Narrative:

Approximately xx pm called nassau FSS from hotel in bimini for WX brief and filing of IFR flight plan to opa locka. Route given was bimini-wiers intersection fll VOR opf, destination opf. Departed bimini approximately XA15 pm. Activated flight plan with miami approximately 7 mi west of bimini and was assigned an altitude of 4000 ft. Was handed off to another controller who said I was cleared to ft lauderdale. I corrected him at that time and told him I had filed to opf and not fll at which time he cleared us to opf. Did an ILS approach to runway 9, opf. At arrival to opf customs I was told by agent that he had no flight plan on file for my arrival. I explained to him my past actions and told him I could not see how he could not have any information about my arrival as I had been in the 'system' almost the entire flight and that I had just completed an instrument approach to opf. The customs agent reiterated to me he had no information on file and that it was not his job nor was he obligated to check what I had told him with miami center. He then issued me a 'written warning'. After leaving customs quite confused and upset for having my flying record blemished for what at that time thought was complying with the 'system', I taxied to hangar 1 to use their telephone to figure out what had just happened. I was able to determine through the night watch supervisor at miami center, that when I departed bimini and contacted miami via radio, the controller instead of looking for my flight plan and activating it, had just entered me into the computer and assigned me a heading and altitude. After some further digging he was able to find the original flight plan and confirm to me that I had indeed filed. I then called customs in miami to explain the circumstances of what had just happened and was told by a customs inspector that FSS nor miami center were obligated to inform customs and that it was my responsibility to inform customs of arrival at least 1 hour prior to arrival. I explained to him that since bimini is only 15 mins flying time from ADIZ, and that there is no telephone at the bimini airport, and few telephones on the island that the local people will let anyone use (there just happened to be a telephone at the motel where I was staying which is the exception), and one would be hard pressed to notify customs day or days prior to returning because of unknown WX conditions, that the only way to notify customs 1 hour prior to entering ADIZ when departing bimini would be to depart bimini, climb to 3000 ft to where I could obtain radio contact, request and receive a WX brief, file a flight plan, and then commence to fly circles over bimini for 45 mins so as to time my arrival at ADIZ 1 hour after notification. However, since I know of no radio frequency for customs I would still be relying upon FSS or miami center to notify customs of my arrival and if they did not I would still be liable for not notifying customs. The customs inspector then reiterated to me that it was still my responsibility to notify customs. I have since done some reading of regulations and have determined that the customs inspector according to the regulations is correct in saying in essence, notifying customs timely is my problem. I realize customs has a near impossible job to do and has probably heard more stories than I can possibly imagine, however feel there must be a better way! Bimini is a unique location with a unique problem. A telephone installed at the airport would go a long way to solving the customs problem not to mention the safety hazard of departing bimini with no WX information. As far as the cost of the telephone is concerned, I would be more than happy to pay my share.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA DEPARTED BIMINI AND LANDS AT OPL WITHOUT FLT PLAN BEING OPEN. CUSTOMS WARNS PLT.

Narrative: APPROX XX PM CALLED NASSAU FSS FROM HOTEL IN BIMINI FOR WX BRIEF AND FILING OF IFR FLT PLAN TO OPA LOCKA. RTE GIVEN WAS BIMINI-WIERS INTXN FLL VOR OPF, DEST OPF. DEPARTED BIMINI APPROX XA15 PM. ACTIVATED FLT PLAN WITH MIAMI APPROX 7 MI W OF BIMINI AND WAS ASSIGNED AN ALT OF 4000 FT. WAS HANDED OFF TO ANOTHER CTLR WHO SAID I WAS CLRED TO FT LAUDERDALE. I CORRECTED HIM AT THAT TIME AND TOLD HIM I HAD FILED TO OPF AND NOT FLL AT WHICH TIME HE CLRED US TO OPF. DID AN ILS APCH TO RWY 9, OPF. AT ARR TO OPF CUSTOMS I WAS TOLD BY AGENT THAT HE HAD NO FLT PLAN ON FILE FOR MY ARR. I EXPLAINED TO HIM MY PAST ACTIONS AND TOLD HIM I COULD NOT SEE HOW HE COULD NOT HAVE ANY INFO ABOUT MY ARR AS I HAD BEEN IN THE 'SYS' ALMOST THE ENTIRE FLT AND THAT I HAD JUST COMPLETED AN INST APCH TO OPF. THE CUSTOMS AGENT REITERATED TO ME HE HAD NO INFO ON FILE AND THAT IT WAS NOT HIS JOB NOR WAS HE OBLIGATED TO CHK WHAT I HAD TOLD HIM WITH MIAMI CENTER. HE THEN ISSUED ME A 'WRITTEN WARNING'. AFTER LEAVING CUSTOMS QUITE CONFUSED AND UPSET FOR HAVING MY FLYING RECORD BLEMISHED FOR WHAT AT THAT TIME THOUGHT WAS COMPLYING WITH THE 'SYS', I TAXIED TO HANGAR 1 TO USE THEIR TELEPHONE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED. I WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THROUGH THE NIGHT WATCH SUPVR AT MIAMI CENTER, THAT WHEN I DEPARTED BIMINI AND CONTACTED MIAMI VIA RADIO, THE CTLR INSTEAD OF LOOKING FOR MY FLT PLAN AND ACTIVATING IT, HAD JUST ENTERED ME INTO THE COMPUTER AND ASSIGNED ME A HDG AND ALT. AFTER SOME FURTHER DIGGING HE WAS ABLE TO FIND THE ORIGINAL FLT PLAN AND CONFIRM TO ME THAT I HAD INDEED FILED. I THEN CALLED CUSTOMS IN MIAMI TO EXPLAIN THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED AND WAS TOLD BY A CUSTOMS INSPECTOR THAT FSS NOR MIAMI CENTER WERE OBLIGATED TO INFORM CUSTOMS AND THAT IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO INFORM CUSTOMS OF ARR AT LEAST 1 HR PRIOR TO ARR. I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT SINCE BIMINI IS ONLY 15 MINS FLYING TIME FROM ADIZ, AND THAT THERE IS NO TELEPHONE AT THE BIMINI ARPT, AND FEW TELEPHONES ON THE ISLAND THAT THE LCL PEOPLE WILL LET ANYONE USE (THERE JUST HAPPENED TO BE A TELEPHONE AT THE MOTEL WHERE I WAS STAYING WHICH IS THE EXCEPTION), AND ONE WOULD BE HARD PRESSED TO NOTIFY CUSTOMS DAY OR DAYS PRIOR TO RETURNING BECAUSE OF UNKNOWN WX CONDITIONS, THAT THE ONLY WAY TO NOTIFY CUSTOMS 1 HR PRIOR TO ENTERING ADIZ WHEN DEPARTING BIMINI WOULD BE TO DEPART BIMINI, CLB TO 3000 FT TO WHERE I COULD OBTAIN RADIO CONTACT, REQUEST AND RECEIVE A WX BRIEF, FILE A FLT PLAN, AND THEN COMMENCE TO FLY CIRCLES OVER BIMINI FOR 45 MINS SO AS TO TIME MY ARR AT ADIZ 1 HR AFTER NOTIFICATION. HOWEVER, SINCE I KNOW OF NO RADIO FREQ FOR CUSTOMS I WOULD STILL BE RELYING UPON FSS OR MIAMI CENTER TO NOTIFY CUSTOMS OF MY ARR AND IF THEY DID NOT I WOULD STILL BE LIABLE FOR NOT NOTIFYING CUSTOMS. THE CUSTOMS INSPECTOR THEN REITERATED TO ME THAT IT WAS STILL MY RESPONSIBILITY TO NOTIFY CUSTOMS. I HAVE SINCE DONE SOME READING OF REGS AND HAVE DETERMINED THAT THE CUSTOMS INSPECTOR ACCORDING TO THE REGS IS CORRECT IN SAYING IN ESSENCE, NOTIFYING CUSTOMS TIMELY IS MY PROBLEM. I REALIZE CUSTOMS HAS A NEAR IMPOSSIBLE JOB TO DO AND HAS PROBABLY HEARD MORE STORIES THAN I CAN POSSIBLY IMAGINE, HOWEVER FEEL THERE MUST BE A BETTER WAY! BIMINI IS A UNIQUE LOCATION WITH A UNIQUE PROBLEM. A TELEPHONE INSTALLED AT THE ARPT WOULD GO A LONG WAY TO SOLVING THE CUSTOMS PROBLEM NOT TO MENTION THE SAFETY HAZARD OF DEPARTING BIMINI WITH NO WX INFO. AS FAR AS THE COST OF THE TELEPHONE IS CONCERNED, I WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO PAY MY SHARE.

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.