Narrative:

I filed a VFR flight plan with the proper auths at ensenada, mexico (baja, ca) to brown field in california (near san diego) with an ete of 25 mins. Once airborne, ensenada tower control handed me off immediately to tijuana approach control. Tijuana approach control gave me a squawk and advised me to proceed to cross over tijuana airport en route to brown field. About 10 mi from tijuana airport, tijuana approach control handed me off to tijuana tower control. Tijuana tower advised me to cross over tijuana airport at 2000 ft MSL and contact brown tower over tijuana airport. I contacted brown tower over tijuana airport and was told to cross over brown airport and enter right downwind for runway 26R. I was then cleared to land on runway 26R. My ete of 25 mins was right on. I forgot to call san diego FSS to file a border crossing after airborne from ensenada. I knew that I was supposed to call san diego FSS to file a border crossing, but I wrongly assumed that because I was handed off immediately to tijuana approach control and given a squawk, that my border crossing was automatically forwarded to san diego FSS. Contributing factor: in my life, I had only done one other border crossing about 3 months previous to this occurrence and that was from san felipe, mexico. In that case, I was not handed off to an approach control and I properly called san diego FSS in the air and filed my border crossing. Corrective action: be sure you are very familiar with the procedures of the border crossing before you attempt it! The fine could be as high as $5000.00!

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA DEPARTS TIJUANA, MEXICO, FLYING VFR TO SDM, CA, BUT FAILS TO RPT TO SAN DIEGO FSS OF HIS BORDER XING.

Narrative: I FILED A VFR FLT PLAN WITH THE PROPER AUTHS AT ENSENADA, MEXICO (BAJA, CA) TO BROWN FIELD IN CALIFORNIA (NEAR SAN DIEGO) WITH AN ETE OF 25 MINS. ONCE AIRBORNE, ENSENADA TWR CTL HANDED ME OFF IMMEDIATELY TO TIJUANA APCH CTL. TIJUANA APCH CTL GAVE ME A SQUAWK AND ADVISED ME TO PROCEED TO CROSS OVER TIJUANA ARPT ENRTE TO BROWN FIELD. ABOUT 10 MI FROM TIJUANA ARPT, TIJUANA APCH CTL HANDED ME OFF TO TIJUANA TWR CTL. TIJUANA TWR ADVISED ME TO CROSS OVER TIJUANA ARPT AT 2000 FT MSL AND CONTACT BROWN TWR OVER TIJUANA ARPT. I CONTACTED BROWN TWR OVER TIJUANA ARPT AND WAS TOLD TO CROSS OVER BROWN ARPT AND ENTER R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 26R. I WAS THEN CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 26R. MY ETE OF 25 MINS WAS RIGHT ON. I FORGOT TO CALL SAN DIEGO FSS TO FILE A BORDER XING AFTER AIRBORNE FROM ENSENADA. I KNEW THAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO CALL SAN DIEGO FSS TO FILE A BORDER XING, BUT I WRONGLY ASSUMED THAT BECAUSE I WAS HANDED OFF IMMEDIATELY TO TIJUANA APCH CTL AND GIVEN A SQUAWK, THAT MY BORDER XING WAS AUTOMATICALLY FORWARDED TO SAN DIEGO FSS. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR: IN MY LIFE, I HAD ONLY DONE ONE OTHER BORDER XING ABOUT 3 MONTHS PREVIOUS TO THIS OCCURRENCE AND THAT WAS FROM SAN FELIPE, MEXICO. IN THAT CASE, I WAS NOT HANDED OFF TO AN APCH CTL AND I PROPERLY CALLED SAN DIEGO FSS IN THE AIR AND FILED MY BORDER XING. CORRECTIVE ACTION: BE SURE YOU ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE PROCS OF THE BORDER XING BEFORE YOU ATTEMPT IT! THE FINE COULD BE AS HIGH AS $5000.00!

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.