM, BUT DUE TO MY RANGE THEY MUST NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RECEIVE MY RADIO ANYMORE. AGAIN WE COULD HEAR THEM AND THEY NEVER CALLED US BACK. IN NEITHER CASE DID ANY OF THE 2 ABOVE CTLRS MENTION THAT THERE WAS ANY PROB WITH MY FLT PLAN OR ANYTHING ELSE. WE STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROB WAS. WAS IDENTED BY 2 U.S. FGT'S WHO CAME TO LOOK AT OUR IDENT #S. CONTACTED ZJX VIA THEIR XMITTER AT DAYTONA, FL. THEY GAVE ME ZJX'S FREQ OF 134.85, WHO FINALLY GAVE MY IFR CLRNC AND SQUAWK CODE OF 3236, THEN 0767. HE DID MENTION THAT HE WAS NOT CLEARLY RECEIVING MY XPONDER CODE FROM THAT DISTANCE, SO WE SWITCHED TO OUR #2 XPONDER, WHICH HE WAS CLEARLY ABLE TO RECEIVE. LANDED AT ILM WITHIN 5 MINS OF THE TIME WE HAD TOLD U.S. CUSTOMS IN WILMINGTON, NC THAT WE COULD BE THERE. FROM INFO THAT I HAVE GATHERED SINCE THE INCIDENT, IT IS QUITE COMMON FOR THE BAHAMIAN FSS TO LOOSE OR NOT TO BOTHER TO PASS ALONG FLT PLANS TO THE U.S. GOVT. THE U.S. CUSTOMS AGENT IN WILMINGTON, NC SAID THAT I WAS THE THIRD ONE SHE HAD HANDLED. AOPA PERSONNEL SAID THAT THEY ESTIMATE THE FLT PLAN LOSS RATE FROM THE BAHAMIAN FSS AS 30%. WHAT BOTHERS ME THE MOST IS THAT THE 2 ZMA CTLRS THAT I WAS CONTACT WITH DROPPED THE BALL, EITHER BY BEING TOO BUSY OR NOT CARING, SINCE I WAS NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY UNTIL THEY GAVE ME A CLRNC. THIS APPEARS TO BE A SYSTEMATIC ONGOING PROB THAT NEEDS TO BE BETTER ADDRESSED BY THE FAA, BY ESTABLISHING NON-USE OF BAHAMIAN FSS OR IMPROVED ATC OPERATION. THIS IS A PROB WITH THE SYS, NOT THE RULES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES THAT AFTER LNDG HE INFORMED CUSTOMS OF CONTACTS WITH ZMA. CUSTOMS THEN CHKED WITH ZMA, WHO CHKED TAPES AND CONFIRMED CONTACT. SUPVR AT ZMA INDICATED COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT HAD HAPPENED AFTER INITIAL CONTACT. 2 PEOPLE DROPPED THE BALL. AFTER THE FGT INTERCEPT, ZMA CALLED ILM WHO CONFIRMED THE ARR RPT ON FILE. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE PROB WAS THAT FREEPORT DEP WAS HOLDING THE FLT PLAN DUE TO NO CONTACT TO ACTIVATE. RPTR HAS ALWAYS CONTACTED AND OPENED WITH U.S. ATC. IF PLTS FILE WITH BAHAMA FSS, THEY MUST OPEN WITH FREEPORT APCH, NOT U.S. ATC. SUPVR ALSO GAVE RPTR FREQ OF REMOTE XMITTERS WHICH WOULD ASSIST IN BETTER CONTACT. INFORMED THAT IN WORST CASE SITUATIONS PLTS SHOULD CONTACT FSS FOR A SQUAWK BEFORE ENTERING ADIZ.

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.