Narrative:

I began my return trip back to ZZZ. I noticed my heading earlier down to ZZZ1 to ZZZ2 was about a 200 degree heading. My return flight itinerary was to track the ZZZ3 VOR 020 radial. Once I passed ZZZ2 by identifying it by beacon light, I would then radio contact pct approach for a discrete squawk to return to ZZZ. It was already dark when I left ZZZ1 and visibility was about as good as it could get with a crescent moon. The flight was uneventful for the exception of a 20 plus knot left rear quarterly tailwind. As I continued towards ZZZ2 I noticed one of my VOR's (navigation 1) did not receive a strong enough signal to unseat the directional flag. I was able to get a strong identifying morse code signal from ZZZ3 on both navigation/communications. The number 2 VOR (navigation 2) had a good flag and seemed to be tracking ZZZ3 fine however, when I turned the obs 30 degrees in both directions it momentarily stayed center. I began to doubt its accuracy and functional status. At one point I thought there was station passage, but things did not look right outside and I could not locate the ZZZ2 rotating beacon. At this point I was not sure exactly my location and continued heading on a 020 heading hoping something familiar would appear while still looking for the ZZZ2 rotating beacon. After what appeared to be about 10 to 15 mins after the sticking VOR incident, I contacted pct approach requesting assistance for navigation to ZZZ. I told pct approach I thought I was 20 miles south of ZZZ2. Pct approach was very professional and helpful and let me know I was in fact 17 miles north of ZZZ3, and gave me a discrete squawk and a heading directly to ZZZ. Before being handed off to the ZZZ tower, I was given a phone number to call pct approach. After landing ZZZ tower informed me there would be an fbi and secret service agent to later meet me at the FBO. I called pct approach after securing the aircraft and they again were very professional and requesting a brief synopsis as to why I had deviated into ADIZ airspace. I told them I was not aware that I had entered the ADIZ airspace, but was aware of the normal entering and exiting procedures. The two government agents came about 45 mins after I landed and recorded information concerning name, address, identify, etc, and then requested to search the aircraft. I allowed them to inspect the aircraft. The agents were satisfied in as far as they did not see my aircraft or me as a national threat. The agents photographed me in the FBO lobby and then left. Summary/my errors: there were a number of errors on my part thus allowing me to stray into the ADIZ northwest of the dulles (iad) airport region. I do want to mention that at no time did I enter the class B airspace of iad. The pct approach person I spoke too person 1 verified this per our phone conversation. In retrospect it was clearly a cascading series of events, which led me to accidentally end up in the northwest area of the ADIZ. My first mistake was not checking to make sure the VOR's were operating correctly before the trip and during daylight. My second mistake was not taking into consideration the tail wind causing my plane which normally cruises at 125 KTS to be flying at 150 KTS ground speed and approaching and passing ZZZ3 sooner than anticipated and finally not immediately radioing pct approach when it was clear I was not sure my exact location on my route. Corrective steps: the first thing I plan to do is have the navigational equipment checked and repaired as needed. My next step is to begin the long overdue IFR training I had planned some time back. And finally, I will start using other services more frequently such as flight following workload of ATC permitting and knowing where I am in relationship to the ADIZ at all times. And foremost, use available resources such as ATC and en route ctrs to verify location in the event suspected navigation equipment is in error.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT ENTERED DC ADIZ AIRSPACE WITH OUT CLRNC.

Narrative: I BEGAN MY RETURN TRIP BACK TO ZZZ. I NOTICED MY HDG EARLIER DOWN TO ZZZ1 TO ZZZ2 WAS ABOUT A 200 DEG HDG. MY RETURN FLT ITINERARY WAS TO TRACK THE ZZZ3 VOR 020 RADIAL. ONCE I PASSED ZZZ2 BY IDENTIFYING IT BY BEACON LIGHT, I WOULD THEN RADIO CONTACT PCT APCH FOR A DISCRETE SQUAWK TO RETURN TO ZZZ. IT WAS ALREADY DARK WHEN I LEFT ZZZ1 AND VISIBILITY WAS ABOUT AS GOOD AS IT COULD GET WITH A CRESCENT MOON. THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL FOR THE EXCEPTION OF A 20 PLUS KNOT LEFT REAR QUARTERLY TAILWIND. AS I CONTINUED TOWARDS ZZZ2 I NOTICED ONE OF MY VOR'S (NAV 1) DID NOT RECEIVE A STRONG ENOUGH SIGNAL TO UNSEAT THE DIRECTIONAL FLAG. I WAS ABLE TO GET A STRONG IDENTIFYING MORSE CODE SIGNAL FROM ZZZ3 ON BOTH NAV/COMS. THE NUMBER 2 VOR (NAV 2) HAD A GOOD FLAG AND SEEMED TO BE TRACKING ZZZ3 FINE HOWEVER, WHEN I TURNED THE OBS 30 DEGS IN BOTH DIRECTIONS IT MOMENTARILY STAYED CTR. I BEGAN TO DOUBT ITS ACCURACY AND FUNCTIONAL STATUS. AT ONE POINT I THOUGHT THERE WAS STATION PASSAGE, BUT THINGS DID NOT LOOK RIGHT OUTSIDE AND I COULD NOT LOCATE THE ZZZ2 ROTATING BEACON. AT THIS POINT I WAS NOT SURE EXACTLY MY LOCATION AND CONTINUED HDG ON A 020 HDG HOPING SOMETHING FAMILIAR WOULD APPEAR WHILE STILL LOOKING FOR THE ZZZ2 ROTATING BEACON. AFTER WHAT APPEARED TO BE ABOUT 10 TO 15 MINS AFTER THE STICKING VOR INCIDENT, I CONTACTED PCT APCH REQUESTING ASSISTANCE FOR NAVIGATION TO ZZZ. I TOLD PCT APCH I THOUGHT I WAS 20 MILES S OF ZZZ2. PCT APCH WAS VERY PROFESSIONAL AND HELPFUL AND LET ME KNOW I WAS IN FACT 17 MILES N OF ZZZ3, AND GAVE ME A DISCRETE SQUAWK AND A HDG DIRECTLY TO ZZZ. BEFORE BEING HANDED OFF TO THE ZZZ TWR, I WAS GIVEN A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL PCT APCH. AFTER LNDG ZZZ TWR INFORMED ME THERE WOULD BE AN FBI AND SECRET SERVICE AGENT TO LATER MEET ME AT THE FBO. I CALLED PCT APCH AFTER SECURING THE ACFT AND THEY AGAIN WERE VERY PROFESSIONAL AND REQUESTING A BRIEF SYNOPSIS AS TO WHY I HAD DEVIATED INTO ADIZ AIRSPACE. I TOLD THEM I WAS NOT AWARE THAT I HAD ENTERED THE ADIZ AIRSPACE, BUT WAS AWARE OF THE NORMAL ENTERING AND EXITING PROCS. THE TWO GOVERNMENT AGENTS CAME ABOUT 45 MINS AFTER I LANDED AND RECORDED INFO CONCERNING NAME, ADDRESS, IDENT, ETC, AND THEN REQUESTED TO SEARCH THE ACFT. I ALLOWED THEM TO INSPECT THE ACFT. THE AGENTS WERE SATISFIED IN AS FAR AS THEY DID NOT SEE MY ACFT OR ME AS A NATIONAL THREAT. THE AGENTS PHOTOGRAPHED ME IN THE FBO LOBBY AND THEN LEFT. SUMMARY/MY ERRORS: THERE WERE A NUMBER OF ERRORS ON MY PART THUS ALLOWING ME TO STRAY INTO THE ADIZ NW OF THE DULLES (IAD) ARPT REGION. I DO WANT TO MENTION THAT AT NO TIME DID I ENTER THE CLASS B AIRSPACE OF IAD. THE PCT APCH PERSON I SPOKE TOO PERSON 1 VERIFIED THIS PER OUR PHONE CONVERSATION. IN RETROSPECT IT WAS CLEARLY A CASCADING SERIES OF EVENTS, WHICH LED ME TO ACCIDENTALLY END UP IN THE NW AREA OF THE ADIZ. MY FIRST MISTAKE WAS NOT CHKING TO MAKE SURE THE VOR'S WERE OPERATING CORRECTLY BEFORE THE TRIP AND DURING DAYLIGHT. MY SECOND MISTAKE WAS NOT TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE TAIL WIND CAUSING MY PLANE WHICH NORMALLY CRUISES AT 125 KTS TO BE FLYING AT 150 KTS GND SPEED AND APCHING AND PASSING ZZZ3 SOONER THAN ANTICIPATED AND FINALLY NOT IMMEDIATELY RADIOING PCT APCH WHEN IT WAS CLR I WAS NOT SURE MY EXACT LOCATION ON MY RTE. CORRECTIVE STEPS: THE FIRST THING I PLAN TO DO IS HAVE THE NAVIGATIONAL EQUIPMENT CHKED AND REPAIRED AS NEEDED. MY NEXT STEP IS TO BEGIN THE LONG OVERDUE IFR TRAINING I HAD PLANNED SOME TIME BACK. AND FINALLY, I WILL START USING OTHER SERVICES MORE FREQUENTLY SUCH AS FLT FOLLOWING WORKLOAD OF ATC PERMITTING AND KNOWING WHERE I AM IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE ADIZ AT ALL TIMES. AND FOREMOST, USE AVAILABLE RESOURCES SUCH AS ATC AND ENRTE CTRS TO VERIFY LOCATION IN THE EVENT SUSPECTED NAVIGATION EQUIPMENT IS IN ERROR.

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.