Narrative:

My problem arose when I had to wait in the bahamas for a facsimile from the FAA in ok so that I could clear customs when I got back to the states. (Fly-by-wire). One of the biggest contributors was that I got into a hurry. The sun was starting to go down, and I needed to pick up some of my friends from an island (walkers cay). I departed VFR and contacted freeport approach and asked them if they could help me file an IFR flight plan into the system so that all would be notified of my coming into the states, I was told to contact mia on another frequency, unable to reach mia, I went back to freeport approach and asked again. They said 'go back to mia on 133.4 and stay on that frequency until you reach them.' after several attempts to reach someone, I finally contacted ft pierce approach and asked them to notify customs and if they could file a flight plan for me. I was asked all information that one normally gives on an IFR flight plan and was also given a squawk code. In my mind, all was ok, I was talking to someone and they had me on radar, and they knew where I was going, etc. 10 mins after I walked into customs in ft. Pierce, the customs helicopter landed, they seized my friend's aircraft and told me I was facing 3 violations: 1-FAILURE to file an IFR flight plan, 2- failure to notify ADIZ 15 mins prior to penetration, and 3- failure to notify customs 1 hour prior to arrival. To the first one, I blame myself for not filing a flight plan before I left the states, yet freeport approach refused to help me by filing for me when I requested it. United states ATC also did not file or help me file when I specifically requested this help. (There was never a flight plan put into the system). If freeport would have helped me, I would not have been in this situation. If I was not in a hurry to beat the sunset, I would have filed an IFR plan (get homeitis). Customs helicopter should have known I was talking to several controllers and was squawking a given code. I should not have felt pressured to 'keep everyone happy' and 'make it work.' I was a victim of bad timing.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT FAILS TO FILE IFR DVFR FLT PLAN INTO ADIZ AND FAILS TO GIVE CUSTOMS THE 1 HR NOTIFICATION PRIOR TO ARR.

Narrative: MY PROBLEM AROSE WHEN I HAD TO WAIT IN THE BAHAMAS FOR A FAX FROM THE FAA IN OK SO THAT I COULD CLR CUSTOMS WHEN I GOT BACK TO THE STATES. (FLY-BY-WIRE). ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONTRIBUTORS WAS THAT I GOT INTO A HURRY. THE SUN WAS STARTING TO GO DOWN, AND I NEEDED TO PICK UP SOME OF MY FRIENDS FROM AN ISLAND (WALKERS CAY). I DEPARTED VFR AND CONTACTED FREEPORT APCH AND ASKED THEM IF THEY COULD HELP ME FILE AN IFR FLT PLAN INTO THE SYS SO THAT ALL WOULD BE NOTIFIED OF MY COMING INTO THE STATES, I WAS TOLD TO CONTACT MIA ON ANOTHER FREQ, UNABLE TO REACH MIA, I WENT BACK TO FREEPORT APCH AND ASKED AGAIN. THEY SAID 'GO BACK TO MIA ON 133.4 AND STAY ON THAT FREQ UNTIL YOU REACH THEM.' AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO REACH SOMEONE, I FINALLY CONTACTED FT PIERCE APCH AND ASKED THEM TO NOTIFY CUSTOMS AND IF THEY COULD FILE A FLT PLAN FOR ME. I WAS ASKED ALL INFO THAT ONE NORMALLY GIVES ON AN IFR FLT PLAN AND WAS ALSO GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE. IN MY MIND, ALL WAS OK, I WAS TALKING TO SOMEONE AND THEY HAD ME ON RADAR, AND THEY KNEW WHERE I WAS GOING, ETC. 10 MINS AFTER I WALKED INTO CUSTOMS IN FT. PIERCE, THE CUSTOMS HELI LANDED, THEY SEIZED MY FRIEND'S ACFT AND TOLD ME I WAS FACING 3 VIOLATIONS: 1-FAILURE TO FILE AN IFR FLT PLAN, 2- FAILURE TO NOTIFY ADIZ 15 MINS PRIOR TO PENETRATION, AND 3- FAILURE TO NOTIFY CUSTOMS 1 HR PRIOR TO ARR. TO THE FIRST ONE, I BLAME MYSELF FOR NOT FILING A FLT PLAN BEFORE I LEFT THE STATES, YET FREEPORT APCH REFUSED TO HELP ME BY FILING FOR ME WHEN I REQUESTED IT. UNITED STATES ATC ALSO DID NOT FILE OR HELP ME FILE WHEN I SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED THIS HELP. (THERE WAS NEVER A FLT PLAN PUT INTO THE SYS). IF FREEPORT WOULD HAVE HELPED ME, I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN IN THIS SITUATION. IF I WAS NOT IN A HURRY TO BEAT THE SUNSET, I WOULD HAVE FILED AN IFR PLAN (GET HOMEITIS). CUSTOMS HELI SHOULD HAVE KNOWN I WAS TALKING TO SEVERAL CTLRS AND WAS SQUAWKING A GIVEN CODE. I SHOULD NOT HAVE FELT PRESSURED TO 'KEEP EVERYONE HAPPY' AND 'MAKE IT WORK.' I WAS A VICTIM OF BAD TIMING.

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.