Narrative:

The flight was an instrument check flight for our SR22 experimental research aircraft. The aircraft had been extensively modified over past 6 months. Mission was to check reception of adsb/tis traffic information data linked from ZZZ subsequent to compass swing at ZZZ1. Preflight brief indicated that reception should occur at location just north of richmond, va. Unfortunately, we were unable to receive signal, so we proceeded north towards the dc area. Since I had not anticipated having to fly near dc, I had not checked tfr airspace before flight. I knew from prior checking that at times, tfr airspace extended as far as tri-area class B airspace boundaries. As we approached the dca area at 9500 ft MSL, squawking 1200, I informed engineers that we would have to turn back no further than 5 NM from class B airspace horizontal limit near quantico mcaf. I checked both my current low altitude en route chart (L27-28) and washington sectional. The only note on either chart only mentioned sfar 94 airspace including airspace essentially within 13 DME of dca VOR. The class B limit was almost 10 NM outside of that. I reversed course 5 miles outside of the class B border, but 5 NM inside the 30 NM mode C veil boundary. Unknown to me, the 30 NM mode C veil boundary was now the washington dc ADIZ limit. We had 5 GPS receivers on board, 3 with updated data bases (28 day cycle) and IFR certified. Contributing factors: part of the check flight included electromagnetic interference (EMI) checks on both radios so we were not talking to ATC. I was asked to call pct TRACON on landing back. I was informed that a pilot deviation report was being filed on my ADIZ violation. I am only one of now thousands of pilots being violated for tfr penetrations. Somehow in this age of electronic data bases, we need to update tfr airspace. The aircraft was equipped with dual GPS navigation communications and a brand new large format integrated mfd with GPS navigation. None of these showed any tfr's. The only information contained in the pct/FAA monthly NOTAM book in one unlabeled copied chart that is impossible to read or interpret. No text describing the ADIZ boundaries or procedure is included. Recommendation: the FAA must find a better way to depict tfr airspace on charts and in electronic data bases. Pilots rarely violate restr areas because they are clearly marked on charts and in data bases. Perhaps tfrs should be handled more like restr areas. The safety issue here is the real danger of being intercepted/fired on for unintentional airspace violations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SR22 PLT ENTERED DC ADIZ WITHOUT CLRNC OR A DISCRETE XPONDER CODE.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS AN INSTRUMENT CHK FLT FOR OUR SR22 EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH ACFT. THE ACFT HAD BEEN EXTENSIVELY MODIFIED OVER PAST 6 MONTHS. MISSION WAS TO CHK RECEPTION OF ADSB/TIS TFC INFORMATION DATA LINKED FROM ZZZ SUBSEQUENT TO COMPASS SWING AT ZZZ1. PREFLT BRIEF INDICATED THAT RECEPTION SHOULD OCCUR AT LOCATION JUST N OF RICHMOND, VA. UNFORTUNATELY, WE WERE UNABLE TO RECEIVE SIGNAL, SO WE PROCEEDED N TOWARDS THE DC AREA. SINCE I HAD NOT ANTICIPATED HAVING TO FLY NEAR DC, I HAD NOT CHKED TFR AIRSPACE BEFORE FLT. I KNEW FROM PRIOR CHKING THAT AT TIMES, TFR AIRSPACE EXTENDED AS FAR AS TRI-AREA CLASS B AIRSPACE BOUNDARIES. AS WE APCHED THE DCA AREA AT 9500 FT MSL, SQUAWKING 1200, I INFORMED ENGINEERS THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO TURN BACK NO FURTHER THAN 5 NM FROM CLASS B AIRSPACE HORIZONTAL LIMIT NEAR QUANTICO MCAF. I CHKED BOTH MY CURRENT LOW ALT ENRTE CHART (L27-28) AND WASHINGTON SECTIONAL. THE ONLY NOTE ON EITHER CHART ONLY MENTIONED SFAR 94 AIRSPACE INCLUDING AIRSPACE ESSENTIALLY WITHIN 13 DME OF DCA VOR. THE CLASS B LIMIT WAS ALMOST 10 NM OUTSIDE OF THAT. I REVERSED COURSE 5 MILES OUTSIDE OF THE CLASS B BORDER, BUT 5 NM INSIDE THE 30 NM MODE C VEIL BOUNDARY. UNKNOWN TO ME, THE 30 NM MODE C VEIL BOUNDARY WAS NOW THE WASHINGTON DC ADIZ LIMIT. WE HAD 5 GPS RECEIVERS ON BOARD, 3 WITH UPDATED DATA BASES (28 DAY CYCLE) AND IFR CERTIFIED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: PART OF THE CHK FLT INCLUDED ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERFERENCE (EMI) CHKS ON BOTH RADIOS SO WE WERE NOT TALKING TO ATC. I WAS ASKED TO CALL PCT TRACON ON LNDG BACK. I WAS INFORMED THAT A PLT DEVIATION RPT WAS BEING FILED ON MY ADIZ VIOLATION. I AM ONLY ONE OF NOW THOUSANDS OF PLTS BEING VIOLATED FOR TFR PENETRATIONS. SOMEHOW IN THIS AGE OF ELECTRONIC DATA BASES, WE NEED TO UPDATE TFR AIRSPACE. THE ACFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH DUAL GPS NAV COMS AND A BRAND NEW LARGE FORMAT INTEGRATED MFD WITH GPS NAV. NONE OF THESE SHOWED ANY TFR'S. THE ONLY INFO CONTAINED IN THE PCT/FAA MONTHLY NOTAM BOOK IN ONE UNLABELED COPIED CHART THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO READ OR INTERPRET. NO TEXT DESCRIBING THE ADIZ BOUNDARIES OR PROCEDURE IS INCLUDED. RECOMMENDATION: THE FAA MUST FIND A BETTER WAY TO DEPICT TFR AIRSPACE ON CHARTS AND IN ELECTRONIC DATA BASES. PLTS RARELY VIOLATE RESTR AREAS BECAUSE THEY ARE CLRLY MARKED ON CHARTS AND IN DATA BASES. PERHAPS TFRS SHOULD BE HANDLED MORE LIKE RESTR AREAS. THE SAFETY ISSUE HERE IS THE REAL DANGER OF BEING INTERCEPTED/FIRED ON FOR UNINTENTIONAL AIRSPACE VIOLATIONS.

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.